Tofaş is accelerating its “smart-factory” project efforts with a focus on productivity-boosting digital optimization.

Advances in technology profoundly affect strategy prioritization and implementation. Tofaş strives to balance people-based and machine-based approaches to management as a way of ensuring its success as a company. It takes pains to ensure that its policies and practices are informed by new requirements arising from changing market conditions and customer demands.

Tofaş also gives consideration to digital-transformation practices which have the potential to create changes in its revenue model and which are consistent with its strategic priorities.

Tofaş has given additional impetus to smart-factory projects involving productivity-oriented digital optimization. Tofaş first embraced the World Class Manufacturing model in 2006 as a way of constantly improving its competitive strength and it has adhered to that model ever since. One of Tofaş’s strategic priorities is to build upon the successes it has achieved in continual-improvement processes through the use of digital technologies.

As of end-2021, about 900 WCM projects involving more than 200 project leaders have been completed throughout the Tofaş plant’s shops. The more important of such projects that had been commissioned as of end-2021 are highlighted below.

• Much of the equipment used in production has been connected to an IoT (Internet of Things) platform, thereby making it possible to monitor critical performance parameters in real time and to intervene before serious line stoppages, product losses, or quality issues become a problem. A total of 344 connectivity projects of this sort have been carried out so far.
• A total of 173 work-process digitalization projects have been completed. Such projects cut operational costs by streamlining workflows.
• 66 projects incorporating robotic process automation technology have been undertaken to provide solutions for repetitive but attention-demanding tasks that must be performed by employees.
• 51 projects making use of new-generation image-processing and machine vision technologies have enhanced the effectiveness of critical quality-control processes.
• Some operations that require an industrial robot and employees to work in close proximity have been automated through the use of cobots (collaborative robots).
• 11 projects involving wearable technologies have resulted in lower labor costs and improved ergonomics.
• 12 projects have increased efficiency by optimizing processes that are especially difficult to perform manually by making use of data-science, AI, and machine-learning technologies instead. Such projects also give rise to significant OHS opportunities and improvements.

STRUCTURAL READINESS AND TALENT DEVELOPMENT

A company’s competency in new technologies has become the most important enabler of its strategic and business priorities. For this reason Tofaş manages the development of its IT infrastructure and competencies as well as changes in their structure and control by striking a balance between “the traditional” and “the new”.

In the period ahead, Tofaş will continue to take a benefit-driven approach when dealing with digitalization projects and will be focusing on carrying out more projects with higher added value, collaborating more effectively with external resources, investing in the digital competencies of its employees, and developing new services and partnerships through an integrated connectivity infrastructure.

While improving the quality of existing databases that are the essential elements of its digital-transformation program, Tofaş will also continue to invest in the development of information technologies such as remote working, 5G, cloud, and cybersecurity.

In order to develop the company’s data competencies and to support the deployment of its data-driven analytics projects, a big-data backbone which combines data from both internal and external resources and on which employees can develop their own analytical scenarios has been commissioned.

During 2021, additional impetus was given to investments that will continue the ongoing roboticization of basic infrastructure and office processes. These projects have now reached the point of supporting organizational agility.

A participatory management structure has been set up so as to ensure broad-based guidance and familiarity with application roll-outs. Making use of the infrastructure outlined above, commercial, industrial, product, and human-resource management applications continue to be developed and commissioned in line with business priorities. A participatory management structure has been set up in order so as to ensure broad-based guidance and familiarity with application roll-outs.

TALENT AND ECOSYSTEM DEVELOPMENT

Ensuring that Tofaş’s entire value-creation derives the full benefit of the capabilities afforded by new technologies and developing a technology-focused solution ecosystem also fall within the scope of the company’s digital transformation program.

Two important considerations in the implementation of Tofaş’s digitalization program will be the business-oriented fostering of technology culture and competency throughout the company on the one hand and expansion of the ecosystem so as to include appropriate technology solution partners on the other.

