C1 India in e-procurement solutions for businesses and govt portals

C1 India is the market leader in e-Procurement solutions and services. It empowers clients across industries to automate the procurement process through rich domain knowledge and a flexible & agile workflow based procurement engine as it is a trusted & preferred partner focused on building tomorrow’s enterprise.

C1 is an ISO 9001:2015, ISO 27001:2013 and CMMI Level 5 certified company. They offer complete SaaS-based On-premises e-Procurement solutions including Catalogue Management, Indent Management, Warehouse Management, Tender Management, e-Auctions, Procure to Pay, e-Marketplace, Supplier Management and Contract Lifecycle Management with intellectual workflow competences.

In 2000, C1 India embarked their journey into the e-procurement domain by offering e-Procurement services and solutions in a then nascent market. In just two years C1 India created its niche in e-Procurement. With their diverse portfolio of products, they are the pioneers in this business with close to two decades of focus and expertise in procurement related solutions and continue to lead the innovation curve by listening to customers and analyzing the market. They have delivered many award-winning projects, served 27+ Industry verticals, executed more than 1 Million e-Tenders and enabled transactions worth over $400 Billion since inception.

Founded in 2000,C1 has expanded to offices across India, Oman and Dubai.

The role of e-procurement in the present era and why is it important?

e-Procurement is an automation software for the procurement process which empowers users to easily make purchases. In simpler terms, e-Procurement is the process of procuring goods and servicesonline using the internet.

Driven by digital capabilities, the procurement solutions have fundamentally transformed the organizations’ procurement function and brought significant bottom-line benefits to companies by allowing greater productivity, transparency and cost efficiency.

The Procurement automation covers the entire process from the moment a decision is made to make a purchase, through the selection of the goods from catalog or other process, the approval of the order, the placing of the order, the raising of the purchase order, the receiving of that order into the supplier’s system, through to the invoicing and the delivery/receipt of the goods or services.

At a high level, procurement technologies  provides the opportunity to assist with process automation, brings end-to-end transparency of all transactions in the procurement cycle, improves profit margins, structures spend across suppliers and centralizes tracking, standardizes workflows and reduce deviations from the process.

Why India needs to invest in the e-procurement process?

The world is undergoing an era of digital transformationand so is e-procurement.Over the past few years, procurement technologies have grown significantly and newer mechanismsare constantly being developed. The use of procurement technologies has created a competitive advantage for the firms and has diversified the market.

E-procurement systems power businesses in streamlining their processes in a more modern, effective and intelligent way and backing leaders to focus on each area of their business processes. It really helps drive faster ROI as compared to traditional procurement approaches andleads to a faster amortization of expenditures at an early stage which helps in bringingmore transparency in the entire process.

Visibility and access to data masses without automation is critical. E-procurement systems offer greater visibility into day-to-day transactions which makes it easy for users to find and connect with the suppliers that they need.E-procurement systems decrease process time, leverage rebates and discount for better relationships with suppliers, stay compliant with the process and eliminate the chances of making mistakes due to less manual data entry work.

It is predicted that companies will face more opportunity and disruption than ever before in the upcoming years. Digital transformation is already helping companies to redefine their business models, operating processes, and work – and this trend will accelerate as powerful technologies mature.

How C1 India is helping to enlarge the e-procurement process in India.

The founders ofC1 India had the vision and foresight that public procurement, one of the most sensitive areas in Government functioning is a huge and untapped potential. In the late nineties, there was little being done in form of digital governance.

The NEGP (National e-Governance Plan) was established only later – in 2006 which laid out areas where there was a need of computerization. Even the income tax e-filing came only in September 2004. A few other large initiatives include the launch of online train ticketing system – that too in 2002.

At a time when there were few concerted programmes for e-Governance in India, C1 India developed and launched a comprehensive e-Procurement platform for Government departments and become the first organisations in India to offer e-Procurement solutions on a SaaS model and rollout a state wide e-Procurement implementation.

India’s first e-Procurement Portal was developed in 2002 when the government of Andhra Pradesh partnered with C1 India. The project went on to win the Golden Icon award for ‘Exemplary Implementation of e-Governance Initiative’. Since then, there was no looking back as C1 India evolved into an undisputed market leader and has grown from strength to strength. They have earned a reputation across the world and have been entrusted with delivering vital procurement solutions for the government.

Sultanate of Oman project proves C1 India’s another example of contribution in the procurement world. In 2010, C1 implemented its solution to only one ministryof Sultanate of Oman but now the count has been elevated to 55 ministries. This project has also won the “Best e-Governance implementation” award among GCC countries.

C1 Indiawere one of the first mid-sized companies in this business to achieve CMMI 5 certification. Now for close to 20 years, they are proud to have hundreds of satisfied customers with an unblemished track record. They have managed to fill the gap between ERP and home grown systems successfully.

What are the policies and strategies that drive the company?

Ans.C1 is an ISO 9001:2015, ISO 27001:2013 and CMMI Level 5 certified company which reflects their organizational commitment to excellence in delivery, the maturity of processes, and proficient methodologies, tools and techniques.

C1 India manages projects with an established set of practices.Their work and processes have received the highest form of third-party validation. C1 is dedicated to continuous improvement and producing great work that makes a difference.

C1 India’s progressive thinking and creative approach is what makes them stand out from the crowd. Their SaaS-based procurement solutions provide unparalleled visibility, insights and recommendations to procurement leaders and suppliers.C1 applies best-in-class practices, domain knowledge and expertise, proven technologies, and innovation to assist their clients in responding to simplify their procurement operation complexities.

Say on possible mergers and fundings.

C1 India’s Short term plans will be focused on Middle East Market, SE Asia and Africa and they have long-terms plans for mature markets like Europe and America.