CREATING A SMARTER, GREENER WAY TO DRIVE
A FORCE FOR GOOD IN THE AUTOMOTIVE SECTOR WRIT TEN BY
L AUR A MULL AN PRODUCED BY
JOSH S TE VENS
MAKING ITS MARK AS BOTH AN AUTOMOTIVE AND MOBILITY COMPANY, FORD OTOSAN’S STRATEGY ISN’T JUST ABOUT SELLING MORE CARS, IT’S ABOUT CREATING NEW AND SUSTAINABLE WAYS TO MOVE
I
t seems that nothing is putting the brakes on Turkey’s burgeoning automotive sector. In 2017, the nation’s vehicle production reached an all-time
high, with the country rolling out approximately 1.75mn vehicles according to the Turkish Automotive Manufacturers Association. Leading the pack, Ford Otosan has vowed to forge a sustainable path in the automotive industry by championing leading manufacturing practices and environmental standards. Owned equally by Ford Motor Company and Koç Holding, Ford Otosan describes itself as the region’s ‘export champion’ and it’s clear to see why. With a production capacity of 440,000 commercial vehicles, 75,000 engines and 140,000 powertrains, the firm stands as the largest commercial vehicle production centre of Ford vehicles in Europe. Today, by tapping into the expertise of its parent companies, Ford Otosan hopes to tackle some of the biggest questions facing the automotive sector, which have arisen as a result of urbanisation, climate change and demographic changes.
ONWARDS AND UPWARDS: SUSTAIABLE, PROFITABLE GROW In its latest sustainability report, Ford Otosan said that 2017 had been ‘full of success and record-breaking
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CLICK TO WATCH : ‘A FORD STORY BIR’
practices’. The firm not only preserved
The firm’s financial figures make for
its place in Borsa Istanbul’s Sustainabil-
impressive reading but, keen not to
ity Index but has also been included in
be complacent, Ford Otosan has now
the ‘FTSE4Good developing Markets
developed a strategy to keep up this
Index’, an internationally-renowned index
sustainable growth.
in responsible investment. This view is
Digitisation forms a key part of this
clearly echoed by Ford Otosan’s General
plan and, in light of this, Ford Otosan
Manager, Haydar Yenigün.
has increasingly invested in technology
“In 2017, we maintained our position
to create the so-called ‘future of mobility.’
as the leader in commercial vehicles
With extra funding allocated to data
as our market share rose to 30.3%,”
analytics, cybersecurity, coding and
Yenigün explains. “We also became the
more, Yenigün says the firm is adapting
export leader of Turkey once again,
to Industry 4.0 and cementing its
achieving $4.9bn in export revenues.”
leadership in the sector.
“One of our projects, the most important perhaps, has been the company’s digital platform transformation,” he says. “This involves moving everything that the company has created to a digital platform and managing all future innovation and business opportunities on this platform.”
“ SUSTAINABLE MOBILITY SOLUTIONS ARE NOT ONLY THE MOST IMPORTANT COMPONENT OF SMART CITIES, THEY ALSO CAN MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE BY MAKING PEOPLE’S LIVES EASIER”
In a similar vein, Ford Otosan has also used technology to transform the customer experience of sale and after-sale inter-
Haydar Yenigün, General Manager at Ford Otosan
E X E C U T I V E P R OF IL E
Haydar Yenigün Haydar Yenigün graduated from Yıldız Technical University in Mechanical Engineering and joined Ford Otosan in 1987. He got the opportunity to serve in different departments in production and worked as a Project Engineer between 1992 and 1996. He continued serving in different positions during the establishment of the Kocaeli Plant after the shares of Ford Motor Company and Otosan A.S. were equalised in 1997. He became Project Leader in 1998. He was appointed as Ford Otosan General Manager and became a Member of the Board of Directors on 15 February 2012.
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$6.9bn Approximate revenue
1959
Year founded
10,000 Approximate number of employees
actions. In a project known as iDEAL,
capabilities. Yenigün says that the firm
the company has developed an app that
now boasts the largest technology and
supports the development of its dealers
R&D base in the Turkish automotive
in areas such as digitisation, employee
market.
improvement, customer satisfaction and institutionalisation. “As a result of the
SCALING UP LOW-EMISSION VEHICLES
app, the rate of returns for sales has
Climate change is perhaps one of the
improved by 60% through data analytics,”
greatest challenges facing the automo-
notes Yenigün. “We have also achieved
tive sector and Ford Otosan has taken
an additional turnover of US$15mn in
up the fight. As a result, the company
after-sale processes. Our goal is to
is striving to deliver fuel efficiency and
fully roll-out the platform by 2019.” On
reduce its emissions by developing
top of this, the automotive giant has
cutting-edge engines, transmission
also invested heavily in its R&D
boxes, electronic systems and more.
