H.Ş. Dear Mr. Erol, although you are well-known name in Process Automation sector, we would like to get the sector and our readers to know you better. Could you tell us about yourself: from past to present in the Sector?

M.T.E.: I have been in this sector for about 18 years. Since I am a Chemical Engineering graduate, I first started working in Turkey representative Office of Fisher Rosemount –which is called Emerson today, in the field of gas and liquid analysis tools. I later started to work in DCS field.  

Within my first Project we enabled ATAŞ refinery plant’s transition to DCS system via the technic called Hot Cut Over which prevented any pauses (stops?). In the times that we undertook ATAŞ Project, MOBIL in the US had tried to apply the same technic and as far as I can remember they had caused a pause (stop) of 110 days. A 110 day-long pause of a refinery plant means the loss of ten millions of USD. Therefore that failure in the US put us into an extremely stressful state of mind while starting ATAŞ refinery Project. Yet, this mood brought us meticulousness and we implemented ATAŞ Project loss-free, with a huge success. Although I went through a very stressful time back then, I always benefited from the experience I gained during that Project.
In 1997, when Fisher Rosemount decided to set up it’s own Office in Turkey, I continued to work for them as the administrative and technical manager of Field Tools and Analysers Department. In 1999, the company’s name changed to Emerson Process Management and I kept my position till 2002 when I was appointed the Sales Manager.

For a long time had I in mind the idea of establishing a Company which will have a certain concept. And my Project came into life in 2006 when I established PROSIM. My company is the solution partner of SIEMENS in Process Instrumentation.

H.Ş.: Why did you prefer to work with Siemens?

M.T.E.: Having been in this sector for long years, we surely had negotiations with various companies. Siemens has a serious (solemn), institutional and determined structure. Siemens is new to process automation sector but they are assertive. Taking our market experience into consideration, we came to a point that we knew we can be mutually beneficial.

The basic principle of our company PROSIM is to provide solid products and services in addition to making a difference with the service quality.   

H.Ş. In the last 5 years I twice had the chance to interivew the A&D  Group Director of Siemens Mr. Helmut Gierse. In the first time he stated that they will be arising in the league of Instrumentation and Process Automation. And in the second time he told me: “Look, how far we have come!” In between Siemens’ R&D Dept. worked very hard and they also bought new companies.
 

M.T.E. I totally agree the grand development Siemens went through. It is a company which can tell the needs and expectations of  worldwide industrial clients. It is an extremely wise strategy that they have been conducting: widening their product range via buying companies such as: Milltronics, Danfoss Flow Division, Controlotron which are specialized companies in Canada, Denmark, United States. Siemens conjoins all these companies to the brand and the administration of it’s own and adopts the precise approach while presenting to the market.
 
Milltronics has level codes and they have very specific Technologies. They meet the demands of Turkey’s market very well. A powerful synergy came out when Siemens’ and Milltronics’ Technologies combined. The synergy resulted with products that have very high application performances. Controlotron from the US is also bought by Siemens. I would like to talk about a particular product of Controlotron: “clamp-on ultrasonic flowmeter” –it is a reasonably priced, easily applied product which provides various advantages to broad lines. The flow meter department of Danfoss is also bought by Siemens which brought a diversity to volumetric and Mass  flow meters. Siemens’ service range is full of products with different capacities and diversities that apply both to light and heavy industries.
 
The wide range of products and services of Siemens represents the potential for our company PROSIM’s concept of creating a difference.

H.Ş. After your establishment of PROSIM, some companies such as Endress Hauser, Metso etc. opened their own offices.

M.T.E. Well we have been expecting such developments. Turkey has been fastly growing since years. Turkish builders have been undertaking projects all over the world. In water and building sectors some big projects are handled via these dealers. The market  does no longer consist of clients in Turkey. In the coming term we know also other companies which are specialized in specific areas will enter the market. We believe the new comers will expand the market and competition in specializations will augment.

Even though many companies enter Turkish market, it is always the application that counts. As per the application, the perception of service counts. As a result, I believe the poliphony will expand the market. Even if it will cause some problems in the beginning, the entrance of new products to the market will lead to expansion. Competiton will push all companies to provide better service and everyone will try to give the best.

This is exactly how we position ourselves as PROSIM.     

