Honeywell R&D center: how to become a "fast fish"

Quick start "in less than a year, we have achieved a balance of payments." Song recalled:

This is a portrayal of the rapid start of Honeywell R&D institutions in China in 2002.

10 years ago, the business development ideas of many multinational companies in China were still at the level of selling and implementing their global products in China. Many of them have not realized that China can have R&D team and technical force to better serve the China market.

In 2000, Song COM, then chief technology officer of Honeywell, became the first com"CTO in China and developed his business in China. . Is a company providing online project management services for China construction enterprises. During that time, I had many opportunities to communicate with China enterprises and began to understand that we can do more to serve China enterprises and China market more actively and effectively. "Song said to.

Song and his boss reported this idea to the CTO of Honeywell Group at that time, and got his strong support-trying to establish a research and development institution in China. As one of the "admonishers", Song has also been given a new responsibility-to establish this research and development institution in China.

From the very beginning, Song decided that institutions should not research and develop for the sake of profit and reward, but at the same time, they should also consider the talent situation of each center and the sales and service ability of business groups at that time. Although developing high-level products is our goal, we should take it step by step.

"Honeywell is a diversified company. At the beginning, the business of R&D institutions was widely distributed. " Zhang, who was the first to join Honeywell's department and is now the technical director of the automatic control system department of the company's China Center, recalled. Song and the core team spent a lot of energy in-depth communication with business departments and customers, and finally found areas where institutions can participate quickly, and building automation control system is one of them.

At that time, Honeywell Building Automation System EBI (Enterprise Building Integrator) was a global unified platform, which integrated many international functional systems, such as HVAC, air conditioning control, security control and lighting. Although there are many such third-party systems in China, they are more economical, but they cannot be integrated into EBI, which has caused complaints from customers in China.

"We will localize EBI for this problem so that it can be integrated with third-party systems in China." Song said to him:

The R&D team failed in the first project. But for each project, they actively participate, communicate with customers and understand the problems. Zhang still remembers that in the Beijing subway automation control upgrade project, they took their business team to several stations and entered the computer room and control room of the subway to understand the operation behind the subway and the use of the control system. "At that time, we worked overtime, worked hard and got the results in the shortest time, just like those Internet startup teams today." Zhang said that they completed the customization project of an airport within three months.

After the experience of several projects, they gradually got more successful cases, and the work situation opened up.

In another area of Honeywell's strength-aviation business, China's R&D team chose to start with international projects, mostly some verification work. In 2003, China R&D team entered the AvicaR21project.

Compared with competitors, the addition of R&D team has changed the role of Honeywell's business unit in "selling things".

The difference has been formed. From the initial feedback to the global headquarters of the business department, many problems were directly solved by the local team, which gradually established trust and confidence in the R&D team. More importantly, customers also respect Honeywell more and regard it as a partner.

While looking for the entry point of the project, Song is also selecting talents. Song said that since the establishment of this center, they have recruited a large number of local talents in China. "You can refute me that international talents are necessary, but the core talents must be local, because we are convinced that this is crucial for long-term success." He said. To this end, they have to choose those "locals who learn quickly".