Unveiling the key reasons behind Pantavanij’s selection as the only Thai company ranked among the Top 10 Procurement Tech Solution Providers in Asia-Pacific, and its bold new vision of becoming a global eProcurement solutions provider.
Pantavanij is Thailand’s leading procurement consultancy and enterprise e-marketplace provider, fully integrated with the country’s No.1 electronic procurement platform. The company currently drives over 200 billion baht worth of annual eProcurement and eAuction transactions for organizations nationwide.
Recently, Pantavanij was named one of the Top 10 Procurement Tech Solution Providers 2018 by APAC CIO Outlook, a leading regional IT publication. This milestone marks yet another affirmation that Pantavanij has truly risen to become an internationally recognized Thai technology provider.
Three Key Selection Criteria
According to Apisith Kuprat, Managing Director of Pantavanij Co., Ltd., the judging process and evaluation criteria consisted of three main pillars:
1. Platform Capability and Functional Completeness
The platform must support the entire procurement lifecycle. This includes digital tools to improve collaboration within procurement teams, advanced analytics, and multi-level participation across the procurement value chain—from planning and sourcing to contract negotiation, purchasing, payment, and supplier management. Additionally, real-time reporting through mobile devices is essential for modern procurement operations.
2. Ability to Digitize Customers’ Procurement Processes
This refers to the policies, tools, and methodologies that help customers transform their procurement operations into end-to-end digital workflows. The goal is to create automated processes and data-driven decision-making models that ultimately reduce operational costs for the customer.
3. Strategic Vision
Strategic vision was another decisive criterion. Apisith emphasized Pantavanij’s mission to elevate procurement operations across ASEAN and help businesses in the region transition into digital procurement through practical, tangible solutions.
“What we aim to do is help organizations transform their procurement functions into a fully digital system. In ASEAN, Pantavanij can empower companies with effective procurement solutions at significantly lower investment compared to European or American systems. This is how we will help the region transition into the digital era.”
A Bold Vision: Cost Reduction Analysis Through Business-Wide Data
Apisith presented to the judges an ambitious and extreme vision: developing a Cost Reduction Analysis solution based on comprehensive business process data—not only procurement-related data. This includes information from various business processes, contracts, and cost-management capabilities. Pantavanij believes it is the only provider in Thailand—and one of the few in ASEAN—capable of delivering this level of cost analytics.
Given Pantavanij’s performance as the country’s leading procurement marketplace operator, managing around 200 billion baht per year, combined with its platform capabilities and strategic clarity, Pantavanij was selected as the only company from Thailand among the Top 10, joining three companies from Singapore, three from China, and three from Australia.
The “Oscar” of the Procurement Industry
For Pantavanij, being recognized on a regional stage was unexpected, yet it significantly boosted both internal morale and confidence.
“This award strengthens confidence within the organization and among Thai businesses. It proves that Thai-developed IT solutions can be recognized at the regional level. It’s a true turning point for Thai tech companies,” Apisith said.
He added that the company has now become familiar with international evaluation processes, which share similarities with higher-level global awards. This recognition inspires Pantavanij—and other Thai firms—to compete on even bigger global platforms.
The award also transformed the organization in multiple dimensions:
– Enhanced confidence from management, executives, and investors
– Greater readiness to increase investment in future service development
– Stronger employee pride and belief in their capability
– Reinforced the mindset that “our market is not limited to Thailand”
For customers, the award further validates Pantavanij’s credibility. It communicates that the company offers far more than eProcurement—it is a partner capable of helping organizations transform into fully digital businesses.
Future Challenges
Winning a major regional award brings new challenges and sets a higher operational standard. Apisith notes:
“From now on, our challenge is to strengthen international acceptance. After receiving the award, more regional companies have begun to notice us.”
Pantavanij is preparing for overseas expansion, which introduces many challenges including financial management, workforce development, and cross-country communication—especially if overseas offices are managed by Thai teams.
The three major challenges ahead are:
1. Brand building & international marketing
2. Talent management
3. Cross-country operations and communication
Toward Becoming an International eProcurement Marketplace Provider
Apisith shared Pantavanij’s global ambition:
“We currently serve customers in 9 foreign countries, and with Thailand included, that makes 10. However, most support infrastructure is still based in Thailand. This regional award is one of many signs that we are ready to take the next step. By 2020, we expect to see the first fully Thai-run Pantavanij office abroad.”
Pantavanij’s goal is to evolve into an internationally recognized enterprise e-marketplace provider, tightly integrated with world-class eProcurement solutions.
