Comfortable smart IoT is a new track that can be developed for a long time has become the consensus of the industry, and many brands have successively launched many innovative products and services, from product-centric to scenario-centric to "user-centric", promoting the development of the overall whole house comfort intelligent system in China.
In 2020, A.O. Smith launched the AI-LiNK good wind and good water intelligent integrated system, with the unique "PLC+WIFI" dual-mode drive hybrid interconnection technology as the breakthrough, taking the lead in realizing industrial and commercial mature IoT solutions in home scenarios to ensure the stability, reliability and security of the connection. At the same time, it opens up the underlying logic of the product, so that the devices can work together and create new value. After nearly 3 years of continuous exploration and innovation, AI-LiNK has become an open intelligent interconnected ecological control center, with its own system and more openness. This has become a representative of the industry's transformation and upgrading to the field of intelligent interconnection.
Excellent single products are intelligently interconnected, innovative value, and subvert traditional experience
A.O. Smith believes that intelligent interconnection systems really bring value to users, first of all, the product has the ability to connect, and secondly, the product interconnection interaction brings about the upgrade of user experience. Therefore, its logic for high-end intelligent interconnection is to open up products from the bottom of the technology and generate new value through interaction; Reopen the protocol, expand the product ecosystem, and gradually move forward.
A.O. Smith is constantly working hard and innovating. In 2022, A.O. Smith will focus on good wind and good water, build a three-layer system of "intelligent integrated system", "intelligent interconnection set" and "super single product", and gradually implement the high-end intelligent interconnection strategy through multi-level and three-dimensional layout and user experience as the core. Connected to each other, products work together to create new value. Through the intelligent linkage of heating wall-hung furnace and central air conditioning, dual-engine hybrid can greatly improve the comfort of heating in winter while achieving high efficiency and energy saving. Through the cross-border linkage between the range hood, fresh air conditioning and central fresh air, the indoor airflow organization is optimized, and a fresh and clean kitchen and quiet and pleasant bedroom environment are further created. In terms of water use, the whole house hot water and water purification soft water system not only ensure the comfort and convenience of domestic water, but also care for the drinking water health of the family. It can be seen that A.O. Smith's focus on the continuous innovation of good wind and water, the promotion of comfortable and intelligent interconnection systems, and the subversive product experience brought to users have unlimited imagination space. But at the same time, it also poses a higher challenge to the professional competence of the brand.
At present, A.O. Smith's AI-LiNK good wind and good water intelligent integrated system is mainly for high-end consumer groups, and there are different detailed solutions for different room types, including standardized and efficient attributes of home appliances, and customized personalized solutions. No matter what room type and what level of budget, there are corresponding cooling and heating feng shui solutions to meet the needs of users. And A.O. Smith provides professional one-stop service, construction according to drawings, the whole process is online, and all digital display. A.O. Smith reviews and summarizes the experience of each intelligent integrated system sold, starting from the user end and continuously improving the professionalism of the brand.
The president served as the first customer service, facing users directly, and service satisfaction continued to rise
In the era of home appliances, the professionalism of the brand is reflected in the leading R&D and manufacturing strength, which is the logic of Industry 4.0 and the lighthouse factory, but in the era of intelligent interconnection, the professionalism is reflected in how to provide one-stop professional services in the user's home. How to achieve user satisfaction through good products and good service, Qiu Bu, senior vice president of A.O. Smith Group and president of China in the United States, believes that service needs the underlying drive of corporate culture.
Qiu Bu believes that seemingly complex things, if you find a methodology and do the most important thing, the problem will be solved, and the key to good service is to dare to face the user's complaints and listen to the real voice of consumers. In 2022, A.O. Smith Innovation will open a direct channel for the president, all user letters will be sent to the president's mobile phone, and the president will serve as the "first customer service", the first to receive and read user information, and in response to complaints one by one, organize multi-department linkage of the company, start from a small point to dig into the deep reasons behind it, formulate inference measures to implement improvements, and continuously upgrade the user-centered agile organization, fundamentally solve user problems, and improve service experience.
It can be said that by dealing with user complaints will promote the optimization of service processes, product quality improvement, etc., through the president's direct channel project, the formation of all functional departments of the company around the satisfaction of consumers, without any obstacles, which has become an important starting point for A.O. Smith to improve user satisfaction. After more than a year of hard work, user satisfaction has been significantly improved. This management innovation was also recognized by the US headquarters, which won the 2022 US headquarters value award.
One-to-one in-depth communication, digital empowerment, and deep mutual trust in organizations
Achieving the overall organization from top to bottom revolves around consumer satisfaction, which is easier said than done, and also reflects the company's own way. Qiu Bu said that A.O. Smith's Tao is corporate values, based on customer satisfaction, innovation and integrity, the company from top to bottom according to a set of values to do things, efficiency must be the highest. This requires finding ways to build a culture of integrity and build deep trust.
Another management innovation of A.O. Smith is the establishment of 1ON1 one-on-one communication mechanism, which digitizes organizational empowerment and clarifies trust. In 2022, A.O. Smith made organizational adjustments, and the company was divided into 6 layers from the president to the front-line employees, and each leader managed 4-12 subordinates, and each layer was managed like this. By flattening the organization, every manager has enough time to delegate and empower. For example, the management reporting to Mr. Qiu includes managers in charge of different business sectors such as finance, legal affairs, manufacturing, and R&D, and he has one-on-one in-depth communication every quarter, and has in-depth communication with subordinates for at least one hour from five aspects: responsibility, expectation, empowerment, trust, and care. After each exchange, subordinates should write their experiences, Qiu always give feedback, comment on the conversation, and will be reflected on the management platform, as long as the management platform is opened, you can see the records and feedback of each one-on-one communication, and realize the tracking of step-by-step empowerment. Moreover, this digital management tool has also been extended to agents and distributors.
Have ideals, firm direction, and forge ahead courageously on the road of creating a better life.
Comfortable smart home carries users' yearning for a better life. However, the current industry's ability is still far from the user's ideal of a better home life, and it is necessary to truly solve various problems through the user's perspective.
Mr. Qiu said that he is a perfectionist. Now, all year round, their own homes are like construction sites, and every day they will optimize and upgrade their own good wind and water system, and only the home life that they think is satisfactory can be provided to users.
A.O. Smith's platform has R&D, brand, channel, innovative soil and foundation precipitation, efficient organization, integrity culture and innovation culture running through the front line, and will open up a new development pattern on the road to creating a better life for consumers.
At the same time, Mr. Qiu also called on the industry to establish a high-end intelligent interconnection alliance, establish a communication and cooperation mechanism between brands, discuss the direction of industrial development, realize collaboration between industries, and jointly promote industry upgrading.