Thomas W. Mason

The Innovation Cycle: A New Model and Case Study for the Invention to Innovation Process

Abstract: A new cyclic model for innovation and product development is presented. The model expands upon current linear models and its structure provides insights for technology managers creating new strategies and operating philosophies. Current innovation models are linear and self-contained—all the pieces necessary to finish exist at the start and only time is required to sequentially proceed from one step to the next. The new model is cyclic in nature and includes both invention and innovation cycles with input from many sources. Recommendations developed for technology managers include evaluating their portfolio of technologies and projects to assess their position on the invention to innovation timeline and ensuring the appropriate resources are in place to support further progress. A case study of Rose-Hulman Ventures, innovative incubator/new product development center is also presented. The model, the recommendations and the case study will assist researchers in making decisions about new technologies to investigate, and will assist technology managers in evaluating candidate inventions for commercialization and determining the tactics to best bring them to markets.

Managing in a Dangerous World—The National Incident Management System

Abstract: Systems engineering, project management, and organizational structure play important roles in the success of any organization. Now more than ever, these elements are vitally important for successful emergency response coordination and major security initiatives during any large-scale emergency response. After the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, the successful implementation of the Incident Command System (ICS) by the Arlington County (Va.) Fire Department served as a catalyst for a later mandate by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). All DHS funding recipients are required to utilize the new National Incident Management System (NIMS) for organizing any critical emergency responses to a terrorist attack, disaster, or other critical response requirement. NIMS is the first standardized management approach that unifies Federal, state, and local lines of government for incident response. The NIMS system evolved from the Incident Command concepts pioneered by the Phoenix, Arizona Fire Department and the State of California. This article outlines and overviews the background, history, use, and applications of the NIMS system, with a focus on the ICS within NIMS. This management efforts goal is to continue to protect our citizens from natural disasters and acts of terrorism. This article identifies areas where the engineering management field can make a contribution to this important endeavor.

Role of impact assessment for strategic environmental management at the firm level

ISO 14000 and country-specific initiatives have resulted in firms around the world pursuing strategic environmental management (SEM). SEM at the firm level provides a powerful set of tools for anticipating potential issues that can result in environmental impacts, incorporating other business issues relevant to the firm, and addressing them as part of the strategic plan for the firms sustainability. By definition, anticipating potential issues that can result in environmental impacts is the process known as environmental impact assessment (EIA). In fact, without calling it by name, many of the tools currently available for SEM are based on EIA methodology. This paper clarifies this issue and demonstrates the role that EIA practitioners can play in advancing SEM for the ongoing operations of the firm, rather than just at the planning stages of a new project.

Integrating environmental consequences and impact assessment into design processes and corporate strategy

As we enter the 21st century, it is clear that products and processes must be designed to contribute to sustainable development. This paper shows that there are forces that make integration of environmental consequences in design processes a profitable part of corporate strategy. Businesses should be considering impacts not only because it is best for our world, but also because there is increasing evidence that it may be the most profitable approach as well.

From the Special Issue Editor

Vol. 17 No. 3 September 2005 1 Although the fi eld of engineering management was pioneered decades ago, the golden age of engineering management is dawning. The knowledge-based economy has become a cliché. However, there is plenty of quantitative evidence that underpins this conventional wisdom about the source of 21st century wealth. This evidence shows that over the past couple of decades, high technology companies have outperformed the grand names of the last century. Moreover, those nations with high emphasis on learning and achievement like India and China are recording continuing levels of beyond impressive economic growth. While the western media laments the loss of manufacturing jobs to the lower wages of these countries, there should be more concern about the numbers of engineers and scientists that are being produced. In fact, manufacturing employment declines are an issue in China as they keep introducing more and more sophisticated technology. Data on things such as patent generation show that the historical American domination of discovery is ending, and inventions are being developed and protected throughout the world. The edge in developing the new products that generate continuing prosperity will probably be held by those who can quickly and effectively translate new knowledge and inventions into profi table innovations. This requires the blending of technical and business knowledge that is the domain of engineering management. Ralph Waldo Emerson’s poetry has certainly survived the test of time, but his analysis of innovation sounds better than it predicts. His assertion that the creator of the better mousetrap would see the world beat a path to his door is just not true. The best technology is not always or even most of the time the most successful technology. After the excitement of discovery is past, there is a long period that can reach decades of further development to fi nd ways to effectively make and distribute products and services. Throughout this period, there needs to be continuing, close interaction with customers and a continuing focus on value creation. In fact, some of the best innovators may be those who are best at execution, rather than conception. For example, Dell now dominates computers, not because of superior research, but because they realized opportunities in distribution and highly confi gurable manufacturing. The point is made fi ner by the realization that failures of new technologybased businesses are seldom due to technical inadequacy; the usual causes are management issues. All of which implies that the skills of engineering management are essential to translate new knowledge and discovery into commercial success. The articles collected in this issue approach the complex phenomena of the processes from discovery to commercialization in complementary ways. The starting point for most of the discussion is higher education institutions. This should appeal to many of the readers who are academics by vocation, but there are other reasons to look at the growing academic and business connections. Historically, academia has been permitted to be the ivory or ivy tower where truth can be pursued uncomplicated by the mundane and perhaps corrupting forces of turning a profi t. That model produced amazing amounts of new scientifi c knowledge in the twentieth century. Since western society perceived of the new knowledge as intrinsically valuable, but not of great practical business signifi cance, there were no great pressures for change. However, the end of the twentieth century established knowledge as the primary future source of wealth creation. Since educational institutions produce knowledge, it seems logical that they are now resources to be exploited. This is most apparent in public institutions in economically challenged states that look at the Silicon Valley in California and Rt. 128 in Boston with envy and anticipation of similar bonanzas from the mining of their research universities’ output. At the federal level, this new role was made apparent with the passage of the Bayh-Dole legislation that was to facilitate the commercialization of federally funded university research. Unfortunately, the realization of all the excited anticipation of riches from research and discovery is not all that apparent. Higher education focuses heavily on pure research and publication, and the incentives and internal organization are not well constructed to reward commercialization. However, there are other obstacles. Even large corporations with huge amounts of collateral assets found diffi culty in demonstrating profi ts from their sophisticated research operations, and most outside the pharmaceutical and medical device fi elds have substantially reduced or eliminated them. The tasks of innovation are even harder for higher education because they do not have the assets. Yet, the clearly attractive potential for commercialization and the increasing desire for accountability and return on investment in the resources being put into higher education institutions mean that engineering managers should be working with education to smooth the processes and capitalize on the still untapped resources. These technical managers are the ones who can coordinate the acquisition and management of the other resources that will get discoveries into the marketplace. This special issue is intended to provide frameworks and cases that will provide guidance on how to get this done. Thomas W. Mason, PhD FROM THE SPECIAL ISSUE EDITOR DISCOVERY TO COMMERCIALIZATION: ENABLING PRODUCTIVE TECHNOLOGY IMPLEMENTATION FROM THE EDITOR Tim Kotnour, PhD