What kind of management strategy did you carry out? What do you recommend to SMEs in institutionalization process?
First of all, we have determined that human resources management and information management are the most important elements and we have placed emphasis to these subjects. Since we think that making improvements in one or a few functions in the organization (suppWhat kind of management strategy did you carry out? What do you recommend to SMEs in institutionalization process?
First of all, we have determined that human resources management and information management are the most important elements and we have placed emphasis to these subjects. Since we think that making improvements in one or a few functions in the organization (supply chain, sale etc.) is not sufficient in respect of sustainability, we have reviewed all organization structure and made the necessary revisions. We have strengthened our infrastructure about information management and we still continue to implement projects.
Today, the managements’ fundamental approach on improvements are focused on TECHNICAL areas. In this case, having the desired results about the efficiency and permanence of the consequences are getting harder. Thus when we want to make improvement in any matter, we proceeded by considering our approach under 3 titles such as MANAGEMENT, TECHNICAL, and CULTURE. When one of those mentioned are not available, we cannot get the desired results.
We are aware that the accuracy of the decisions taken in the efficient management of company are important as well as their speed of being operated and we put an emphasis on providing communication without having any bureaucratic obstacle in vertical and horizontal communication. We create an environment that will enable each employee from all levels to be able to communicate without depending on the rank.
We believe that the competition is experienced not between the companies but processes of companies and we implement “Management with Process” strategy
What kind of finance strategy did you carry out? What kind of steps the SMEs must take in clearing the access troubles?
Our first priority was to improve financial reporting system to make our establishment’s financial information “Visible”. And of course, a process substructure was required to be prepared for enabling all data to flow to financial reports accurately beginning from operational level. After succeeding this, we think that we have begun to be able to take strategic decisions by using financial data.
In fact, we think that the fundamental problem of organizations providing loans to industry in Turkey lies at this point. When finance sector wishes to have the available resources to be used, they have a hard time to find the industrialists using the same language. Even if your establishment have solid ground, it is not possible for you to move forward unless you can explain this situation.
We have seen that we get a chance to sit down at negotiating table with funding organizations such as EBRD, which have a reputation throughout the world and provide funds under very strict conditions, when we plan the right strategies and begin to use suitable financial language, and we have provided loans under favorable conditions.
What kind of production strategy did you carry out? How important is Research & Development in your production process? How do you summarize the necessary conditions in Research & Development approaches of SMEs?
Wet wipe sector is a newly developing sector and experiences many deficiencies in elements such as raw material supplier, machine supplier and expert personnel available in its ecosystem. Thus, most of the time you need to proceed with your own means. For example, when it is required to cover hundreds of products in one minute, we had to promote our own robot system.
Since we are in a sector with low profit margin, high speed and flexibility is very important to us. In this respect, we think that we have proceeded very well. We made our entire supply chain process being able to operate as smoothly as possible from end to end.
We integrated the technology to our entire production process. For example, we have established the substructure enabling us to get all production data transiently and react very fast.
We have nearly 100 product types and more than 1000 SKUs in 5 different category (cosmetics, health, home cleaning, vehicle care etc.) in our product range. Thanks to our fully equipped R&D laboratories and experts, we are able to carry out high-speed product development and product adaptation studies. We experience the first step in competition in R&D level. Quality and Price are the next levels. Thus, as in other matters, “Speed” is our fundamental strategy about R&D area.
What kind of sale-marketing strategy did you carry out? How can SMEs create trademark? What do we need to consider when creating a trademark?
Most of our production consists of Private Label products. Our business model is B2B style. We have branded our company’s name (SAPRO) as a priority, being in our own product trademark. Today, changing from country to country, about 20-30% of the production are carried out by PL producers, not by trademark owners. Both the customers and consumers have begun to pay attention to producer as well as the trademark and this situation wll be more important in the future. We have decided to use social media and Internet environment efficiently as well as classic marketing methods.
70% of our sale consists of export and our customers are mostly the biggest retailers and trademark owners of the world. Thus, we have begun to carry out “On-Site Service” strategy to increase the efficiency of our sale process. We have established a sale and marketing team consisting of the citizens of countries in which we make our sales to a high degree and residing in the country where the customer is located.
In Turkey, we have more than 10 social conformity (SA 800 etc.) and chain of custody (FSC etc.) and quality (BRC CP, IFS HPC etc.) certificates in many sectors. These certificates have the capacity of being an entry barrier in our sector in respect of sales. It is necessary for us to have these certificates but, of course, they are not enough themselves. All these operations made us manage the perception before the customer and consumer.
What kind of human resources strategy did you carry out? What kind of subjects must SMEs consider in HR procedures?
To give an example, we continue our road with personnel whom we have trained from the young league instead of star players. We desire a personnel profile who can adapt to our “speed” strategy and multi task and take it upon themselves to do something.
