In the ever-evolving tapestry of business, Salesforce emerges as the protagonist, rewriting the narrative of customer relationships and growth. It’s not just a platform; it’s a dynamic force that transcends industries, weaving its versatility into the very fabric of success.
In this grand saga of technological evolution, one company stands as the protagonist’s trusted ally: CEPTES Software Private Limited. Imagine it as the Gandalf of the Salesforce landscape, founded and co-forged by the visionary Priya Ranjan Panigrahy and the wizardly Harish Kumar Poolakade.
Certified as a Salesforce SI, MSP PDO, Cloud Reseller and ISV partner, CEPTES isn’t just a name; it’s synonymous with innovation, excellence, and the artistry of rapid application development. It’s the brushstroke that paints the canvas of seamless customer-centricity, agility, and competitiveness in the digital realm.
As businesses embark on the Salesforce adventure, CEPTES is not just a guide; it’s the North Star, leading the way with solutions that sparkle and applications that take flight.
Boasting 9+ products and solutions featured on the esteemed AppExchange, CEPTES excels in Salesforce integration, customization, and implementation and shines in the rapid development of enterprise-grade business applications. With a customer-centric approach reflected in an outstanding CSAT score exceeding 4.9 out of 5, CEPTES exemplifies the essence of being the “Finest Stage In My Life” for its employees, the “Solution to Every Problem” for customers, and a proponent of “Grown Together” partnerships. Embracing a gratitude and learning culture, CEPTES offers an open work environment, ensuring employees consider the company their second home.
With a focus on fostering future entrepreneurs, CEPTES, under the leadership of its tech visionaries, continues to shape the landscape of Salesforce development and remains a top choice for businesses navigating the complexities of the digital age.
Salesforce Expertise
CEPTES was established in 2010. Having garnered more than decade of combined experience in the US, the founders, driven by a desire to contribute to their home country’s economic growth and employment opportunities, embarked on a journey to leverage technology for business transformation.
Over the past 13 years, CEPTES has evolved into a versatile player in the Salesforce ecosystem, embracing various partnership types. As an ISV partner, the company develops its products, serves as a system integrator for Salesforce implementations, collaborates on product development as a PDO partner, offers managed services, and functions as a Cloud Reseller partner in India. With a workforce of 250 professionals across leadership, project management, architecture, and development roles, CEPTES operates from multiple offices in Bangalore, Hyderabad, and Noida.
Expanding its global footprint, CEPTES has established offices in the US and Dubai, targeting North America and the Middle East as key markets, with a growing presence in Singapore and Australia for the Asia Pacific region. CEPTES Software continues to empower businesses with Salesforce solutions, fostering growth and innovation.
Navigating Entrepreneurship
In the initial phases of their entrepreneurial journey, the founders of CEPTES embraced the exciting challenge of entering the business world, eager to gain a comprehensive understanding of its complexities. Acknowledging the allure and challenges of entrepreneurship, they metaphorically likened their entry to jumping into the ocean without knowing how to swim, emphasizing that the choice was entirely their own.
Drawing strength from their Indian cultural background, they emphasized the values of adaptability, ethical conduct, and a long-term perspective. Their vision transcended mere transactions and monetary gains; instead, they aspired to create something enduring. Learning from experience, they grasped the ever-changing nature of business, recognizing that adaptability is crucial.
The realization that change is the only constant became evident during the pandemic, prompting them to reevaluate strategies in the face of global macro and microeconomic shifts. The founders emphasized aligning strategies with technological evolution, user experience, and business needs.
The transition from a typical 9-to-5 work culture to a relentless commitment to customers and employees took its toll, with sacrifices in personal and family time. Yet, after 13 years, CEPTES stands resilient, successfully challenging larger competitors. The founders find the infinite game of business fascinating and challenging, expressing their commitment to continuous growth and pursuing their dreams.
Revolutionizing Development & Defining the Future
Reflecting on the inception of CEPTES , Panigrahy Recalls their days as Java developers working for a European bank in the US. Both founders recognized a paradigm shift facilitated by Salesforce. The traditional 6 to 8 months required for module development using a waterfall lifecycle transformed into a swift process, with Salesforce enabling the codeless creation of business applications. This innovation resulted in an 80% to 90% time-saving for initial development and maintenance.
The founders highlighted the platform’s accessibility, allowing B2B software development from anywhere with just an internet connection. The elimination of infrastructure concerns provided developers with an unprecedented level of freedom and ease. Embracing the idea that understanding a problem should precede grappling with infrastructure intricacies, the founders envisioned a revolution in which developers could focus on solving issues directly.
