A workshop on Virtual Enterprise was held on Istanbul KIPLAS building where Virtual Enterprise concept explained and European Networks’ experiences shared in with the Turkish Manufacturers in Istanbul on Jan 10, 2005 under the VERITAS Project funded by Framework 6 Programme of the EC.
Machine Manufacturers Association of Turkey (MIB) organised a workshop to present VE (virtual enterprise) concept to Turkish Machine Manufacturers. While Matthias Nöster from Sylvie Feindt Consulting described VE concept, Michel Pouly and Daniel Bertchi from Swiss Microtech Network shared their experiences on VE, how they created the network, what the difficulties were, how they overcome and recommendations to Turkish industry. The audience listened very carefully the presentations and discussed by asking many challenging questions during the workshop.
The audience was around 30 people mostly of MIB members and had the following valuable comments:
“When this model will be applied to the Turkish companies there should definitely be included a foreign partner and co-operate. I think if the big bosses of the companies in Turkey can see the threats, companies will be more successful, especially it is important to increase the use of networks in the industrial regions” Ali Mandacı, Yazevi IT & Consulting
“In an increasingly competitive environment, there is a need of mentality change as well as need of training and time where even associations became unsuccessful on creating collaborative environments today” İbrahim Güzel, Ultrasonik Industrial Washing Machine Manufacturing
“Power share, a way to gain global competition power” Doğan Erberk, Packaging Industrialists Association
“This could be very effective on minimising procurement costs, there could be a co-operation on procurement” Aslı Saraçoğlu Özer, Sarmak Machinery
“It needs more share and understanding” Süheyl Açıkel, Repkon Machinery & Moulding Ind.
“We believe that the workshop was successful enough seeing the positive approach of the industry by means of the shown interest and impressive participation of the members of MIB as well as from other industries like IST, construction, packaging, some of the chambers (eg Adana Industry Chamber which is in the south of Turkey)
The other success of the workshop is on creation of the awareness of “virtual enterprise” concept. Before, bosses and managers were not agree with the concept or understand what it means and now besides understanding, they started to believe it as a solution for their problems. This is a very important improvement gained in such a short term.
Industrial magazines and SME magazine showed a big interest, we are expecting to have features in some of the TV Channels in their programmes in the near future. This is an important step for the dissemination where the project results will be disseminated continuously till the end of the project.” Leyla Arsan, Consultant of MIB
Regarding the evaluation sheet answers gathered at the end of the workshop, the following result obtained on participants’ approach for the implementation of the VE concept.