"To overcome 'big company disease' and solve the global challenge of large enterprises becoming bloated and inefficient, the Rendanheyi model emerged in 2005," stated Zhou Yunjie, Chairman and CEO of Haier Group, during his opening remarks at the 9th Rendanheyi Model Leadership Forum and 2nd Zero Distance Excellence Awards Ceremony on September 19.
After nearly 20 years of practice and development, Zhou noted that the Rendanheyi model has achieved self-organization, autonomy, and self-evolution, bearing remarkable results. He highlighted that the pyramid-free cluster contract structure, value-sharing based on three-power restoration, and zero-boundary ecosystem's self-correction mechanism have propelled Rendanheyi into a new phase of ecological entrepreneurship and continuous regeneration.
The viral success of Haier Leader's "Lazy Person" three-drum washing machine exemplifies this innovation approach. The product originated from a 2024 customer suggestion that Haier develop a machine capable of separately washing socks, underwear, and outerwear simultaneously. Haier's team quickly captured this user demand, with company engineers delivering the first prototype in just two months.
In April 2025, the machine dubbed "Lazy Person" achieved remarkable market success, recording 88,000 pre-orders in its first week. To date, the product has delivered nearly 200,000 units. Internal sources reveal that it has spawned a multi-category, cross-regional "Lazy Washing Family" product line.
During the forum, Haier Electronics' three major industrial ecosystems—Smart Living, Health, and Digital Economy—shared their latest achievements in implementing Rendanheyi 2.0. The Digital Economy industrial ecosystem, through COSMOPlat, has created a new industrial internet ecosystem with full user participation throughout the process. The platform connects 900,000 enterprises, covers 20 major industries, gathers over 300,000 developers, and links more than 5,000 ecosystem partners, driving digital transformation across various industries.
Beyond Haier's internal application, the Rendanheyi model has generated powerful innovation momentum globally. Various sectors have voluntarily established 15 Rendanheyi model research centers, with over 410,000 enterprises from 75 countries and regions studying the approach. Among these, 82,000 enterprises have successfully replicated the model, becoming advocates for Rendanheyi.
The essence of Rendanheyi centers on maximizing human value, unleashing the vitality of every organizational member. As Zhang Ruimin, Haier's founder and Honorary Chairman of the Board, emphasized, only human self-enlightenment can drive the self-evolution of business models.
Standing at this 20-year milestone, Zhang Ruimin views Rendanheyi not as an endpoint but as an ongoing process. Entering the 2.0 phase, Rendanheyi advances toward "zero boundaries," showcasing the innovative value of all ecosystem stakeholders through intelligent interactive ecosystems.
Nobel Economics Prize laureate Edmund Phelps praised the Rendanheyi model for solving management challenges in the IoT era and pioneering management approaches suited for the Internet of Things age.
"As artificial intelligence arrives with tremendous force, Rendanheyi's 'self-organization' represents an 'intelligent organization' adapted to the AI era," Zhou Yunjie observed. Facing a new generation of technological revolution where "integration" becomes the primary characteristic, he believes that zero-boundary intelligent interactive ecosystems represent the new frontier that Haier aims to "pioneer."