Why Internal R&D Matters: Building the Tools You Actually Need
by Jody Poirier, P.E. | Engineering Leader
In controls engineering, no two projects are exactly the same. For example, when standard software tools aren’t practical, internal research and development (R&D) offers a way to solve your repeatable problems with custom tools, while also growing the skills of your engineering team.
Internal R&D provides a structured way to develop tools that reduce repetitive tasks, improve accuracy, and increase efficiency across future projects. When that process is formalized, validated, and repeatable, it supports not only your project delivery but also talent development and alignment with continuous improvement initiatives, such as the CSIA Best Practices and Benchmarks framework.
A Formal Approach to Solving Repetitive Problems
When your engineers face the same friction points across projects, that’s an opportunity to create solutions that can be reused. At Hargrove, we established a formal process for internal tool development that mirrors the structure of client project work. Team members submit ideas for new software tools through a standard intake form. The community of practice running the R&D program reviews ideas and scopes them into manageable tasks to be assigned when teammates have availability.
This program builds tools that are validated, documented, and added to a shared library accessible to all team members. This helps reduce rework, speeds up similar future projects, and reinforces consistent engineering practices across the team.
Internal R&D can also extend to operational tasks outside of core controls work. At Hargrove, one submitted task focuses on developing a mobile app for logging fleet vehicle usage, highlighting the program’s flexibility and its potential to improve internal business processes.
Tools That Build Skillsets
Internal R&D also helps build engineering capabilities. Developing internal tools may involve writing code, scripting automation, or applying AI, which are skills that go beyond typical day-to-day responsibilities. For engineers between projects, this work keeps them engaged and expands their understanding of your platforms. It also results in tools that can be reused. When these tools are applied to active projects, they save time and improve quality, benefits that help differentiate your team in a competitive environment.
Staying Competitive with AI and Automation
Margins are narrowing and using internal tools can help you stay competitive without compromising quality. A common way to stay competitive is by increasing your use of AI platforms. When used strategically, AI platforms can help you draft code, automate documentation, and even assist in testing. The key is to supply AI with internal domain knowledge so that what it produces is useful, relevant, and safe to deploy. Used effectively, AI accelerates development by generating code or documentation that engineers can then review and refine, boosting productivity without replacing expertise.
Continuous Improvement That Scales
If you’re CSIA certified or working toward it, you already know that continuous improvement is a core expectation. Internal R&D provides a practical, measurable way to meet that standard. Every tool added to your library becomes part of a feedback loop: it solves a problem, gets refined in use, and can be improved or extended as needs evolve.
Internal R&D lets you solve problems once and scale the solution, whether you’re supporting a complex process upgrade or developing new standards for your automation group. The process doesn’t require a massive investment, only a structured, collaborative approach that also supports team engagement.
The right tools make your projects faster, more accurate, and easier to repeat. Internal R&D gives you a way to build those tools in-house, strengthen your processes, and keep your team moving forward.