We especially place importance on our “Practitioner” staff who implements the main operations such as chief, individual responsible and experts except the senior management and directors. They act as an interface between administrative decisions and operations on site and their performance effect our company’s success deeply.
One of the most important factors effecting the success of SMEs like us is the harmony and eam work between the departments. Success is not possible for the departments which creates its own sovereignty and works with “Silo” approach. For this purpose, we have formed an executive board structure consisting of department leaders and created a mechanism in which the decisions are taken jointly without General Manager and the liability of the results are shared.
What kind of communication strategy did you carry out?
Our first goal in both business world and before customers has been to make our existence “Known”, that is, “Visible” Of course the second and important stage is “How You Are Known”. This is the image of being “Reliable Solution Partner” which our customers can entrust their trademarks in front of the eyes of our customers and the image of being “Quality and Healthy” before the eyes of our consumers as organizational perception. We are assertive about knowing our business and product well and thus our slogan is “Wet Wipe Specialist”.
We believe that making the right communication at the right time is very important for our goals above. For example, we have participated to PLAT organization, which has been held a short time ago and is a platform for Private Label producers to meet with retail sector, as main sponsor and had an important chance for expressing ourselves.
Wet wipe product, unfortunately, faces unjust accusations from time to time deliberatively or not deliberatively. Social media and internet environment is an important area where we provide the communication for our product and company. We believe that we will get the results of our activities in this area in time.
Also, we have been participating social responsibility projects lately. Thus we try to be beneficial to our environment and have a chance to create a communication environment.
What kind of difficulties did you have until today and how did you overcome them?
In our 25 years of experience, we have faced different kids of difficulties in different subjects with the effect of factors such as the country conditions, cyclical fluctuations in the world, competition conditions and financial crisis. As the company grows, the type and scale of the difficulties have become different.
We have chosen vertical integration method because of the problems we had in supply and we have established a production facility for nonwoven which is the main input for us. Now we produce the our own raw material.
Unfortunately we have experienced, and still are experiencing, some troubles in proving ourselves because of our country’s brand is not in the high level related to production subject before regions such as Europe and America especially. Our gains during institutionalization process have been very beneficial in proving ourselves.
While wet wipe was perceived as cleaning cloth when we first began, today it is considered as almost in medicine class. While this seems like creating problems to us at first, now it provides an advantage in competition.
What kind of cooperation do you have with public? What do you recommend to SMEs to get benefit more of public support?
We made necessary preparations and now we have applied to Turquality support program. Thanks to this program, we believe that we have made an improvement in institutionalization aspect and we hope to get benefit from related incentives. We are an exporter company which has a place in ISO 500, but, until now, we could not get benefit from an important incentive program. Also, we are one of the first 250 companies in R&D investment subject in Turkey but, unfortunately, we could not get enough support about this.ly chain, sale etc.) is not sufficient in respect of sustainability, we have reviewed all organization structure and made the necessary revisions. We have strengthened our infrastructure about information management and we still continue to implement projects.
Today, the managements’ fundamental approach on improvements are focused on TECHNICAL areas. In this case, having the desired results about the efficiency and permanence of the consequences are getting harder. Thus when we want to make improvement in any matter, we proceeded by considering our approach under 3 titles such as MANAGEMENT, TECHNICAL, and CULTURE. When one of those mentioned are not available, we cannot get the desired results.
We are aware that the accuracy of the decisions taken in the efficient management of company are important as well as their speed of being operated and we put an emphasis on providing communication without having any bureaucratic obstacle in vertical and horizontal communication. We create an environment that will enable each employee from all levels to be able to communicate without depending on the rank.
We believe that the competition is experienced not between the companies but processes of companies and we implement “Management with Process” strategy
What kind of finance strategy did you carry out? What kind of steps the SMEs must take in clearing the access troubles?
Our first priority was to improve financial reporting system to make our establishment’s financial information “Visible”. And of course, a process substructure was required to be prepared for enabling all data to flow to financial reports accurately beginning from operational level. After succeeding this, we think that we have begun to be able to take strategic decisions by using financial data.
In fact, we think that the fundamental problem of organizations providing loans to industry in Turkey lies at this point. When finance sector wishes to have the available resources to be used, they have a hard time to find the industrialists using the same language. Even if your establishment have solid ground, it is not possible for you to move forward unless you can explain this situation.
We have seen that we get a chance to sit down at negotiating table with funding organizations such as EBRD, which have a reputation throughout the world and provide funds under very strict conditions, when we plan the right strategies and begin to use suitable financial language, and we have provided loans under favorable conditions.
What kind of production strategy did you carry out? How important is Research & Development in your production process? How do you summarize the necessary conditions in Research & Development approaches of SMEs?
Wet wipe sector is a newly developing sector and experiences many deficiencies in elements such as raw material supplier, machine supplier and expert personnel available in its ecosystem. Thus, most of the time you need to proceed with your own means. For example, when it is required to cover hundreds of products in one minute, we had to promote our own robot system.
