[hybridshocker74]

I guess I must to reply to this thread since I used to work for both JCI & Siemens.

Just like “MDaily” said, you will find that JCI is micro managed. There are managers managing managers. JCI has too many procedures.

Overall, I think you will find the Siemens Apogee product much easier to learn than JCI’s Metasys. JCI has too many controllers to put your hands around at once. The technical documentation - field support at JCI is not as good as it is at Siemens even though with JCI you can get everything from the web.

When I worked for JCI, some of the seasoned control Jedi’s were not as apt to mentor and share there knowledge very much. In at least two instances for me this was because of job security. For example the guru that knows the nextys GPL, Dx9100 programs, M3 & M5 is not going to sit down and share with you everything you need to know to do it on your own.

You will come up to speed more quickly at Siemens and have a better chance for advancement.

Salary is the same, but JCI has a little better medical benefit package if you are married.

Besides, what can possibly be better than doing line code using PPCL!

The best of luck to you, to whom ever you end up working for.

I am currently a JCI employee, for almost 2 years now, and I was with Siemens for 10.. I have to say this, my first 8 years with Siemens were probably my most memorable and positive, the last 2 however were a strain due to some really bad restructering decisions, oh, and Siemens micro managed the same way JCI does, probably worse. But, there was a reason for that, at that time is when all of the bribary scandels and other unfortunate negative issues/stories were taking place, setting the company into "Safe" mode.. Anyway, I came to JCI when they put there money where their mouth was and made me an offer (s) after multiple years of trying to hire me...
To answer the question of the forum, in my opinion, I would have to say I remain in the middle, where as there are pros and cons to working for both companies.. And I will say quie honestly in the beginnnig of my Transfer to JCI I was really pissed I came/went over, but now, things are peachy....

 

[hybridshocker74]

Interesting read! I have worked for JCI for six years now. (No experience with Siemens) This is by far the best working experience I've had in my 20 years of work (including 4 years in the air force). Both branches I've worked for (transferred because I wanted to move) have been fairly similar. I have great bosses and love my job. we have one guy from Siemens in our shop.. he's have issues with learning everything but he is getting along and everyone helps him if he asks. He said Siemens was much easier to learn; but he left for money. I have worked with the apogee system some what.. not a fan. Really; all line code?? lets maybe welcome you into the 90s? I'm just glad I don't have to deal with that except on the odd old PMI site with GPL. I think Trane controls are okay if you're looking for alternatives but as long as you take the initiative to learn the controls for JCI it's very rewarding. fyi: I'm on service not systems(install). Our systems team is overworked and they don't know any of the older stuff which is unfortunate... they could use a bit of retro-training. I would still be working for JCI if I was a systems employee though. Hope you made a choice you were happy with either way.

Dude, I am with JCI for almost 2 years and as I still miss "PPCL", you have to know it to love it, oh and I knew it... It took 1.5 years before the light bulb went off, but once it did i was a programming fool... LOL

 

[dropleg]

Johnson controls haters.

This is for all of you Johnson Controls haters out there. First of all. Learn to spell. Dictionary prices are pretty cheap these days. Second. Be more specific. List the model and serial numbers. We do have engineers that you can contact for issues but without the model and serial number you will sound like an idiot. Third. We live in an electronic world whether you like it or not. It's just a fact of life. Having said that, allow me to enlighten you on the basics. There are no absolutes in life. Deal with it. **** happens. Accept it. Just because it has inconvenienced you does not make a manufacturers discrepancies a matter of life or death regardless of how stressed your customer might be. Explain to them that you will take care of the problem and then contact the appropriate Johnson Controls contact person. It really does work. And it sure as hell beats complaining about the issue. And yes. I am a field Technician/Mechanic for Johnson controls so I can speak from experience. I like this forum so please feel free to comment or correct me if you disagree.

 

[hybridshocker74]

whoa... someone is angry....

They have meds for that you know...

 

[ControlsInMT]

Dropleg, really? Then it must be a secret in JCI that techs can call an ask for help. The techs I have dealt with just try the old baffle with BS until they either figure it out on their own or throw their hands up and run...

 

[48989]

This is for all of you Johnson Controls haters out there. First of all. Learn to spell. Dictionary prices are pretty cheap these days.

Prices are "low", dictionaries are "cheap". Buy one.

 

[hybridshocker74]

LMAO...oh my god.. LMAO

 

[BACnet]

First of all. Learn to spell.

What good is proper spelling if you don't understand punctuation? :grin2:

// For the record. I do not claim. To be great. At either.

 

[twisted pair]

What good is proper spelling if you don't understand punctuation? :grin2:

// For the record. I do not claim. To be great. At either.

That's pretty funny.

 

[simux]

Johnson Haters

I think what most people don't like about "The Big Johnson" is some of the corporate moves. I still remember when they told the system guys they would have to work longer hours for less money, you could hear the keys and badges hit the bosses desk. The I remember they restructured PM contracts and lost even more customers. Telling the customers that they get less time for money is so great. Wow, the kicker is asking the mechanics to learn controls. Then don't get me started on the after hours call center fiasco. Most paying customers want to talk to someone who at least knows where their building is located.