H.Ş. Well, we know that you always try your best to give out the best thanks to your ethical codes and inner motivation.
I’m wondering: It’s nice that many foreign companies enter the market but will they find sufficient qualified labour?

M.T.E. On the user side, there are engineers, bakım grupları who know to apply existing tools. But that is one aspect, only. I can tell there is insufficiency ??? BU CUMLE SON DERECE BASIT AMA BEYNIM BURADA TAKILIYOR Yapamadım o yuzden! Instrument sales has specific characteristics. Different models apply for different uses.  The choice for optimum result is crucial. Sometimes choices may be beyond or below meeting the needs. Sometimes the tools that would put the client into financial or technical problems are being imposed.   Each application is individual. Each pipe has own characteristics. Just like human, they are all alike but never the same.

As an example from our expertise: process instrumentation: the newer applications and the growth in the market brings the whole thing to new dimensions beyond solely the choice of the material and making the system work. For example in the past you would sell only flow meter but now you have to add loss and leak control systems or instead of selling only gas analyser, now you have to add its adaptation to environmental standards and the ability of monitoring from different centers. These small nuances may cause higher costs or gains in mid and long term.

H.Ş. It all takes vast experience. And there is still more to it.

M.T.E. Sure. Everyday companies launch new products. Colleagues suffer problem with knowing and learning about their own products properly. In all the hustle of the daily routine, the colleagues do not get to know their own products. In fact, they should be aware of competitors’ products and individual applying fields. Measurement and control is the speediest growing KONU(?) in the world. I have an expression for the situation: I say that working in this sector is somehow like studying at a university where you will never graduate. Ours is an accademical sector. 

H.Ş. There is also some responsibility that the main company has to take on. How do you like Siemens in this aspect?
 
M.T.E. Siemens’ vast and well prepared documentation and training programmes have captured our interest and in fact that was an important factor that we decided to work with Siemens.

H.Ş. Due to the lack of qualified labor, companies are using special system softwares. For example there is one company which has a software that asks questions to do the right choice and that gives instrument recommendations according to the feedback it receives.

M.T.E. Each company uses such softwares. There are various softwares which do engineering calculations and modelling. Siemens’ PIA Selector is an example. They save you time. But after all the work of softwares is done, it is all about experience and the interpretation of the results you have collected. As a matter of fact, the instrumentation work we do is also also called field devices. In the end mission is complete on the field and by field experience … We are confident in these aspects. Our business concept is built with this target. In my Professional life of 18 years I have seen too many plants which have suffered wrong choices. Our 18 years of experience and team of qualified colleagues stand behind the name of our Company PROSIM which also holds the “authorized service” title for Siemens in instrumentation field. We provide consultancy, support, training services. As mentioned before, some softwares do save you time for such services but the benefits from the services can be gained by the consultants’ knowledge and experience. We are partners to Siemens in all aspects.

H.Ş. Now comes the tough question. What do you do in case the product range of Siemens is not applicable to your client?

M.T.E. We are solution partner to Siemens for product supply. But not only Siemens, there is no company in the world which has all the product range that can meet all the market’s needs. First of all, that is theoretically impossible. We supply those products which are not available in Siemens, from other companies. But we never ever buy the conjugate of Siemens product from another company. And we decide with Siemens on what we can give the client instead of a non existing Siemens product. Our decision is made on the quality and reliability of the product.   

H.Ş. Abroad there are some companies which have instrument know how but which work without any Company’s/brand’s association.
 

M.T.E. I personally do not approve a such method. Brand does not define only the technical features of a product. For me brand signifies lots of different things which are stated or not stated on the product catalogue such as post-sale support, what should be done when new versions of the product are launched, how the training for the product should be managed, what should be done when a problem occurs and will be or will not be covered by product warranty etc. The company quality is a fact. When you say “I give brand-free service”, it means you set up a gambling table for your Client.

I do not agree the approach like, “it can be this product, or this product is cheaper” etc. It causes weaknesses in application and in post-sale support processes.
 

Many of our clients feel relieved while working with PROSIM, knowing that they will not have problems. We believe it is because we are working with powerful brands.

H.Ş. I wish all the best for the cooperation of Siemens and Prosim. I believe this relation will bring a lot to the sector as well as to the clients.