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FACTS
• With a production capacity of 440,000 commercial vehicles, 75,000 engines and 140,000 powertrains, Ford Otosan is the largest commercial vehicle production centre of Ford vehicles in Europe • Ford Otosan is one of the top three exporting companies of Turkey since 2005.
“Along with the growing sharing economy in the automotive industry, autonomous and electric vehicles are paving the way towards a strong trend of change,” observes Yenigün. “At Ford Otosan, thanks to the vision of both Koç Holding and Ford, we have been able to start these activities much earlier. “Our partner Ford is working on smart mobility, electric and autonomous vehicles, taking firm and quick steps,” he continues. “With an investment of $11bn, Ford aims to develop 40 hybrid and electric vehicles by 2022 and we are happy to report that one of these — the Ford Custom — is manufactured in Turkey.” Alongside 11 other peers, Ford Otosan has also given a helping hand to the optiTruck project, which aims to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions of heavy commercial vehicles. The prototype, Yenigün adds, is planned to be over 20% more efficient than the Euro 6 standard heavy commercial vehicle.
SMART MOBILITY, SMART CITIES According to a new report by Grand View Research, the global smart cities market is forecast to reach $2.57trn by 2025 and it seems that Ford Otosan hasn’t neglected this booming market. Through its ‘City of
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“ ALONG WITH THE GROWING SHARING ECONOMY IN THE AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY, AUTONOMOUS AND ELECTRIC VEHICLES ARE PAVING THE WAY TOWARDS A STRONG TREND OF CHANGE”
Tomorrow’ vision, the company is embarking on internal entrepreneurship projects that aim to support smart mobility solutions. “We are working on the development of safe, efficient, life-enhancing and low-emission transportation models and we’re also aiming to ensure the sustainable
Haydar Yenigün, General Manager at Ford Otosan
production of these technologies for the smart cities of the future,” comments Yenigün. “Sustainable mobility solutions are not only the most important
CLICK TO WATCH : ‘FORD TRUCKS – IAA HANNOVER COMMERCIAL VEHICLES FAIR – LIVE STREAM’
component of smart cities, they also can
the app uses a smart algorithm to
make a big difference by making
predict future traffic density as well
people’s lives easier. To this end, our
as the total cost of trips and emission
goal is to contribute to sustainable
values. So far, the tool has been down-
solutions by working on vehicles with
loaded by 233,000 users with the
low emissions and smart technologies.
company aiming to reach 475,000
Besides this, we are also working with
users by the end of 2019. In doing so,
governmental organisations to make
the firm hopes to confine urban
city life more liveable.”
congestion to history.
One such project that hopes to support smart city initiatives is Easy
INVESTING IN PEOPLE
Route, a mobile app created by Ford
Ford Otosan’s sustainability efforts
Otosan. Providing up-to-date traffic
aren’t just restricted to environmental
news, traffic forecasts and navigation,
issues or technology; the company w w w.fo rdo to sa n . com . t r
is also keen to promote an inclusive workforce in the belief that its diversity is its strength. Just two years awgo, for instance, Ford Otosan appointed the industry’s first female Chief Digital Officer, Hayriye Karadeniz. Today, the automotive company hires around 1,700 female employees, a 30% increase compared to 2015, and Yenigün is keen to keep up this momentum. He says: “One of the biggest problems facing the business world is the discrimination experienced by women during recruitment. Our goal is to employ one woman for every two candidates in our selection and placement process.” Ending last year on a record-high, Ford Otosan’s vision for the future is a simple one: to become the most valuable and more preferred industrial company in Turkey. With its environmentally and socially conscious ethos, it seems that this goal is well within its grasp.
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AkpÄąnar Mh. Hasan Basri Cd. No:2 34885 Sancaktepe Ä°stanbul T 90 (216) 564 74 99 www.fordotosan.com.tr