http://cpc.people.com.cn/n/2013/0624/c83083-21945873.html

Profile:

Gao Chunhai, Professor of Beijing Jiaotong University, Director of National Engineering Research Center of Rail Transportation Operation and Control System, President of Traffic Control Technology Co., Ltd. Graduated from Beijing Jiaotong University (Major: railway signal and control; Department: Communication Control) in 1993, stayed for teaching and engaged in R&D of CBTC and industrialization.

Core Reading——

Facing the fierce competition from foreign counterparts in market economy environment, how to transform the self-developed core technology into high-recognized and popular products and realize industrialization as soon as possible has become a knotty problem for many universities, colleges and initial science and technology enterprises.

With regard to the industrialization of high-tech achievements, the self-developed CBTC of Beijing Jiaotong University can be regarded as an outstanding example: since the industrialization in 2009, CBTC has emerged as a focal point in the competitions with world-famous enterprises such as Alston, Siemens and Thales, and successfully applied in Beijing Subway Yizhuang Line, Changping Line, Line 14, Line 7 and Chongqing Rail Transit Line 3.

What is the secret of rapid industrialization of CBTC?

Management innovation – This is the answer of Gao Chunhai, the main technical R&D force and industrialization operator of CBTC: “The reason for realizing industrialization of CBTC in such a short time not only lies in the advanced technology, but also the innovative methodology explored in practice – ‘Modern transparent kitchen theory’."

The so-called “Modern transparent kitchen theory” is a set of system design and development method covering the whole life cycle of CBTC, mainly including three aspects: risk design, process management and international certification.

Noun Reading: CBTC

The full name of CBTC is Communication Based Train Control, means “train operation control system based on communication”. CBTC is to ensure train operation in the minimum safe spacing and realize maximum transport capacity, it is also called the “brain and neural” of rail transit traveling system. With the continuous support of national ministries, departments and Beijing Municipal Government, Beijing Jiaotong University and Traffic Control Technology Co., Ltd. breaks through the core technology of CBTC in the collaborative innovation mode combining "administration, production, learning, research and application", develops a whole set of technical equipment and successfully applies it to many metro lines in China. The operation assessment shows that the self-developed CBTC system is advanced, safe and reliable and all performance indexes reach or exceed the international standards, which makes China become the fourth country that masters and successfully applies the technology and rewrites the history of "track without brain" of urban rail transit in China.

Risk design

During product design, it is necessary to fully consider all possible risks, even the risk with the lowest probability

In 2007, CBTC entered the system design and product development phase after the core technology was tackled.

“We do not rush to 'the critical point', but concentrate on the system risk design within 10 months with all efforts.” Gao Chunhai said, “‘Safe’ is not only the basic requirement for industrialization of CBTC, but also a primary factor affecting users’ selection. While risk design is the first pass to ensure the safety of CBTC.”

He told the reporter that when he studied in Lloyd's Register Rail, a world-famous safety certification company: before the production of mobile phones, an enterprise collected different proposals from user representatives. A baker said: when I was working in the bakery, I stuffed my mobile phone and bread into the oven by mistake. Could you design a mobile phone that would not explode in the oven?

The enterprise leader paid a special attention to such an “unreasonable” requirement rather than neglecting it and requested developers to consider the idea. Finally, they developed a mobile phone which would not explode in the oven, but the price was too-high (5,000 pounds). Of course, the baker could not afford such an expensive mobile phone, and the product would not be put into operation as well. At last, the company wrote a sentence in the production manual: Please do not put the product in an oven, or it would explode. Afterwards, the bake asked the boss: What if I have to call at work? The boss thought about it and said: I will install a telephone in the bakery.

“The story gives me two revelations.” Gao Chunhai said that first, all risks shall be fully considered during product design, and never let a risk go, even with the lowest probability; second, some risk may not be controlled due to technology level or high cost, so management method shall be used to avoid and control the risks.

During system risk design of CBTC, Gao Chunhai and his team summarized 250 major risks and studied the solutions one by one. Where, 230 risks were controlled by technical means, and the rest 20 risks were solved through management.

