Honeywell Forge - Field Engineer Support Spotlight - Daniel Merle

What does a typical day on the job look like?  

No two days are the same when you are on the Honeywell Forge Support Team. My territory is quite large and diverse – from up north in Germany down to Geneva in Switzerland – and I support a variety of maintenance, repair and overhaul centers. Customers come to us for different needs and different maintenance activities ranging from consulting with engineering departments and installers, to delivering a Tech Talk, onboarding a new customer and training the crew or actually installing a new Honeywell satellite communications system. Every day is different in this position. You never get bored.

What makes the Honeywell Forge Support Team unique?

The Honeywell Forge Support Team is present and available at all times. There are engineers nearly everywhere in the world. But that’s typical for Honeywell across the business, not just for Honeywell Forge. Our team has decades of experience, too. However, I think our major differentiator is motivation. The motivation of each and every individual on our team to excel as a solution finder is unparalleled. Our customers look to us as the experts and they come to us with challenges that need resolution. When I joined the Honeywell Forge team, I was impressed that everyone on this team is obsessed with finding solutions. It’s a great motivator for me as a person. My teammates inspire me to rise to every occasion and never give up until a resolution is found.

Memorable customer story:

At the beginning of the year, we were contacted by a non-Honeywell Forge customer who was a well-known operator in the region. He was about to install Honeywell JetWave, a very powerful satellite communication system, in his airplane. The customer was also looking for a solution to a complex request. He wanted to build a cockpit Wi-Fi network for the crew separate from the cabin network, thereby allowing the crew to communicate independently from the cabin while using the same Ka-Band link. His service provider turned down the request, stating it was impossible. The customer said if I could make the solution come to fruition, he would sign the fleet up with Honeywell for every new installation. I contacted our engineering team and network architect and we worked on options for weeks. Finally, we found a route which fit perfectly. I provided the customer with the plan and he now has full trust in us and our ability to develop innovative solutions. To date, we have delivered two aircraft to his specifications and there are many more to come. One of the most rewarding things about this project was coming through for the customer when our competitor said it was out of the question. 

What is the biggest benefit of working with a large organization like Honeywell?

Honeywell is a big enterprise, which brings a lot of value to our customers. But we also want to operate like a small company within a big company, with a commitment to speed, nimbleness and personal service. When they are with the Honeywell Forge team, each customer has a dedicated field service engineer in their region. If they have an issue, they have one point of contact who is closely connected to the entire engineering department. Customers are able to reach someone quickly and know their problems will be solved. That’s why we are successful.  

Background on the Honeywell Forge support team:

Honeywell has field engineers across the world that support our aircraft in any and all time zones. Our experts are available for customers 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The Honeywell Forge team always puts the customer’s best interest first. Our products and services are designed to complement and enhance our customer’s lifestyle and business practices. Additionally, our field engineers are dedicated to providing customer feedback to the Honeywell research and developmental engineers and business leaders to generate the products and services customers want - and need - to grow, expand and enhance their businesses.