 

[kslrr]

I have worked for both Siemens and JCI as a Systems/Design Engineer. After 13 years at Siemens (Staefa, Landis & Staefa, Siemens) I knew the legacy products, the new products and pneumatics as well. The company was great before Siemens bought L&S. Over time the management style changed. I was made the fall guy because I did what my privous supervisor told me to do.

I worked

 

[kslrr]

<ok since I can't figure out how to edit my own post, I will continue here>

I worked for JCI 3 years and was layed off twice: once in CA, once in NV. I saved the engineering dept in Las Vegas; A great Technician (Victor) and I working as a team saved JCI's reputation with the VA. I have no idea why JCI let me go, and once I was gone, JCI overwelmed Victor with both Tech and Engineering work. I'm back at Honeywell after a 20 year absence.

 

[freddy716]

Hi; Can you Guide Me.

My name is Fred Alvarez: Can you guide me to a contact person with a company that can employ a mechanical and controls technician. I Have 3 years expereance, E.P.A. universal cert and graduated a technical school. My number is 562-708-3981. I also have background in construction trades.

Respectively Fred Alvarez. Orange County California

I have been monitoring the control forum for several years now. Over this time I have read a lot of complaints and in general negative comments about working for Johnson Controls. Too be on the fair side, not all comments were negative, but I would bear to say the majority are. There are some definite strong opinions about Johnson Controls. I have not read too many negative comments about working for Siemens. Siemens is a large corporation too. I don’t hear about to many people leaving Siemens for Johnson Controls, but I hear about many people leaving Johnson Controls for Siemens. I can speak only for the market I live in, but the local branch of Siemens seems to have much stability and long-term employees, while the local Johnson Controls branch seems to have high turn over. I read about the constant restructuring at Johnson Controls. Siemens even after going through a lot of company changes from Landis and Gyr, to Electowatt, to Siemens, seems to have more focus and direction, loyal customers, and employee satisfaction. Can this statement be said for the rest of the country? Is Siemens overall a better company to work for? Are there better pay, advancement, benefits, and working environment at Siemens? Does Siemens do a better job of setting up better local management structures?

 

[freddy716]

Can someone help direct me

Hi my name is Fred Alvarez: I am a Mechanical and controls technician with 3 years exper. Im am in a hevy job search on line but looking for all the help i can generate. I live in Orange County Calif. Need help connecting with a job.

 

[ControlsInMT]

Read the rules there freddy716....

 

[Jodster71]

Was with Siemens twice with two different branches over 8 years. Never had any personal experience with JCI or honeywell but I had a few co-woekers that migrated over from them. They preferred Siemens but it was simply a case of the "lesser of all evils".
Apparently this industry still views it's systems and service techs as expendable commodities even after years and tens of thousands of dollars in training.
The bottom line? I found one of our customers that was hiring a controls guy with a Siemens Apogee/Insight system.
What they were paying for a service contract tech 2 days a month, the were able to pay me $32/hr to be there full time. It has worked out splendidly! The site now has a factory-trained guy full time. They have stripped down the service contract to a bare minimum and I do most new jobs under $10k in-house and simply order the parts.

This is going to be the new norm folks. Companies and large organizations are now creating positions internally for Control technicians and regularly draw the knowledge and experience base away from the Vendor. Why wouldn't you?

 

[simux]

Control Technician Jobs

I totally agree with Jodster71, I started with Johnson Controls and it went pretty good for the first three years. Then Johnson Controls lost their way and lost a majority of in-town planned service agreements. The writing was on the wall and we spent more and more time out of town. The future looked like even more travel and I decided to choose my family over travel. I then went to work for a property management company and was very sucessful because they had Johnson Controls in a majority of their buildings. Then from my experience I moved into a management role as Director of building operations for a non profit organization. I can definately see where having a controls technician on staff could make you very sucessful.

 

[anonymousguy]

I agree

It's been a terrible experience for me too been there for a few years. Working with a manager who's an idiot, but they won't fire him because he has 15+ years experience. I think experience is just a shield people like that hide behind because they don't have any real knowledge my manager proves that daily haha. I don't even consider him a manager because there's only a few people beneath him XD should be called a team leader. Something else I don't like how they fire people. Then again it's probably just to meet their quota with the government to say they hired a certain amount of people.
Looking at Siemens now.

 

[simux]

Success always starts at the top of an organization. I always say you don't quit jobs, you quit bosses. The leader of an organization has to take care of their people, so they can take care of the customers. Remember a good branch has good people, and a bad branch has a bad manager!!!!

 

[Gord Savage]

I started with Siemens over 3yrs ago after 14yrs with a local controls contractor - the original team had eroded and what had been fun to do for a living became a chore. I was anxious about working for a large corporation and worried about being just a number that could be added to a payroll list and deleted even easier. What I found is that although there is a number of things that must be done because head office says so, the local branch is a close group who have been working together for a long time and they exactly match my idea of a team - this may not be the case at other branches though. If not for the experience I gained with my previous employer, I almost wish I had started with Siemens sooner. My advice, if you get an opportunity to have a face to face interview with the local Siemens branch, ask how long a number of the staff have been there - that should give you an idea as to how good a place it is to work. High employee turnover is a red flag. For example, at my branch, there is one guy retiring this month after 32yrs with Siemens and, with the exception of the new guys hired in the last year or so due to growth, a number of them have 15-20+ with siemens.