Scaling Sustainability: How Cloud-Native Solutions Transformed Operations for Koperasi Pemulung Berdaya
The Challenge
Koperasi Pemulung Berdaya, a vital sustainability partner of DANONE Indonesia, operates four branches dedicated to recycling plastic bottles. The cooperative works closely with hundreds of waste pickers who collect and sell recyclable materials to recycling business units. Initially, operations were managed using spreadsheets, which sufficed during the early stages of growth. However, as the business scaled, this approach became increasingly inefficient. Issues such as manual data entry errors, limited accessibility, and a lack of real-time insights created bottlenecks that hindered operational efficiency. With an expanding volume of transactions and a growing network of stakeholders, the cooperative recognized the urgent need for digitalization to streamline processes and enhance transparency.
The digitalization effort also needed to consider the inclusivity of waste pickers, ensuring that the solution was user-friendly and accessible. Furthermore, it was crucial for the solution to align with DANONE Indonesia’s sustainability goals, incorporating not just technological advancements but also environmentally conscious practices.
The Solution
To address these challenges, we partnered with Komodo Water, a subject matter expert in sustainability, to design a comprehensive, cloud-native solution tailored to Koperasi Pemulung Berdaya's operational needs. The backbone of our solution was Microsoft Azure, leveraging its robust and scalable services. We built a mobile and backend system that utilized Azure App Services for seamless application hosting, Azure PostgreSQL for a reliable and scalable database, Azure Storage for efficient data management, and Redis on a virtual machine to ensure optimal performance and caching.
We also integrated a third-party maps provider to assist with geolocation and navigation and incorporated Firebase for real-time notifications to enhance communication between the cooperative and the waste pickers. Special emphasis was placed on change management to ensure that the solution addressed both technical and environmental considerations, empowering stakeholders throughout the adoption process. Within just eight weeks, we delivered the Minimum Viable Product (MVP), allowing Koperasi Pemulung Berdaya to quickly roll out the solution, gather feedback, and implement iterative improvements. Continuous integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD) pipelines ensured rapid and seamless development cycles.
The Result
The implementation of this cloud-native system had a transformative impact on Koperasi Pemulung Berdaya's operations. Waste pickers could now use a mobile platform for seamless transactions and faster payment processing, fostering trust and satisfaction. The system efficiently handled thousands of daily transactions, enabling the disbursement of billions of Indonesian Rupiah while drastically reducing manual workloads.
Operational efficiency increased significantly, with real-time data and analytics providing better visibility into key processes. This improvement enhanced decision-making and coordination across the cooperative’s branches. Additionally, the scalability of the cloud infrastructure ensured that the system could handle growing transaction volumes without requiring significant upfront investments in physical infrastructure.
This digitalization effort showcases the immense potential of cloud-native technologies to drive efficiency, empower communities, and promote sustainability. By leveraging Microsoft Azure’s robust services and a collaborative, iterative development process, we enabled Koperasi Pemulung Berdaya to efficiently contribute to circular economy initiatives.
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