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Strategic planning for technology products
Author(s) -
Scott George M.
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
randd management
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.253
H-Index - 102
eISSN - 1467-9310
pISSN - 0033-6807
DOI - 10.1111/1467-9310.00193
Subject(s) - strategic planning , delphi method , order (exchange) , strategic business unit , business , strengths and weaknesses , product (mathematics) , delphi , marketing , strategic management , new product development , knowledge management , process management , management science , computer science , engineering , psychology , operating system , social psychology , geometry , mathematics , finance , artificial intelligence
A DELPHI Questionnaire study was completed that evaluates the relative importance of management of technology (MOT) problems and ranks 24 problems in order of importance, as perceived by MOT expert participants in industry and academia. The problem of ‘Strategic Planning for Technology Products’ ranked well above all others in terms of its evaluated importance. A follow‐up DELPHI study was completed to clarify the nature and dimensions of the top problem. This second study identifies the 21 top ranked sub‐problems within the Strategic Planning for Technology Products general problem and ranks these sub‐problems in order of importance. The two most important of these sub‐problems are ‘Linking Technology Strategic Planning to Corporate Strategic Planning’, and ‘Linking R&D Strategic Planning to Business Unit Product Development Planning’. Seen as closely related, these two problems are discussed in this article as ‘the linkage problem’. The 11 highest ranked problems of this second study are considered individually in this article. This follow‐up study has important implications for both academic researchers and company managers. For researchers the results suggest specific avenues of research that can fruitfully be followed. For technology managers as well as corporate managers the study offers strong indications of areas where company planning performance may be weak, as well as steps that can be taken to deal with any planning weaknesses perceived.