Honeywell

Summary

CAPRESE delivered a workshop that helped Honeywell improve the capabilities of its product development leadership team.

Client Context

Honeywell Automation and Control Solutions (ACS) had undertaken significant measures to improve its Research & Development (R&D) Project Management activities, including an extensive Project Management Professional (PMP) training and certification programme. Yet, product development projects were still frequently subject to delays and budget overruns. Each year, the Vice President of R&D for Europe Middle East and Africa (EMEA) invited the directors of national development facilities to meet and address this major concern. However, little progress was achieved from year to year. He therefore asked CAPRESE to introduce new approaches to explore the subject, with a hope that this would shed new light on an old problem.

CAPRESE Approach

CAPRESE suggested running a two-day workshop centred on the project management issue, with inputs from the VP and his boss (Senior VP, EMEA). Participants discussed the product development project environment and the various stakeholders and support infrastructure involved. An evening dinner session, using a World Café format, helped participants to explore the context at a more general level in a less formal context. The second day concentrated on identifying actions and activities to improve the situation.

Results

The key finding of the workshop was that throughout the organisation, individual R&D directors did not consider themselves implicated in the projects for which they were ultimately accountable. With this realisation out in the open and very obviously a common issue, participants were able to suggest a vast list of remedial actions and build a commitment to support each other during the implementation of these actions.

Key words

World Café; LEGO SERIOUS PLAY; LSP; innovation; project management; product development; kick-off; energy efficiency