Transitioning to the future, the founders foresaw Salesforce maintaining its position as a leader, attributing this to continual innovation. Beyond its CRM and sales cloud dominance, Salesforce has expanded its product offerings, including AI solutions powered by Einstein AI & Einstein GPT. The founders acknowledged the importance of maintaining data security in the face of emerging technologies like ChatGPT, emphasizing Salesforce’s commitment to protecting customer data. They underscored the significance of Salesforce’s data cloud in a world where diverse software systems generate, produce, and consume data in distinct languages.
The convergence of data sources and advanced analytics, especially appealing to the millennial workforce, forms the crux of Salesforce’s future. With a keen focus on data, AI, and CRM, Salesforce is poised to redefine the landscape over the next five to ten years. The platform now boasts a comprehensive suite of industry-specific solutions encompassing sales, marketing, commerce, service, and revenue. The amalgamation of these solutions with AI modules and data layers positions Salesforce as a game-changer in the enterprise realm, solidifying its status as the industry leader.
Navigating Salesforce’s Ever-Evolving Landscape
Adapting to the rapid pace of change in the Salesforce ecosystem poses challenges and opportunities for CEPTES Software. The company recognizes the necessity of continual evolution in a realm where innovation is a constant. Acknowledging the analogy to doctors needing to stay abreast of new medicines and instruments for the betterment of humanity, CEPTES emphasizes the imperative of staying current in the ever-growing open-source market. Understanding Salesforce’s frequent major releases, coupled with its acquisitions of various technology companies, the company adopted a proactive approach.
Over time, CEPTES has cultivated a culture of innovation and continuous learning. The establishment of CEPTES Technopreneur University (CTU) reflects its commitment to fostering a learning environment where employees engage in training programs to adapt to new tools, technologies, and products introduced by Salesforce. CEPTES has received global recognition, including the Global Innovation Award at Dreamforce events in San Francisco for two consecutive years, alongside the Asia Pacific and India Innovation Awards. These accolades underscore CEPTES Software’s local impact on a global scale, positioning the company as a key player connecting with the forefront of global innovation.
Differentiation through Ethical Innovation
CEPTES strategically distinguishes itself by adhering to a unique ethos since its inception. Unlike larger competitors focused on aggressive sales tactics, CEPTES prioritizes ethical business practices and customer-centric values. Recognizing that traditional sales approaches may not align with its vision, the company emphasizes expertise, experience, and customer satisfaction as the cornerstones. Ethical considerations are embedded in the company’s DNA, shaping how it approaches projects, estimates work, and handles post-delivery interactions. CEPTES has carved a niche by developing innovative, internally built products that cater to localized needs, reducing time and costs.
The company’s goal extends beyond financial gains; it aims to transform its customers by leveraging the power of technology. Emphasizing productivity, efficiency, and the maximization of licensing benefits without compromising system security or data privacy, CEPTES has established itself as a trusted partner in the Salesforce ecosystem. Although satisfied with its current standing, the company remains driven to expand its horizons, aiming to compete with industry giants and set new benchmarks. With many Fortune 100 customers already in its portfolio, CEPTES continues to aspire for more, setting ambitious targets every year—a testament to its relentless pursuit of growth and innovation.
Leadership Insights
Reflecting on his leadership philosophy, Panigrahy emphasizes a profound understanding of others and continual learning as the core tenets. His approach centers on allowing individuals to operate fully, recognizing the diversity of perceptions and ideas within a team. A key aspect of his philosophy involves active observing and creating awareness of situational dynamics to foster informed decision-making. Panigrahy parallels actors’ versatility in playing different roles, highlighting the need for leaders to adapt to varied personas within a company.
Accepting failure as a crucial part of growth and learning is central to his leadership philosophy. Panigrahy’s vision revolves around cultivating an environment where individuals are allowed to fail, fostering an atmosphere of continuous improvement. These principles collectively form the foundation of the CEPTESs leadership approach, enabling the team to navigate diverse challenges and contribute effectively to the company’s success.
Strategic Expansion
Looking forward, CEPTES, under the leadership of Panigrahy, has devised a comprehensive expansion plan. As Salesforce continues evolving in AI, BI, & RPA CEPTES Software strategically positions itself in these domains. With ongoing expansion into the Middle East and the US, the company is also securing funds for upcoming innovative products. Despite anticipating a slight slowdown in 2024 due to factors like the US economy, CEPTES is preparing for future growth by focusing on technology-driven value-added services.
The expansion plan involves creating affordable, usage-based services and products, ensuring accessibility for a broader customer base. CEPTES aims to strengthen relationships with existing customers by sharing best practices, fostering customer satisfaction, and encouraging referrals. The emphasis is not solely on acquiring new customers but on cross-selling, upselling, and building a brand through satisfied, referring customers. The vision is to grow across multiple regions, offering diverse products and services aligned with customer needs and innovation trends.
