![]() Improving upon security standards for businesses in Indonesia is a step that needs to be taken for the country to reach the next stage in its development. Dr Ir Sanny Suharli, Founder & Chairman | |
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Founded in 1986, Professtama Development Group is a well-established player in Indonesia’s safety and security industry. What can you tell us about your company’s background and its main strategies going forward? When this company was first established there were only a few companies in the safety and security industry. Recognizing that there were untapped opportunities to serve the market, we aimed to provide security systems by serving as a distributor for international products as well as by manufacturing our own products in Indonesia. Past projects include the development and installation of a physical inspection system for vehicles at the Shangri La Hotel in Jakarta, as well as hydraulic barrier gates in several landmark hotels and government buildings across the country. As I came from a background in mechanical engineering, I initially focused on building upon my understanding of electronic security systems by observing other companies in this field and attending security seminars around the world. By adapting my findings to the local market, I came to the conclusion that our company could contribute most to Indonesia’s security industry by serving businesses. As such we provide security equipment for installation in factories and in addition to this offer a thorough understanding of local cultures to ensure that the implementation of new security protocol is met with minimal resistance from workers. Our company prides itself in offering more than just the hardware – we also host education sessions on how to use our equipment and participate in lectures on topics such as identifying security threats. Improving upon security standards for businesses in Indonesia is a step that needs to be taken for the country to reach the next stage in its development. How does Professtama Development Group differentiate itself among providers of security products and services? Competition in this industry is intense, though this tends to be the case for most sectors in Indonesia. To stand apart from our competitors, we prioritize technology and are committed to research and development to find new, innovative security solutions. We are also active in collaborating with international companies to further our capabilities and solidify our standing as a representative for major foreign brands such as Samsung and Taiko. Given the context of a recent move into cosmetics and healthy lifestyle goods, what can you tell us about your company’s plans to diversify? We decided to enter the cosmetics industry in response to Indonesia’s fast emerging middle class. With a growing market of consumers with expendable income, we are seeing greater demand for beauty products and the same can be said of healthy foods, hence our move into offering goods for this lifestyle trend as well. In 2011, the market for these products in Indonesia was valued at $11 billion USD and there remains room for further growth. Going forward, we plan to expand this area of operation in unison with our security products and services as both industries continue to present lucrative opportunities. For example, there is big potential in tapping into a growing segment of the population reaching old age by providing products such as supplements. |
Where do you see the most potential for your group’s diverse array of products in the future? Locally, we see potential in the market for products such as baby monitors, given the prevalence of families in Indonesia hiring baby-sitters and nannies to look after their children. From a health products point of view, collagen drinks are now increasingly popular as part of a daily wellness routine. On the international stage, we expect to continue collaborating with partners in Australia and Singapore for our security services including forensics, specifically in the domain of explosives and narcotics. How does your company plan to innovate and introduce new products to the market? Our innovation strategy varies depending upon the intended target market. For example, for home or household users we are focused on developing high quality security systems offered at affordable prices. In this regard, working with recognised brands such as Samsung has proven to be an effective way to achieve this goal. We have also implemented a customer friendly payment system whereby we are open to receiving payment in instalments through cooperation with well-established banks. For our corporate clients such as banks, we have invested in bringing over 360 degree surveillance cameras with no blind spots from the UK-based firm Oncam Grandeye to streamline security systems. This technology allows for the use of one camera in place of five conventional cameras, and we will offer this technology to existing customers. How is Professtama Development Group positioned towards cooperation with foreign partners and international investors? Much of our company’s current technological expertise and approach to management was learned from foreign firms. Adapting international systems to the local culture has proven to be a successful strategy in Indonesia. As a company able to offer an experienced understanding of how best to operate in this market, we welcome foreign investors and partners. We are particularly interested in technical partnerships. Though we have increasingly begun to manufacture security products locally, this accounts for only 10% of our total systems. We are thus seeking to cooperate with partners able to provide technology not yet available in Indonesia, in addition to expertise in developing and using the new tech. Should the new government follow through on its goals of encouraging transparency across all sectors, better enforcing existing regulations and implementing more straightforward legal frameworks; we expect there to be even more opportunities to work with foreign entities in the future. As a final message what would you like Global Business Guide’s readers to remember about Indonesia? As a member of several industry organisations such as the Indonesian Security Enterprises Organisation, I welcome foreign entities to the country and suggest that they work with local companies. It is our belief that opening the door to further investment will accelerate Indonesia’s continued economic growth and advancement. |
Global Business Guide Indonesia - 2015