ABB: Integrating the customer

Abstract

Due to the increasing demand for battery energy storage systems, ABB set up a customer integration project to develop a prototype and new applications in cooperation with a pilot customer in a real-world environment. Project initiation, idea generation, idea pre-screening, idea substantiation, idea selection, and start of base design represent the main phases during the front end of this innovation project. For the general framing of the concept, the project team - composed of participants from the customer and ABB employees - needed additional competencies, resources and top management commitment to co-finance the prototype. Target setting, definition of responsibilities, communication and progress sharing, and team setting received special attention in the course of this customer integration project. Close cooperation between the customer and ABB during the entire front end process helped to accomplish delivery of the system and completion of commissioning work. Given the know-how and the competencies built up during this project of prototype development, ABB today has established the global center of competence for battery energy storage systems in the local business unit that had been in charge of the project described.