Interview with Berke Çakır, Country Manager of Datacolor Turkey

We conducted a pleasant interview with Datacolor Turkey Country Manager Berke Çakır about Datacolor's technologies, its structure in Turkey and the paints and coatings industry.

How long has Datacolor been in operation? Can you tell us about the development process from its founding to today?

Datacolor is one of the global leaders in color management solutions and color communication technologies. For more than 40 years, the world's leading brands, manufacturers, creative professionals and consumers have relied on Datacolor's innovative technologies and solutions to achieve the correct color. It was founded in 1970 and is headquartered in Lawrenceville, New Jersey, United States. It holds more than 30 active patents. It was listed on the Swiss Securities Exchange in 2009. Datacolor's global operations include a sales, service and support network serving customers in more than 100 countries across Europe, North and South America and Asia. In 25 countries, it provides direct service through operations and manufacturing facilities with a total of 380 employees. It provides services in the textiles, apparel, paints and coatings, automotive, microscopy, photography and videography sectors.

Can you provide information about Datacolor's structure in Turkey, which has been operating for approximately 5 years?

Datacolor, one of the world's leading suppliers in color management, has been operating in Turkey since 2013 in textiles, chemicals, plastics, paints and coatings, paper, mining, food, chemicals, automotive and other sectors with a total of 6 employees in the areas of equipment and software sales, training and after-sales service in accordance with current international standards.

Can you tell us about your products and product groups? Which sectors do you serve? Can we get information about your products for the paints and coatings sector?

We categorize our product groups into two categories: Software and Equipment. Our equipment consists of portable and desktop spectrophotometers and light booths, Our software consists of quality control and recipe formulation software. We serve the textiles, chemicals, plastics, paints and coatings, paper, mining, food, chemicals, automotive and other sectors. Our equipment for the paints and coatings sector includes the ColorReader Pro color comparison device compatible with iOS and Android applications, the CHECK3 portable spectrophotometer, and the DC200, DC500, DC550 (liquid measurement), DC800 and DC850 desktop equipment used in color laboratories, as well as our quality control software iTools, formulation software Datacolor Match Pigment software.

Can you tell us about Datacolor's latest technologies for the paints and coatings sector?

I would like to mention the ColorReader Pro color comparison device compatible with iOS and Android applications, which we recently launched. We believe it will be a fast and cost-effective solution that eliminates errors in the color approval processes that have persisted in the sector.

Do you provide technical support to your customers after the sale? Can you provide information about your solutions?

After the sale, we have two departments providing software and equipment support. With the +2 year warranty campaign we implemented this year, we provide our customers who purchase our products with a total of three years of replacement equipment, service support and parts warranty. I would also like to note that in 2017, an independent organization conducted evaluations with our customers and we received a high score of 93%, indicating the level at which we stand in customer satisfaction. For our customers with annual service and software support agreements, we guarantee immediate remote connection for any software issues and resolution on-site within 24 hours for any equipment problems. For our customers who expect faster solutions, we provide faster solutions based on location using our replacement equipment in inventory.

What do you think distinguishes your company from its competitors?

We can list our focus exclusively on color and its management, being one of Datacolor's official offices, unlimited access to the Datacolor Color Information Database and being part of a global network, serving our customers to world standards, and our products being user-friendly. We believe that the more information our customers have access to, the more successful they will be, and in this respect we try to provide them with the best training. We do not see our business as selling products, but rather view the companies we work with as partners and give them the opportunity to benefit from our color information resources.

How is 2017 going for your company? Can you summarize your expectations and goals for 2018?

2017 encouraged us about 2018 with a growth graph above our expectations. The increase in growth figures positively supported our sales. Hoping that the difficulties experienced in 2016 will not occur again, we raised our expectations and goals for 2018. We are confident that with our new equipment that we will launch, we will exceed our sales targets again. We aim to maintain the level of customer satisfaction we achieved in previous years in 2018 as well.

In your opinion, what are the problems of Turkey's paints and coatings sector and can you explain your suggestions for these problems?

We can list our problems as training, qualified personnel and working conditions. We cannot know what damage an untrained employee can cause. For this reason, I can say that success in the market depends on training. Correspondingly, there is a shortage of qualified personnel. We believe that the difficulties experienced in finding qualified personnel on the market and determining the level of qualification are damaging to companies. We believe that these problems, which vary by region, can only be solved through in-house training and confidence in employees. Working conditions in companies are also among the problems that the paints and coatings sector needs to overcome. Making technology-focused cost calculations rather than cost-focused strategies being understood as reducing working conditions will definitely develop our sector in a positive direction.

Anything else you would like to add...

I thank you for giving me and my company this opportunity. I wish 2018 to pass in the best possible way for this beautiful country and the world.