eP deals to hit RM2bil

The Star Online - 25 Jan 2006
By SURAJ RAJ

KUALA LUMPUR: Commerce Dot Com Sdn Bhd (CDC) expects its electronic procurement system, ePerolehan (eP), to record transactions worth RM2bil this year, said executive director Datuk Azizan Ayob.

"This is possible as more government agencies are using eP," he told StarBiz in an interview.

CDC, which was entrusted with implementing eP for the government in 1999, recorded transactions of RM1bil last year, compared with RM312mil in 2004.

Azizan said the growth stemmed from the Klang Valley, as most of the government's procurement budget was concentrated at the 750 government procurement centres, known as Pusat Tangung Jawab (PTJ), that were mostly eP-enabled.

He said eP usage by PTJs grew last year because users realised the convenience offered by the system.

	With the capacity of handling up to 1,000 concurrent users, eP increases the efficiency of buying and selling by automating the entire procurement cycle.
	Azizan said there were about 2,000 PTJs outside the Klang Valley and he hoped to have them become eP-enabled this year.
Datuk Azizan Ayob
On suppliers, Azizan said of the more than 70,000 registered with the Finance Ministry, only 30,000 were eP-enabled.
"This means about 60% of registered suppliers are yet to be eP-enabled," he said.

CDC aims to facilitate the take-up of eP among suppliers through its training programme, eP Online Learning (ePOL).

"I am confident that this approach to learning will be favourable (to suppliers)," he said, adding that he believed ePOL would help suppliers understand the benefits of eP to their businesses.

He anticipates ePOL would attract 8,000 to 10,000 trainees this year on the back of wide accessibility and affordability.

Developed at a cost of RM350,000, ePOL would offer six modules at a cost of RM175 each.

"Three modules are expected to be available by February," he said, adding that the remaining three should be available by April.

Azizan said PTJs could use ePOL for free for a year. He added that instructor-led training would be available but at a different cost.

Meanwhile, CDC has allocated RM1.5mil for a customer relationship management system (CRM) to be implemented this year.

"It's a priority application for the business. We are selecting the vendors now and, hopefully, we can start by February and complete it by June," he said.

The CRM system would help CDC become more efficient in ensuring customer satisfaction. The company has also budgeted RM2mil for hardware upgrades, which is expected to start by mid-year.