Learning from applying Technology roadmapping process

Yee, C.L. and Teoh, K.G.C., 2010, Learning from applying Technology roadmapping process, Paper for GSM-FEP-AGBA Conference 2010 and 7th Annual AGBA World Congress, CD Format, 1-3 December 2010, Palm Garden Hotel, Putrajaya, Malaysia. Paper no.: MG001, pp. 2.



Yee Choy Leong
Graduate School of Management,
Universiti Putra Malaysia 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
e-mail: yee@econ.upm.edu.my

Kenny Teoh Guan Cheng
Department of Management and Marketing,
Faculty of Economics and Management
Universiti Putra Malaysia 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia

Abstract

This paper reports a field research in a real life industrial setting that test a Technology Roadmapping process. Technology Roadmapping is an effective tool to assist companies in technology strategic planning. The roadmap generated for this process assists managers to monitor and manage their technology development. This paper illustrates step-by-step how the test was conducted through field experiment and industrial workshops (i.e. focus group). It gathers comments and opinions from managers about the practicality and usefulness of the process. The learning from this work is use as basis and guidelines for future practices. Finally, the implications of this research to managers and academics are discussed.

Keywords: learning; technology roadmapping; process; roadmap; industrial practices

Technology that changed the world

Strategy and Technology Roadmapping

Yee Choy Leong1 and Kenny Teoh Guan Cheng2
1Graduate School of Management
2Department of Management and Marketing, Faculty of Economics and Management
Universiti Putra Malaysia 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
Tel: 03-89467731, Fax: 03-89486188, e-mail: yee@econ.upm.edu.my




Abstract

Companies today require effective, rapid and flexible methods to make strategic decisions in a world that is becoming more competitive in technologies. The increasing pace of technological innovation has forced top-level managers to pay additional attention and reflect technological considerations into strategy domain. In this paper, two inter-related concepts of ‘operations strategy’ and ‘technology roadmapping’ are considered and integrated to build a unified model that describe strategy, operations and technology roadmapping together. The underlying concepts and graphical representation of the two concepts are reviewed. The feasibility of integrating the two concepts are also investigated. Finally, the paper conclude with a recommendation of a unified model of strategy, operations and technology roadmapping that describe the two concepts above. This paper lays good foundation and fundamental ground work for further theory improvement of the existing concepts.



Keywords: operations strategy; technology roadmapping; model; theory development

Industry Technology Roadmap for the Flushable Pre-moistened Nonwoven Wipes Industry

Overview:

"The body of this research seeks to create an Industry Technology Roadmap for one segment

of the U.S. textile and apparel industry, specifically, the flushable pre-moistened nonwoven

wipes industry. Industry Technology Roadmapping is a new type of strategic planning method.

Previous technology forecasting methods allowed planners to identify several alternate future

states or scenarios and provided uncertainty in either product needs or technological

developments. In contrast, Industry Technology Roadmapping allows a company or an

industry to proactively plan and prepare for its future by offering future goals, critical

requirements and, finally, solutions to achieve the future goals. In addition, Roadmapping

works as an effective organizational learning and knowledge creation tool and induces

collaboration and new partnerships among companies as well. Currently, flushable premoistened

nonwoven wipes emerge as new textile products and attempt to expand their

future markets. During this research, industry expert interviews and surveys, consumer

surveys, heavy user surveys, creation of an Internet blog, and literature review including a

patent analysis were conducted for data gathering. The resulting Roadmap provides the

nonwoven wipes industry valuable information about the potential future markets, required

properties, the current environment of flushable wipes, including challenges, strength, and

opportunities, and the solutions. These can help the U.S. nonwoven wipes industry to do

informed investment into research, development and manufacturing facilities." (Kim.M.J., 2009)

Kim.M.J. (2009) "Textile Technology Management",North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina

Integration of Technology Roadmapping Information into DMSMS-Driven Design Refresh Planning of the V-22 Advanced Mission Computer

Overview:
"As the pace of technological progress increases, technology obsolescence
problems will have a greater effect on traditionally sustainment-dominated industries.
Many organizations rely solely on reactive approaches to manage obsolescence
events as they occur, often employing lifetime buys, aftermarket sources and other
mitigation approaches to ensure that they have enough parts to last through the
system’s lifecycle. Strategically planned design refreshes coupled with various
mitigation approaches can, in many cases, lead to greater cost avoidance than reactive
mitigation alone.

Design refresh planning is performed by organizations that wish to avoid the
high costs of purely reactive obsolescence solutions. Planning to phase-out specific
parts at certain times lessens the reliance on reactive solutions (and the resulting quest
for obsolete parts) and, in turn, lessens the total cost of sustaining a system.
However, design refreshing solely to manage obsolescence is not practical for many
systems, and therefore, obsolescence management refresh activities need to be
coordinated with the technology insertion roadmap. Technology insertion roadmaps
are developed to dictate how the system’s functionality and performance must be
changed over time. Technology roadmaps reflect an organization’s internal
technology goals and budget cycles, and give insight into the organization’s inherent
modus operandi.

The MOCA (Mitigation of Obsolescence Cost Analysis) software tool has
been designed to generate and select an optimum design refresh plan for a system.
This thesis describes an extension to MOCA that allows information from technology
roadmaps to be used as constraints in MOCA. The integration of technology
roadmap information into MOCA’s decision analysis ensures that selected refresh
plans meet roadmap imposed timing constraints, and that the costs of roadmap
specified actions are included within relevant refreshes.

These new developments in MOCA are discussed in the context of the V-22
Advanced Mission Computer (AMC) system. The mechanics of the MOCA tool’s
optimization analysis with roadmapping considerations are described and the cost
avoidance resulting from the optimum refresh plan is articulated in business case
terms." ( Jessica.L.M., 2007)


Jessica L. M. (2007) University of Maryland, College Park.

roadmap

roadmap for companies