How D2C Brands Can Leverage Protean Open Commerce?

The expansion of online shopping and the evolution of savvy online buyers have contributed immensely to the growth of direct-to-consumer (D2C) brands in India. Following the lockdown, there has been a notable increase in D2C brands, with companies now focusing on establishing their own online platforms. 

These brands are embracing the direct-to-consumer strategy to forge stronger connections with customers and provide a more personalised shopping experience. While many brands recognise the advantages of moving to D2C operations, a significant number struggle to establish a strong online presence due to complex business operations and intense competition from marketplaces and competitors in the sector.

The introduction of the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) in India represents a game-changing opportunity for these brands. However, integrating into ONDC can be a challenging task, requiring collaboration with multiple partners for different stages of the process. This is where Protean Open Commerce comes into play, offering a comprehensive solution that simplifies and expedites the journey for D2C brands.

What is D2C E-commerce?

Direct-to-consumer e-commerce involves the process where brands sell their products directly to consumers, bypassing retailers, wholesalers, or other middlemen. This model allows brands to oversee the entire customer journey, enhancing the shopping experience and collecting valuable consumer data. The growth of digital platforms has made D2C not only feasible but also highly lucrative for companies that implement this strategy effectively.

How Does D2C E-commerce Stand Out from Traditional Retail Models?

In contrast to traditional retail, which often depends on third-party outlets to reach consumers, D2C brands use digital channels to engage directly with their customers. This strategy removes the need for intermediaries, reducing costs and boosting profit margins. Additionally, it gives brands greater control over their brand image, customer support, and overall marketing strategies.

Protean Open Commerce

Protean Open Commerce is India’s first full-stack ONDC solution, designed to cater to businesses across various sectors, from large enterprises to small Kirana stores. It offers a comprehensive suite of tools and services that enable businesses to integrate seamlessly with the ONDC framework, manage their marketplace operations, and drive growth. Protean Open Commerce addresses the fragmented nature of ONDC integration by providing a single, cohesive solution that covers every aspect of digital commerce.

Key Components of Protean Open Commerce

Protean Open Commerce is built on four core pillars:

1. Core Offerings: This includes Uniconnect, a universal connector that enables businesses to connect to ONDC easily. It also features a reconciliation and settlement framework (RSP) that ensures smooth financial transactions within the network.
2. Solution Applications: Protean Open Commerce offers buyer and seller apps tailored for the ONDC ecosystem, facilitating seamless interactions and transactions between consumers and businesses.
3. Marketplace Operations: This pillar includes a range of services designed to streamline marketplace operations, such as merchant onboarding, KYC verification, catalogue digitalisation, and assisted order processing.
4. Value-Added Services: These services include growth management tools that help businesses optimise their operations and maximise their potential within the ONDC framework.

Leveraging Protean Open Commerce for D2C Brands

For D2C brands, Protean Open Commerce offers a unique opportunity to scale operations and reach a broader audience without the complexity of dealing with multiple service providers. 

Let’s explore how D2C brands can leverage the key components of Protean Open Commerce:

1. Seamless ONDC Integration with Uniconnect

One of the primary challenges for D2C brands is integrating with the ONDC network, which requires navigating a complex ecosystem of partners and technologies. Uniconnect, the universal connector provided by Protean Open Commerce, simplifies this process by offering a plug-and-play solution that allows brands to connect to ONDC effortlessly. This means that D2C brands can focus on their core business activities while Protean Open Commerce handles the technical aspects of integration.

For example, a mid-sized skincare brand can use Uniconnect to quickly join ONDC, enabling them to showcase their products on a national platform. This expands their reach beyond traditional e-commerce channels and opens up new growth opportunities.

2. Streamlined Marketplace Operations

Managing a digital marketplace involves numerous tasks, from onboarding merchants to verifying their identities, digitising product catalogues, and processing orders. Protean Open Commerce’s Marketplace Operations module offers a comprehensive solution to these challenges, providing tools for efficient merchant onboarding, KYC verification, catalogue digitalisation, and assisted order processing.

For a D2C brand, this means that they can onboard new sellers and manage their marketplace with minimal effort. For instance, a D2C fashion brand looking to expand its product offerings can use Protean Open Commerce’s catalogue digitalisation service to quickly create and upload detailed product listings, ensuring a consistent and high-quality shopping experience for customers.

Moreover, the assisted order processing feature helps brands manage their orders more efficiently, reducing the risk of errors and ensuring timely fulfilment. This is particularly beneficial for brands with high order volumes, as it allows them to scale their operations without compromising on service quality.

3. Reliable Payment and Settlement

Financial transactions are the lifeblood of any e-commerce operation, and ensuring timely and accurate payments is crucial for maintaining trust with sellers and customers alike. Protean Open Commerce’s Reconciliation and Settlement Platform (RSP) provides a robust framework for managing payments and settlements within the ONDC network.

For D2C brands, the RSP ensures that all financial transactions are processed smoothly and securely, reducing the risk of payment delays or disputes. This not only enhances the brand’s reputation but also fosters stronger relationships with sellers and customers.

Consider a D2C electronics brand that sells high-ticket items such as smartphones and laptops. The RSP ensures that payments are settled promptly, giving the brand the confidence to offer flexible payment options, such as EMI plans or buy-now-pay-later schemes, which can attract more customers and drive sales.

Case Examples: Benefits for Mid to Large Corporations

While Protean Open Commerce is designed to cater to businesses of all sizes, mid to large corporations stand to gain significantly from its comprehensive suite of services. Let’s consider a hypothetical example:

Imagine a well-established home appliance brand looking to expand its digital footprint. Traditionally, this brand has relied on brick-and-mortar stores and limited online sales through its own website. By leveraging Protean Open Commerce, the brand can:

1. Expand Reach: With Uniconnect, the brand can quickly integrate with ONDC, making its products available to a wider audience across India. This opens up new sales channels and increases visibility among potential customers.

2. Optimise Marketplace Operations: The brand can use Protean Open Commerce’s Marketplace Operations module to onboard new sellers, manage product listings, and process orders efficiently. This reduces operational costs and enhances the overall customer experience.

3. Ensure Secure Transactions: With the RSP, the brand can offer customers a range of payment options, knowing that all transactions will be processed securely and settlements will be handled promptly.

These benefits are not limited to large corporations; even smaller D2C brands can leverage Protean Open Commerce to scale their operations and compete with larger players in the market.

Conclusion

In the digital world we live in, D2C companies require a complete and dependable solution to handle the intricate challenges of the ONDC network. Protean Open Commerce presents a unified platform that covers every part of digital retail, from connecting with marketplaces to handling payments and transactions. 

By using Protean Open Commerce, D2C companies can simplify their processes, increase their visibility, and improve their customer interaction, all while reducing the complexities and expenses associated with managing multiple vendors.

Protean Open Commerce is set to revolutionise the D2C market in India, enabling companies to discover new avenues for growth and secure sustainable success.

- Story by Kakoli Laha