“It is quite worthy though we spend a year on risk design, because we finally achieve ‘nip in the bud’.”

Process management

Process management can ensure all phases and tasks are qualitative and quantitative and finally realize system integration.

“Why could they take a vocation without affecting the R&D progress?”

In 1997, Gao Chunhai was so curious about the above phenomenon when he went to Siemens in Germany as a visiting scholar.

After careful observation, he suddenly realized that there was a scientific and professional labor division in Siemens in design, R&D and production management, all posts strictly followed a process; every position would be taken over by another staff if the original staff took a vocation, which never result in work delay.

“The process management in Siemens is very scientific and meticulous, in other words, all positions are linked together.” Gao Chunhai said that each process had a standard, all staff should operate in strict accordance with the standard; each standard is equipped with a strict quality inspection method, and the link failed to pass inspection shall be done again. Besides, each post is controlled by the right person.

“A system will be safe and reliable no matter how complex it is as long as there are good process, standard, independent quality inspection, scientific method and suitable person for each post.” Gao Chunhai said, “The above four aspects are what I focus on in the company.”

He told the reporter that the technical development, engineering and industrialization of CBTC was a complicated and huge system, more than ten units and thousands of members participated in the project, and smooth linkage and high efficiency benefit from process management.

“Each phase and task can be qualitative and quantitative through process management, so as to realize the system integration.” He said such idea coincided with the system theory of Mr. Qian Xuesen. “Industrialization of CBTC makes me deeply feel that the system theory of Mr. Qian Xuesen is very important for engineering technology. At present, most self-developed core technologies in China are a complex large-scale system related to many specialties, disciplines and fields, and we can half the work with double results if we plan, organize and implement with an idea of system theory.”

International certification

Although the process of international certification is painful, products and system after certification are easier to be recognized by users.

“Crisis of confidence” is a common problem for many scientific and technical personnel: innovative products developed independently with hard work are often untrusted by the users. Especially when competing with the international counterparts, such “crisis of confidence” is more prominent. Users would rather spend more money on foreign brands than using domestic innovative products.

In Gao Chunhai’s opinion, the neglect of international game rules is an important factor causing the “crises of confidence”. “Many scientific and technical personnel have a bad habit, that is, they are more comfortable when working at home. However, the consequence of “work behind closed doors’ is, users don’t know and trust your innovative products.”

“Therefore, we get ourselves involved in formulating international demand standards and submit our development achievement to international authority for certification.” According to Gao Chunhai, the CBTC research group had invited Lloyd's Register Rail to carry out safety certification for CBTC signal products since 2008. After conducting safety review on the whole process of CBTC signal products for 3 years, Lloyd's Register Rail issued the safety certificate, which marked that the safety functions of CBTC signal products met the requirement of the highest safety integrity level “SIL4”. “So far, this is the first and the only internationally-accepted ‘independent third party safety certification (SIL4) for self-developed CBTC system products’ in China.”

“It is not a worship to foreign countries, but to respect the international game rules.” Gao Chunhai said that Lloyd's Register Rail was an authoritative certification body with a history of 250 years, obtaining their certification was a hard, expensive, long and rigorous process. “Though the certification process is painful, products and system after certification are easier to be recognized by users, since they know such products are produced in strict accordance with the international standards and have no difference with foreign brands in the quality.”

“The reason for the calling of ‘modern transparent kitchen theory’ is inspired by the production and management ideas of McDonald's and KFC." Gao Chunhai thought that industrialization of major scientific and technological achievements seemed to be different from the operation and management of fast food chain but it was actual similar: “Although the core technology is self-developed, the whole production process shall follow the international standard, open and transparent and subject to the supervision and evaluation of independent institution. Therefore, the products manufactured from such a process were very reliable and safe and could be recognized by users easily.

“I think we pay much attention to technological innovation but neglect management innovation.” He said, “technological innovation and management innovation complement each other and are indispensable. Only the combination of technological innovation and management innovation can promote faster and more stable development of industrialization of scientific and technological achievements.”

People's Daily (June 24, 2013  Version 20)

(Editor in charge: Cheng Hongyi and Chang Xuemei)