Streamlining Allergy Certification with Zoho Creator & 1 Cloud Consultants

Founded by A&E doctor Dr. John McKeon, Allergy Standards Ltd (ASL) was born from a critical need to help people identify products that could mitigate asthma and allergy triggers. As a Testing, Inspection, and Certification (TIC) business, ASL developed a globally recognised consumer product Certification program to validate "allergy-friendly" claims.

Initially bogged down by manual processes, disparate Excel sheets, and slow certificate generation, ASL faced significant roadblocks to scaling. The solution? A full-scale digital transformation with Zoho Creator, turning their disorganized, time-consuming system into a streamlined, highly efficient, and customer-centric platform. With expert support from Zoho partner 1 Cloud Consultants, Zoho Creator became the central hub for their entire certification process, unlocking new levels of efficiency and client satisfaction.

From Inefficiency to Innovation: The Challenge: A Burden of Manual Processes

Before their digital transformation, ASL was held back by a system that couldn't keep pace with their growth. Data was scattered across "disparate Excel sheets," leading to inconsistencies and making it difficult to find information. Critical tasks, like generating certificates, were a manual bottleneck. Certificates required physical signatures from a CEO and a medical chairman who were often traveling, causing delays of up to two weeks. Asset approvals were equally cumbersome, handled manually via email, leading to client confusion and a brand manager who was "overwhelmed."

The Solution: A Low-Code Revolution

The turning point came when Dr. McKeon attended Zoholics in 2009 and declared, "I've seen the light; it's Zoho Creator!" The low-code nature of the platform allowed ASL to build bespoke applications without extensive programming knowledge. With the help of Zoho partner 1 Cloud Consultants, they created a series of powerful applications to tackle their biggest challenges.

Key Implementations and Their Impact

Automated Certificate Generation: A single "tick mark" in the application now triggers the automatic creation of a digitally signed certificate. This reduced a two-week process to "a couple of seconds," generating "phenomenal" client goodwill.
Outward-Facing Asset Approval Portal: Clients now use a dedicated portal to submit and track asset approvals, eliminating messy email chains. Approvals are "done much quicker," with "everything in one place."
Single Sign-On (SSO) Client Portal: Developed in collaboration with Zoho's product team, this portal provides a single, personalized access point for clients. It acts as a central document repository and a self-service hub where clients can download certificates, submit requests, and access brand assets.

Results: Unlocking Efficiency & Growth

The transformation has yielded significant benefits:

Massive Time Savings: Zoho Creator has saved "hundreds of hours" by eliminating manual tasks and streamlining workflows.
Improved Data Integrity: Data is now centralised and integrated into "natural workflows," allowing ASL to be "meticulous on our data."
Enhanced Customer Experience: The client portal provides a "very user-friendly experience" that has received "a lot of really positive feedback," ensuring a seamless journey from sales to certification.
Unprecedented Scalability: The system is designed to "expand as our business expands," positioning ASL for future growth without the burden of inefficient processes.

Discover how Zoho Creator and 1 Cloud Consultants helped ASL revolutionise its operations. Download the full case study.