Since we are in a sector with low profit margin, high speed and flexibility is very important to us. In this respect, we think that we have proceeded very well. We made our entire supply chain process being able to operate as smoothly as possible from end to end.
We integrated the technology to our entire production process. For example, we have established the substructure enabling us to get all production data transiently and react very fast.
We have nearly 100 product types and more than 1000 SKUs in 5 different category (cosmetics, health, home cleaning, vehicle care etc.) in our product range. Thanks to our fully equipped R&D laboratories and experts, we are able to carry out high-speed product development and product adaptation studies. We experience the first step in competition in R&D level. Quality and Price are the next levels. Thus, as in other matters, “Speed” is our fundamental strategy about R&D area.
What kind of sale-marketing strategy did you carry out? How can SMEs create trademark? What do we need to consider when creating a trademark?
Most of our production consists of Private Label products. Our business model is B2B style. We have branded our company’s name (SAPRO) as a priority, being in our own product trademark. Today, changing from country to country, about 20-30% of the production are carried out by PL producers, not by trademark owners. Both the customers and consumers have begun to pay attention to producer as well as the trademark and this situation wll be more important in the future. We have decided to use social media and Internet environment efficiently as well as classic marketing methods.
70% of our sale consists of export and our customers are mostly the biggest retailers and trademark owners of the world. Thus, we have begun to carry out “On-Site Service” strategy to increase the efficiency of our sale process. We have established a sale and marketing team consisting of the citizens of countries in which we make our sales to a high degree and residing in the country where the customer is located.
In Turkey, we have more than 10 social conformity (SA 800 etc.) and chain of custody (FSC etc.) and quality (BRC CP, IFS HPC etc.) certificates in many sectors. These certificates have the capacity of being an entry barrier in our sector in respect of sales. It is necessary for us to have these certificates but, of course, they are not enough themselves. All these operations made us manage the perception before the customer and consumer.
What kind of human resources strategy did you carry out? What kind of subjects must SMEs consider in HR procedures?
To give an example, we continue our road with personnel whom we have trained from the young league instead of star players. We desire a personnel profile who can adapt to our “speed” strategy and multi task and take it upon themselves to do something.
We especially place importance on our “Practitioner” staff who implements the main operations such as chief, individual responsible and experts except the senior management and directors. They act as an interface between administrative decisions and operations on site and their performance effect our company’s success deeply.
One of the most important factors effecting the success of SMEs like us is the harmony and eam work between the departments. Success is not possible for the departments which creates its own sovereignty and works with “Silo” approach. For this purpose, we have formed an executive board structure consisting of department leaders and created a mechanism in which the decisions are taken jointly without General Manager and the liability of the results are shared.
What kind of communication strategy did you carry out?
Our first goal in both business world and before customers has been to make our existence “Known”, that is, “Visible” Of course the second and important stage is “How You Are Known”. This is the image of being “Reliable Solution Partner” which our customers can entrust their trademarks in front of the eyes of our customers and the image of being “Quality and Healthy” before the eyes of our consumers as organizational perception. We are assertive about knowing our business and product well and thus our slogan is “Wet Wipe Specialist”.
We believe that making the right communication at the right time is very important for our goals above. For example, we have participated to PLAT organization, which has been held a short time ago and is a platform for Private Label producers to meet with retail sector, as main sponsor and had an important chance for expressing ourselves.
Wet wipe product, unfortunately, faces unjust accusations from time to time deliberatively or not deliberatively. Social media and internet environment is an important area where we provide the communication for our product and company. We believe that we will get the results of our activities in this area in time.
Also, we have been participating social responsibility projects lately. Thus we try to be beneficial to our environment and have a chance to create a communication environment.
What kind of difficulties did you have until today and how did you overcome them?
In our 25 years of experience, we have faced different kids of difficulties in different subjects with the effect of factors such as the country conditions, cyclical fluctuations in the world, competition conditions and financial crisis. As the company grows, the type and scale of the difficulties have become different.
We have chosen vertical integration method because of the problems we had in supply and we have established a production facility for nonwoven which is the main input for us. Now we produce the our own raw material.
Unfortunately we have experienced, and still are experiencing, some troubles in proving ourselves because of our country’s brand is not in the high level related to production subject before regions such as Europe and America especially. Our gains during institutionalization process have been very beneficial in proving ourselves.
While wet wipe was perceived as cleaning cloth when we first began, today it is considered as almost in medicine class. While this seems like creating problems to us at first, now it provides an advantage in competition.
What kind of cooperation do you have with public? What do you recommend to SMEs to get benefit more of public support?
We made necessary preparations and now we have applied to Turquality support program. Thanks to this program, we believe that we have made an improvement in institutionalization aspect and we hope to get benefit from related incentives. We are an exporter company which has a place in ISO 500, but, until now, we could not get benefit from an important incentive program. Also, we are one of the first 250 companies in R&D investment subject in Turkey but, unfortunately, we could not get enough support about this.