Clare Farrukh

Technology roadmapping—A planning framework for evolution and revolution

Abstract Technology roadmapping is a flexible technique that is widely used within industry to support strategic and long-range planning. The approach provides a structured (and often graphical) means for exploring and communicating the relationships between evolving and developing markets, products and technologies over time. It is proposed that the roadmapping technique can help companies survive in turbulent environments by providing a focus for scanning the environment and a means of tracking the performance of individual, including potentially disruptive, technologies. Technology roadmaps are deceptively simple in terms of format, but their development poses significant challenges. In particular the scope is generally broad, covering a number of complex conceptual and human interactions. This paper provides an overview of the origins of technology roadmapping, by means of a brief review of the technology and knowledge management foundations of the technique in the context of the fields of technology strategy and technology transitions. The rapidly increasing literature on roadmapping itself is presented in terms of a taxonomy for classifying roadmaps, in terms of both organizational purpose and graphical format. This illustrates the flexibility of the approach but highlights a key gap—a robust process for technology roadmapping. A fast-start method for technology roadmapping developed by the authors is introduced and described. Developed in collaboration with industry, this method provides a means for improved understanding of the architecture of roadmaps and for rapidly initiating roadmapping in a variety of organizational contexts. This paper considers the use of the roadmaps from two main perspectives. The first is a company perspective: roadmaps that allow technology developments to be integrated with business planning, and the impact of new technologies and market developments to be assessed. The second perspective is multiorganizational: roadmaps that seek to capture the environmental landscape, threats and opportunities for a particular group of stakeholders in a technology or application area. Two short illustrative cases show the fast-start method in use in the context of disruptive technological trends from these two perspectives.

Developing a technology roadmapping system

Technology roadmapping is becoming an increasingly important and widespread approach for aligning technology with organizational goals. The popularity of roadmapping is due mainly to the communication and networking benefits that arise from the development and dissemination of roadmaps, particularly in terms of building common understanding across internal and external organizational boundaries. From its origins in Motorola and Corning more than 25 years ago, where it was used to link product and technology plans, the approach has been adapted for many different purposes in a wide variety of sectors and at all levels, from small enterprises to national foresight programs. Building on previous papers presented at PICMET, concerning the rapid initiation of the technique, and how to customize the approach, this paper highlights the evolution and continuing growth of the method and its application to general strategic planning. The issues associated with extending the roadmapping method to form a central element of an integrated strategic planning process are considered.

Starting-up roadmapping fast

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Strategic Roadmapping: A Workshop-based Approach for Identifying and Exploring Strategic Issues and Opportunities

Abstract: Roadmapping has become one of the most widely used approaches for supporting innovation and strategy, at both firm and sector levels. A key benefit is the communication associated with the development and dissemination of roadmaps, particularly for aligning technology and commercial perspectives. This article presents a workshop-based method for supporting the identification and exploration of strategic issues and opportunities, as part of a “fast-start” approach for the rapid initiation of roadmapping. The approach has been tested in 28 applications, covering a broad range of organizational contexts. Details of the workshop approach and facilitation techniques are described.

Managing product development collaborations—a process maturity approach

Abstract Product development collaborations present additional challenges over purely in-house projects, yet are an increasingly common feature of the new product introduction (NPI) process. This paper introduces the notion of collaborative maturity as a tool to examine the issues confronting firms that outsource a significant amount of design or development activity to a third party, with the aim of providing guidance to managers involved in collaborative projects. Drawing from literature and insights gained from case studies of twelve collaborative development projects involving United Kingdom small- to medium-sized enterprises, a framework is proposed that sets collaboration in the context of task partitioning within the NPI process, on the one hand, and the development and lifecycle of a partnering relationship, on the other. A collaboration maturity grid (CMG) describes each of the following key process areas at four levels of maturity: collaboration strategy, structured development process, system design and task partitioning, partner selection, project initiation, partnership management and partnership development. The grids are incorporated in a workbook (along with a lifecycle scenario tool, checklist and audit questionnaire) that has been tested in six companies.

Technology management process assessment: a case study

The effective management of technology as a source of competitive advantage is of vital importance for many organisations. It is necessary to understand, communicate and integrate technology strategy with marketing, financial, operations and human resource strategies. This is of particular importance when one considers the increasing cost, pace and complexity of technology developments, combined with shortening product life cycles. A five‐process model provides a framework within which technology management activities can be understood: identification, selection, acquisition, exploitation and protection. Based on this model, a technology management assessment procedure has been developed, using an “action research” approach. This paper presents an industrial case study describing the first full application of the procedure within a high‐volume manufacturing business. The impact of applying the procedure is assessed in terms of benefits to the participating business, together with improvements to the assessment procedure itself, in the context of the action research framework.

Technology roadmapping¿developing a practical approach for linking resources to strategic goals

Abstract As technological development increases in pace and complexity, it is ever more important for companies to understand the link between the technological resources at their disposal, their effective deployment, and the business goals that they aim to achieve. The cost of bringing inappropriate technologies to market may be damaging for an otherwise successful firm, and it is imperative to make the right choices at all stages of the product life cycle. Technology roadmapping offers a way to explore this linkage and, together with the associated supporting analysis, is a powerful means of identifying the key required technologies. Research to date has not revealed a generally applicable roadmapping approach in the public domain, and individual company experience is fragmented and inaccessible. This paper describes the development of a particular approach to technology roadmapping. It is intended to enable any organization to assess the value of roadmapping in its own particular context by means of a rapid first application. The experience gained from the research cases is discussed, providing some guidance for further applications.

Developing a process for the relative valuation of R&D programmes

This paper addresses the issue of R&D programme prioritisation within a manufacturing company in the aerospace industry, in the context of an overall framework for technology management. A review of approaches to R&D project selection leads into a recent case, which describes how the company developed a practical methodology. The benefits of the process and the relevance of the academic contribution are discussed, leading to a practical checklist for in-company development of a prioritisation process.

Visualising strategy: a classification of graphical roadmap forms

Roadmapping is widely used to support innovation, strategic planning and policy development, at company, network, sector and national levels. More than 900 examples of public-domain roadmap documents have been collected in order to explore their purpose and structure. Of particular interest are the graphical forms that roadmaps can take, because of their potential for supporting communication and dissemination. More than 400 examples have been extracted from the collection of roadmap documents, in order to examine their format. A classification is proposed, focusing on the underlying information structures apparent in these roadmaps, illustrated with 20 representative specimens.

Development of a structured approach to assessing technology management practice

Abstract The effective application of technology is a key source of competitive advantage for modern industry. However, the integration of technology management systems into established business processes represents a continuing challenge to many firms. This paper describes the development of a practical technique for the assessment of technology management practices. Based on a process model of technology management, it provides a means whereby manufacturing companies can assess the effectiveness of the technology management activities critical to their business, and identify areas for improvement or transfer of good practice. The development of the assessment methodology is discussed in the context of the wider research project of which it is part. Its basis in theory and literature is reviewed, together with the results of its application in a range of manufacturing companies. The main output from the project is a practical management guide [technology management assessment procedure (TMAP)]. The procedure comprises three levels, which span the full range of technology management activities in the firm, linking broad strategic concerns to detailed operational activities in the format of a series of facilitated workshops.