A Glimpse into CEPTES’ Innovation
Panigrahy sheds light on the groundbreaking product, 200 OK , a native no-code & no limit integration platform within Salesforce that transforms the landscape of system integrations. In a complex world of varied applications speaking different languages, CEPTES addresses the challenge by providing a seamless and secure integration solution. The product caters to businesses of all sizes, allowing them to connect marketing, sales, finance, accounting, operations, project management, and HR software effortlessly.
With a focus on Salesforce’s platform and technology, CEPTES pioneers disruption by offering ready-made business connectors for data extraction, validation and enrichment, social ads, communication channels, collaboration tools, document generation, e-signatures softwares, enterprise ERP connectors for inventory, order and invoicing, payment links & processing, and streamlined onboarding & KYC processes, drastically reducing the time and effort required for these tasks.
Beyond Integration
Panigrahy highlights the company’s commitment to industry-specific solutions. Beyond its pioneering product, 200 OK , CEPTES introduces industry-focused solutions, such as Real Estate CRM Solution RealE 360 , catering to brokers, builders, and investors. Additionally, the company offers a range of products, including the flagship products like DataArchiva provides data archiving & data backup solution and XfilesPro – a complete external file management & collaboration solutions.
In terms of services, CEPTES is not only a Salesforce implementation partner but also provides consulting services to help clients realize the full potential of their Salesforce licenses. The Managed Services Provider (MSP) arm enhances and improves systems over time, ensuring optimal performance and business process integration.
Furthermore, CEPTES boasts a Product Development Outsourcer (PDO) division recognized by Salesforce, providing end-to-end support to those looking to build and launch applications on the Salesforce AppExchange. The PDO division has witnessed remarkable success stories, where projects started with a modest investment and eventually transformed into billion-dollar enterprises, showcasing CEPTES’ prowess in products and services.
A Perspective on Narayan Murthy’s Statement
Addressing the recent statement by Narayana Murthy on working hours, Panigrahy offers a nuanced perspective. While acknowledging the competitiveness in the market and the influx of Eastern European countries into the job market, Panigrahy emphasizes the importance of skill over sheer population numbers. Reflecting on the evolution of India’s manufacturing industry, he cautions against the potential impact of AI and automation on software services and engineering jobs.
Panigrahy extends the discussion beyond the specified 70 hours, interpreting it as a call for enhanced productivity rather than a fixed time commitment. Drawing from his entrepreneurial experience, he encourages a shift in mindset, urging individuals to think like entrepreneurs for tomorrow. Panigrahy underscores the essence of delivering output in a competitive market, emphasizing that it’s not just about the number of hours but about investing the necessary time to achieve the desired results.
Culture of Openness, Learning, & Gratitude
Building a team at CEPTES that aligns with the company’s ethics and values revolves around a unique structure—one devoid of hierarchy. In this open culture, individuals can connect, learn, and share knowledge seamlessly. Gratitude is a cornerstone of the company’s practices, reflecting an embracement of knowledge and experiences. The team adopts a collective attitude of perpetual learning, carrying a student mindset into meetings and discussions and transforming into a teacher mindset to share insights.
This culture, meticulously crafted by the founders and CEO over the past 13 years, encourages a commitment to continuous improvement. While acknowledging the inherent diversity in human nature and the influence of external factors, the team attributes its success to a combination of timely actions, commitment, and the values of learning and gratitude. CEPTES has thus cultivated a high-performing team, ready to compete in any field with a shared commitment to openness, learning, and gratitude.
Balancing Act
Being an entrepreneur is a role that demands unwavering commitment, a sentiment exemplified by Panigrahy. Acknowledging the 24/7, 365-day nature of the job, Panigrahy draws a parallel to a soldier’s dedication to duty. Whether on vacation or at the border, the entrepreneur, like a vigilant soldier, is ever-watchful, safeguarding the interests of the business, employees, customers, and partners. Panigrahy attributes his resilience to the support and sacrifices of his family, a crucial source of inspiration for any entrepreneur, especially one without prior experience.
Panigrahy consciously dedicates weekends to quality time with his family despite the constant availability. Striving to create a balance, he ensures dedicated, undistracted time with his kids and family, recognizing the significance of non-digital moments. This commitment extends to CEPTES employees, who, much like their leader, find inspiration in their work, willingly investing extended hours when necessary.
Entrepreneurial Wisdom
Panigrahy shares profound insights into the multifaceted world of entrepreneurship. Advising aspiring entrepreneurs, he stresses the importance of a deeper purpose, advocating for perseverance and the flexibility to pivot business plans when necessary. Panigrahy paints entrepreneurship as a commitment to building not just a company but a temple, with employees as devotees and work as the guiding religion, emphasizing the need to navigate challenges with resilience and avoid shortcuts for sustained success.
“CEPTES exemplifies the essence of being the “Finest Stage In My Life” for its employees, the “Solution to Every Problem” for customers, and a proponent of “Grown Together” partnerships.”
