Honeywell IT Director Patricia Lala knows her work has impact

Patricia Lala is an IT Director with Honeywell’s Process Solutions (HPS) and is based in Bucharest.

A native Romanian, Patricia joined Honeywell in 2018 and is very passionate about her work in IT.

A role focusing on largescale transformation

In Patricia's current role, she is responsible for large Supply Chain (ISC) Transformation programs globally for Honeywell Process Solutions (HPS) and Thermal Solutions (SETS).

To do the job well, Patricia must understand customer demands, daily factory operations, how data flows through the system, as well as how different systems and applications are connected with each other and with business results.

Enjoying seeing the impact of her work

Given the scope of her work, Patricia is especially appreciative that she is able to see the impact of her work on the ground.

"My role in IT provides me and my team great visibility on how our work impacts daily operations at Honeywell," says Patricia.

Working in IT is challenging, yet a privilege

She believes that working in IT is both a challenge and a privilege, and that technology is core to Honeywell’s success.

"IT can be a deal maker or breaker as we strive to meet customer demands and remain competitive in the market," she notes. "It has a real impact for the business.”

For example, when a large manufacturing facility needs to upgrade their Enterprise resource planning (ERP) software, the IT project team has to spend months on solutioning, data migration, testing, change management and, finally, 'go-live' and help support the transition. The success of a project is also measured at month end, when the business closes the books and assesses if their business goals were met.

Another critical and more tangible element in any IT project is data. As Honeywell’s Chief Digital Technology Officer Sheila Jordan often says, data is the currency of digital transformation, and it empowers companies to turn facts, figures and trends into actionable insights.

The ability to walk a production shop floor and understand the material flow, and later on map that into a systematic approach with the correct data, while visualizing this entire process on a factory layout provides an enormous advantage in the long run because you get to see behind-the-scenes, and you learn in time what can be done, and what can not be done, across businesses. Being exposed to different business models augments knowledge and creativity.

Teamwork drives success

There are many people contributing to make Honeywell's work happen, and teamwork is essential to success.

No one person has all the answers, but at Honeywell everyone can help build the solution and ensure the success of any project.

Being flexible, responsible and resilient

Patricia hopes that her experience will inspire further women to work in Honeywell's technology field.

"IT is great work, but you have to get comfortable with being uncomfortable, because challenges come up daily," she suggests."

For Patricia, flexibility, adaptability, ownership, business understanding, and resilience have helped her be successful and thrive in her role. Managerial support is also key to be successful in her work. Patricia’s manager, Hasko Büchel, has provided mentorship and coaching to empower her to take on difficult assignments and continue to grow.