For this purpose, the data-scientist capacity of the Tofaş Data Science Program that was initiated in 2019 was expanded in 2021 as planned and the number of people with competencies in the areas of online training, full-time consulting, and AI reached 124. Tofaş personnel created value for 30 data-science projects. In addition, 35 people are taking part in Tofaş Academy’s IoT program and another 158 who are taking part in its RPA program are receiving training in process-analysis and support. Areas of specialization have been defined so as to guide the acquisition and implementation of such essential technologies as data science, machine learning, IoT, and RPA. Work has begun on developing the elements of a platform-management system with a view towards expanding the ecosystem.

Another pillar of these programs is concerned with fostering technology literacy and digital transformation culture both within Tofaş and throughout its value-creation chain. For this purpose, Tofaş Academy, working together with our technology partners, has developed a program that turns digital transformation into a cultural journey whose aim is to support the spread and adoption of technology literacy and digital culture. Individualized, classroom, and video training resources are made available under this program.

Under the Optimus initiative, which was started to support the production of digitalization projects by the company’s personnel, 217 Tofaş employees served as a leader of at least one of a total of 759 projects during 2021.

Digital optimization, roadmapping, and vision projects aimed at increasing digital-transformation awareness have been carried out in cooperation with the company’s external ecosystem. The output of these projects contributes to the overall outline of Tofaş’s digital transformation journey.

As part of its corporate enterprise approach and in order both to improve the customer/employee experience and to achieve improvements in productivity, Tofaş regularly works together with other Koç Holding organizations, NGOs, universities, incubation centers, and angel-investment platforms in the conduct of programs.

In order to provide an environment suitable for developing fast and lean solutions for addressing the needs of Tofaş’s supply chain, a special program has been launched that brings the chain into contact with the lean-enterprise world.

FIAT YOL ARKADAŞIM

Developed in-house by Tofaş and bringing connected-vehicle technology to its class for the first time, Fiat Yol Arkadaşım Connect employs remote-access technology that transforms users’ habits and their interactions with their vehicles.

Originally introduced in 2018 as both a web and a mobile-based support service, FYA Connect involves an installation of a component that is attached to a vehicle’s electronic control unit. Once activated, FYA Connect makes it easy for users to keep track and manage all the details of every aspect of their vehicle, including service history, and also to receive personalized notifications of special campaigns and reminders about periodic maintenance.

It has become possible to issue customized comprehensive automobile insurance policies based on FYA Connect data received through the “Connect Kasko” app that was introduced in 2020. In this way, drivers can get a better deal on the coverage they by because their policies are priced according to the number of days their vehicle is actually used.

During 2021 new features were added to FYA Connect: “Accident Black Spot”, “Child Alarm”, “Gamified Fuel Economy”, “Android Auto Integration”, and “In-Vehicle Fuel Payments”.

• “Accident Black Spot” is a visual reminder resembling a beating heart that is activated when a driver is approaching one of 250 locations where accidents have frequently occurred. This feature is intended to warn drivers of such high-risk places in advance so that they drive more carefully and safely.
• “Child Alarm” is a feature installed on Ducato models used to transport schoolchildren. If there are any children or forgotten articles still on seats after the engine is turned off, FYA Connect warns the driver and, if the situation persists, it notifies the Tofaş Customer Contact Center.
• “Gamified Fuel Economy” is a feature that turns conserving fuel into a game. Participants are awarded weekly prizes according to how much less fuel they have used as compared with their average fuel consumption.
• “Android Auto Integration” is a feature available in Egea and Fiorino models equipped with 7-inch or bigger displays. FYA Connect shows drivers how many kilometers remain until the next scheduled maintenance, accumulated driving points, fuel consumption, average speed, nearby fuel stations, and similar information, all without distracting their attention as they drive.
• “In-Vehicle Fuel Payments” is a feature that allows drivers to pay for fuel purchases at Opet stations using the app and without having to get out of their vehicle.

Committed to the development of smart vehicles that provide drivers with service and support in the areas of safety, comfort, and environmental-awareness, Tofaş intends to continue adding more safe-driving habits categories to its FYA Connect app and to increase the number of the app’s users for the foreseeable future.