About AkçanSA
AkçanSA, a joint venture between the international Heidelberg Cement Group and Sabanci Holding, is one of Turkey’s leading cement manufacturers. With multiple factories across Turkey, AkçanSA has established itself as a formidable player in the industry. Their commitment to quality, efficiency, and sustainability has been pivotal to their success in a highly competitive market.
The Need: Driving Innovation in a Traditional Industry
As Turkey’s leading cement producer, AkçanSA recognized the need to accelerate its digital transformation to remain competitive. AkçanSA faces continuous pressure to optimize efficiency, comply with local and global sustainability measures, and drive cost optimization. The intense competition and margin pressures necessitate a strategic approach to maintaining their market position while achieving operational excellence.
Operating across multiple regions with integrated cement plants, terminals, and production facilities, the company sought to optimize operations, enhance efficiency, and develop new business models through technology. However, digital transformation in the cement industry is not just about technology—it requires a shift in culture, processes, and strategy.
The Challenge: Beyond Standard Solutions
While AkçanSA had been implementing advanced analytics and digital tools, the real challenge was fostering a company-wide transformation mindset. The cement industry traditionally operates on well-established methodologies, making it difficult to break away from conventional approaches. The goal was to integrate digital technologies into everyday processes, engage cross-functional teams, and align leadership with a shared vision for the future.
Why Digitopia: A Structured and Data-Driven Approach
To achieve these objectives, AkçanSA partnered with Digitopia to leverage the Digital Maturity Index (DMI) solution and the Impact Platform. Unlike off-the-shelf solutions, Digitopia’s approach provided a structured framework to assess digital maturity, align leadership and teams on priorities, and create a clear roadmap for execution. The collaboration emphasized cross-functional engagement, bringing together HR, sales, IT, and operations to drive meaningful change.
Since the beginning of their partnership, Digitopia has measured AkçanSA’s Digital Maturity Index (DMI) annually. This ongoing assessment has provided a structured approach to AkçanSA’s digital transformation journey. The DMI methodology has been instrumental in organizing and guiding their transformation efforts, offering clear insights into their digital capabilities and areas for improvement.
The Approach: Innovation Through Experimentation
AkçanSA adopted an agile, innovation-driven approach, allowing teams to experiment with new technologies and business models. The company launched an internal innovation program, encouraging employees to develop digital solutions, prototype ideas, and validate business cases before full-scale implementation. With Digitopia’s guidance, AkçanSA established:
- A dedicated digital transformation team to drive change initiatives.
- Agile project teams integrating business and technical roles for hands-on innovation.
- A structured process for evaluating digital projects and ensuring alignment with business goals.
The Impact: A Future-Ready Cement Leader
By leveraging the DMI assessments and the transformation platform, AkçanSA has achieved remarkable efficiency in their operations. The structured guidance provided by Digitopia has facilitated better organization and execution of digital initiatives, leading to optimized processes and reduced costs. Moreover, the focus on sustainability has allowed AkçanSA to comply with both local and global sustainability measures, reinforcing their commitment to environmental responsibility. AkçanSA has positioned itself as a forward-thinking leader in the cement industry. The company’s collaboration with Digitopia has enabled:
- A structured roadmap for digital transformation, ensuring alignment across departments.
- Increased efficiency through AI-driven analytics and process optimization.
- Greater cross-functional collaboration, breaking down silos between teams.
- A culture of innovation, empowering employees to actively contribute to digital initiatives.
Using Digitopia’s tools has been incredibly valuable for us. DMI and Impact Platform helped us achieve a clear, structured roadmap for digital transformation. By engaging cross-functional teams from HR, sales, and IT, we aligned on priorities, sparked company-wide awareness, and identified key projects to drive change effectively.
Aydın Şener, Digital Transformation and Industry 4.0 Manager
