Arzum, a leading name in the small household appliances sector, has established a strong reputation for producing, distributing, and servicing a wide range of products, from coffee makers to robot vacuum cleaners. Despite outsourcing most of their operations, Arzum retains control over the design, branding, marketing, and other strategic business functions. Recognizing the critical importance of digital transformation, Arzum has strategically invested in enhancing its digital capabilities.
Initial Engagement with Digitopia
Two years ago, Arzum partnered with Digitopia to measure their Digital Maturity Index (DMI). At the time, Mete Zadil was the CEO, and he was highly satisfied with the results. Arzum’s DMI score not only exceeded the industry average but also became a key element in their public communications and annual report. Zadil emphasized, “Being better than the average and disclosing our DMI score has substantially added value to our brand and our market value.”
Evolution of Leadership and Continued Success
This year, Arzum’s leadership structure evolved into a unique model with three Co-CEOs: Arif Emre Ünal, overseeing operations and technology, including the digital transformation program; Erim Yilancioglu, the IT director, who recently showcased their success at the Digitopia Digitopia Impact Summit in Istanbul. This innovative management style has further propelled their digital transformation journey.
The Impact of Digitopia’s Partnership
Erim Yilancioglu, during his speech at Impact Summit, proudly highlighted the pivotal role of Digitopia in Arzum’s transformation. “We are determining our IT and digital strategies based on the DMI framework and defining our priorities based on the DMI scores,” he stated. Arzum has made it a policy to continue their relationship and regular DMI assessments with Digitopia.
Unique Value of Digitopia’s Approach
Many companies hire consultants and conduct workshops, but Arzum found something exceptional with Digitopia. Yilancioglu elaborated, “With Digitopia, it is very different. The sessions are very engaging. The output is turned into real priorities, and they are executed right after the measurement. Digitopia truly helps us in an agile way to streamline the strategy and prioritization process and focus on the most important very quickly, very efficiently.”
Results and Future Prospects
Arzum’s collaboration with Digitopia has not only enhanced their digital maturity but also solidified their market position. The continuous and strategic application of the DMI framework has enabled Arzum to stay ahead of the curve, driving significant improvements in their operations and technology landscape.
The digital maturity measurement process was a smooth experience for us. The Digitopia delivery team took their time to understand Arzum’s inner dynamics before starting the first initiative. They internalized our company’s distinctive business model and managed the process accordingly and we felt this difference from the beginning of the first session to the very last one. Applying a coach-like style, Digitopia empowered us to evaluate ourselves in a very short time by asking the right questions to the right people. Focusing on six different dimensions, they conducted separate studies for each vertical.
ARIF EMRE UNAL
COO & Executive Committee Member
