A subsidiary industry company producing ignition system for gas cookers and gas water heaters in the white goods sector, Ferel Electronics completed the design of the customer-specific products, and added them to the product range in 2017, along with the standard products demanded by the customers. We have had a meeting with Ferel Electronics General Manager Aşkın Korucu and Sales Representative Ilter Mutlu, and we have asked about the evaluation of 2017 and their expectations for 2018.

SUBCONTURKEY: How was 2017 for Ferel? What kind of change did you experience in your production, sales and export?

İlter Mutlu: In 2017, we maintained the rapid growth that we had been experiencing since 2014. We expect this numeral growth for 2018, as well. In addition to the growth and development, we started working with the continent of America in 2017, which was a beginning for us. The other beginning was that we generated the required infrastructure for Industry 4.0 in 2017, which we aimed before. 2017 was a good year for us. Ferel Electronics is a well-known brand in the sector now. We have observed several times that we are the first company the customers prefer for the new projects. To become a global supplier is only one of our targets. There is no limit in the new world order, and we work with the principle of having the same distance with all producers. We prefer to use semi-products and raw materials that will increase the quantity of our production. Catching the advantage of price is not our priority; we make no concessions on quality. We work non-stop to become a supplier which works with the sense of “all in one”; thus the cooker producers will meet their needs of electric components, besides our 3 main products.

SUBCONTURKEY: Have you achieved your target figures?

İlter Mutlu: It is very important that production figures are in increase trend, and 2017 met this expectation. However, the important thing for us is not only the production increase but also the positive feedbacks we received from the customers, with whom we started working with. Service, high quality level and the new innovation moves we made with our customers… Compared to the previous year, our export figures increased more than expected in 2017, which made us happy.

SUBCONTURKEY: We know you concentrate on automation. What kind of investments did you make in this field?

İlter Mutlu: As Ferel, our production was positioned on automation, when the first decision for investment was made. Taking another step especially at the beginning of 2017, we added an automation department in our own inner organization. This automation department contributed to us in short term, with the positive effect derived from the strong moulding room abilities. The department also supported our works for Industry 4.0 at a parallel rate. Because our products are special products, we put special solutions into use; thus, we received positive feedbacks such as customer satisfaction.

SUBCONTURKEY: Could you inform us about your works for Industry 4.0 as Ferel?

Aşkın Korucu: Works for Industry 4.0 are among our primary goals. When we made investment for the establishment, we considered Industry 4.0 as well. The fact that we are an automation-weighted company accelerated some of our projects for generating Industry 4.0. However, without considering Industry 4.0 for only automation, we have set the target that the working fields and our machine parks of the whole factory are able to work on only one system, and this system is able to take a decision in all stations. We completed the design and development of this aimed operating system in 2017, and we started implementing the system during the fourth quarter of the year. Our targets for 2018 are to integrate our factory and production units with Industry 4.0 and implement Industry 4.0 on our factory properly.

The team we employed for Industry 4.0 meticulously analyzed both their works and the implementations made in similar sectors by participating in workshops and visits held by BESYAD. As a result, we put the most suitable solutions for Ferel into use, and we started using the Industry 4.0 integration in our factory.

SUBCONTURKEY: What are your expectations and predictions for 2018 from the point of Ferel?

İlter Mutlu: Ferel will maintain the process of development in 2018 as well. We plan to increase our sales in Europe by completing the approval processes, which have already started but not come to conclusion yet. We aim at offering special solutions for the market in America by evaluating the needs of our customers in this market, which we entered in 2017.

SUBCONTURKEY: What do you do to increase your export?

İlter Mutlu: Since we were established, we have completed the design and production processes of the standard products demanded by the market. We completed the design of the customer specific products, and added them to our product range in 2017, along with the standard products demanded by our customers. Because we have made this kind of designs quickly, our customers are able to meet the additional demand in the market. Thus, both the production of our customers has increased and we have contributed to the increase in their export. In addition, the advantages of the quality and high service level derived from the automation reflect to the customers at long-distance locations as fast deadline, which has a positive effect on our export as high speed retail.

08.05.2018