Kisah Alumni STEI Membangun Industri Elektronika Rumah Tangga
The name Rawono Sosrodimulyo (EL74) may be unfamiliar or rarely heard by most citizens of this republic. However, within the household appliances industry, Rawono is quite well-known, although not as well-known as Alim Markus, the founder of the Maspion Group and owner of the tagline "love Indonesian products."
However, Rawono's LPG gas stoves, produced through PT Aditec Cakrawiyasa, are now increasingly showing off their prowess, ranking second in the national market. These gas stoves are dominated by imported products, with virtually no locally produced products. While this may seem trivial, he believes that gas stoves, which are far more efficient than kerosene stoves, are underutilized by the public, especially those in the lower middle class.
It was from observing the lack of local products that Rawono aspired to create a product for the primary needs of the community. The opportunity he saw at the time was a tool to support this primary need: a gas stove.
From a small garage, in 1993, Rawono and three of his team members began conducting research using a reverse engineering pattern—reversing the process, namely by dissecting the finished product and then breaking it down part by part, down to the smallest part, to then imitate all the parts and assemble them into a finished product.
According to the ITB Electrical Engineering alumnus, the most challenging part of a gas stove is the electronic igniter. After conducting numerous production trials, in 1995 he decided to build a factory and produce several hundred units on a commercial scale.
The main gas stove manufacturers at the time were Rinnai and Hitachi, both made in Japan, which were sold at relatively high prices. Therefore, PT Aditec was determined to produce quality gas stoves—using the Quantum brand—at affordable prices.
Due to its selling price, the Quantum brand has succeeded in 'stealing' market share and has become the choice of a number of housewives. However, profits are not guaranteed.
achieved, misfortune cannot be avoided. When production activities began to increase in line with increasing demand, economic disaster occurred.
During the monetary crisis of 1997-1998, the US dollar exchange rate soared, forcing Japanese-brand gas stoves to sell for no less than Rp 1.5 million per unit. Similarly, their gas stoves, which typically sell for around Rp 300,000 per unit, were forced to rise to as much as Rp 1.2 million per unit.
Naturally, demand waned, and sales volume plummeted to near-zero. Rawono racked his brains. He made several modifications, including replacing the stainless steel plates with aluminum, to reduce the price.
With competitive quality, Quantum produces gas stoves at a much lower price than the Japanese product. To ensure product quality, Aditec products meet SNI and are ISO certified.
Slowly but surely, Aditec's production activities began to revive. While continuing to refine its products and production facilities, Rawono began considering the possibility of implementing social engineering for kerosene stove users, whom he considered "too luxurious" in terms of fuel consumption.
"We also proposed to the government that people reduce or even eliminate kerosene consumption, considering that the economic value of this type of fuel is too high for just cooking. Kerosene is actually on the same level as aviation fuel (avtur)—aircraft fuel—which should have a high selling value," he said at a forum attended by several young entrepreneurs.
The response was overwhelming. For Rawono, the government's decision was a windfall, as the company he led was awarded the right to procure 2.2 million units—out of a total requirement of approximately 50 million gas stoves—which were distributed free to poor and near-poor families across the country. Aditec's annual production capacity is typically only hundreds of thousands of units per year.
Naturally, this blessing created a headache for him and his team. Fulfilling the demand for 2.2 million single-burner gas stoves meant significantly increasing production capacity. However, thanks to his tenacity and perseverance, the contract was fulfilled.
In fact, because the installed capacity is already large, what can be done is to streamline the production process and continue to make various modifications, both in materials and features, as well as implementing a number of simplifications—without having to sacrifice functionality—in order to continue to be able to provide quality products at relatively affordable prices.
DIVERSIFIKASI PRODUK
The results have been encouraging. To date, Quantum gas stoves command approximately 30% of the gas stove market share in Indonesia, serving approximately 12 million Indonesian families.
Not only that. Due to the efficiencies achieved in production facilities, coupled with a number of innovations, product diversification was inevitable. Therefore, in addition to gas stoves, Aditec now also produces other household appliances such as gas stove regulators, rice cookers, blenders, and fans.
Quantum's regulatory hoses have even become the market leader, commanding a 58% market share in Indonesia. This success is reflected in 2015 sales of no less than Rp700 billion.
According to Rawono, there are at least five secrets to the strength of his Quantum gas stoves and regulator hoses. First, product quality. The resulting products are sturdy, safe, attractive, and modern.
Second, competitive product prices. Third, intensive and regular promotional activities.
"The fourth factor that makes our products chosen by consumers is its availability that reaches all corners of Indonesia. The fifth secret is of course the availability of after-sales service which provides excellent service as well as our effort to understand consumer desires," he said.
He also continuously innovates through his research and development division and draws on consumer input. He cited the example of a gas stove conversion program where the Indonesian market was flooded with counterfeit regulator hoses made in China, leading to numerous leaks and explosions.
"When the case became public, I had to intervene and conduct research to find the cause of the leak. After taking measurements,
"After 125,000 calculations, we finally discovered the source of the leak, which was caused by the tilt of the regulator. Ultimately, people learned to choose safe products, not just affordable ones. Since then, our regulator hoses have become the market leader," Rawono recalled.
Distribution channels have also been improved by employing three strategies: direct selling, or door-to-door sales, partnerships with distributors or third parties, and through modern retail markets throughout Indonesia. Not to be outdone, in this digital era, Aditec is also preparing to open a new distribution channel, namely online sales.
Not only that, of course. They continue to innovate, considering it a key strength of the company. "We have 13 patents registered in Indonesia. For example, for gas stoves, we have created a single-plate design that uses a single mold.
"Also, our gas stoves have achieved 68.9% energy efficiency, significantly higher than our competitors. Our patented technology uses less gas, given the ever-rising cost of energy."
For the future, they hope to introduce renewable fuel stoves. Research in this direction has been conducted on CPO and ethanol as fuel sources.
“This means we can respond quickly to changes in the most widely used fuels, in line with government energy policy.”
Watch his presentation here: