1. THE STRATEGIC DIMENSION OF TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION
Technology is the set of knowledge and information typical of an activity that can be used systematically for the design, development, manufacture and marketing of products, or the provision of services, including the appropriate application of techniques associated with labor management..
From a strategic perspective, Arthur D. Little differentiates between core, emerging, and key technologies.
- Basic technology: It is a key technology from the past that is currently within the reach of any company in the sector. Emerging technology: It is one that is in the first state of its application in the industry. Key technology: This technology is what supports the current competitive position. of the company that uses it.
Any technology is subject to a process of evolution over time: emergency phase, growth phase, maturity phase and saturation phase.
Definition of the activities of the technological innovation process:
- Idea generation Basic research Applied research Development Prototype Standardization Manufacturing Marketing
1.1 Innovation in new products
It is not easy to define the concept of a new product. In a first approach, a new product is the one that develops a new function or uses a new technology to develop a function covered by previous products.
The process of developing new products has an importance that is above its organizing mission and is an interactive process that includes the following stages:
- Generation and search for new ideas Selection of ideas Economic evaluation Product development and prototyping Product testing in the market Mass launch
The product life cycle is well known to all and consists of the introduction phase, growth phase, maturity phase and decline phase.
2. THE GLOBALIZATION OF THE ECONOMY AND ITS IMPACT ON TECHNOLOGICAL MANAGEMENT
The effects achieved by the globalization of the economy, as well as by the globalization of companies, can be grouped into two large blocks: those that operate at a general level in the country or commercial area in which the company operates, and those that operate within the specific economic activity sector of the company. Technology has a direct relationship with the evolution of productivity. The introduction of more productive technologies may imply saving in the labor force and destruction of jobs in the short term, but in the long term only the increase in productivity can ensure the improvement of the living standards of the inhabitants of a country.
2.1 Effects of globalization on the management of technological innovation
In light of this process, technology currently plays a dual role as a factor that enables globalization and as a factor that exerts pressure towards increasing globalization. On the one hand, thanks to, for example, telematics, great changes have taken place in the spatial location of activities, both within countries and outside their borders.
Although there are currently no systematic studies of the influences of the globalization phenomenon on the ability to manage technological innovation, the existence of partial results allows us to advance in the sense of being able to affirm that two factors constitute the reference elements in this analysis: the effect on the acquisition of technological knowledge on a global scale and technological agreements between companies.
2.2 The technological agreements between companies
The recognition of the need to establish cooperative relationships in the development of the innovation process is based on the need to expand the technological knowledge of the organization, which is invariably associated with the use of information from scientific activities proper and previous industrial experiences.
The absorption of this knowledge requires the establishment of learning processes that need to be transferred or shared through network-type communications. In the case of research companies, these are private joint ventures financed by various companies that are shareholders. These companies carry out their R&D work in different laboratories and the results obtained are the exclusive property of the joint venture.
3. THE INTERNATIONALIZATION OF THE MANAGEMENT OF TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION AS A STRATEGIC RESPONSE TO EMERGING TECHNOLOGICAL PARADIGMS
3.1 The management of technological innovation
Technology is increasingly becoming the key factor in business competition, and therefore the importance of proper management of technological innovation. The ability to innovate constitutes one more resource of the company, like its financial, commercial and productive capacities, and must be managed in a rigorous and efficient manner. Innovation management is understood as the process aimed at organizing and directing the available resources, both human and technical and economic, with the aim of increasing the creation of new knowledge, as well as its application to the structure of the company.
According to Morín, effective management of technological information in the company requires the development of the following functions:
- optimize the use of available technological resources Enrich the company's assets through investment in its own technology Safeguard and protect the company's technological heritage Inventory the company's technological resources Evaluate the competitiveness of the company's technological products Monitor the innovative behavior of direct competitors
3.2 Technological innovation and strategy
Within the corporate strategy of a company we find the following points: skills, acquisitions, growth, diversification or concentration, financing, structure, integration, market, marketing, production and technology. It will never be enough with the use of one of them but with the set of all of them.
Among the elements and innovative strategies that have been dominant since the beginning of the eighties are the following:
- Accumulation of scientific and technological knowledgeTechnological collaboration between companiesOrientation towards integrated manufacturingSystematic development of new productsExplicit management of the company's "technological environment"
3.2 evolution of technological innovation processes
Tecnologi-push (1950-1965); 1st- basic research, 2nd- engineering and design, 3rd- production, 4th- marketing and 5th- sales.
Market pull (1965-1978): 1º- market needs, 2º- development, 3- production and sales.
Mixed model: this model represents a complex network of communication channels, intra and extra organizational, that unite the different phases of the process with each other.
Integrated model: unlike previous models, from the second half of the eighties onwards, this model was used based on overlapping processes, not like the rest.
Networked model: There is currently evidence that technological innovation is more than just a sequential or integrated process; it is a "network" process.
Success factors:
- Establish good communication channels Integrate innovation at the corporate level Implement project planning and control processes Implement quality control procedures Strong market orientation Provide good customer service Develop a specific management style based on dynamism, leadership, motivation and commitment to development of the organization's human capital.
4. TECHNOLOGICAL MANAGEMENT IN THE FIELD OF THE GLOBAL STRATEGY OF THE COMPANY
4.1 The impossibility of the company's technological self-sufficiency
In short, the first problem that an industrial and technological strategy must pose is none other than answering the basic question: What is my business ?, to place it later in the context of a global network of connections. The technical-productive base of industrial activity has rapidly evolved and so is its relationship with markets given the mutant configuration of the same.
4.2 The global strategy of the company
The design of the company's global strategy must include, among others, the following elements:
- Definition of products, markets and geographical areas of action Definition of the basic principles of corporate behavior Identification of activity sectors and specific market segments of action Understanding of current and potential relationships between business areas Identification of the way to configure both external and internal.
4.3 the technological strategy in the company
From the foregoing, it follows that corporate and business strategies must influence the company's technological programs. The technological strategy must be elaborated following the general procedure established to define a functional strategy, through an interactive process that defines the set of strategies of diverse nature simultaneously. Technological and commercial factors emerge corporate and business strategies.
The technological strategy must clearly expose the following categories of decisions:
- The distribution of the technology budget among the various programs, classified by product or business lines. The modalities of access to technologies. The choice of the competitive position in the various technologies. The degree of intensity in the technological effort. The degree of difficulty and risk.
The basic functions to manage technological resources are: inventory technologies; monitor the emergence of new technologies; evaluate them; enrich them (R&D); optimize them efficiently and protect them through patents or trademarks.
4.4. Strategic indicators of technological effectiveness
The most suitable indicators to analyze the technological effectiveness of the are:
- Resources allocated to R&D R&D expense profitability Introduction of new products to the market per year Rights obtained from the sale of technology Times used to complete the development cycle of new products
5. THE TRANSFER AND INTERNATIONAL PROTECTION OF TECHNOLOGY
Technology transfer constitutes the transfer of knowledge that is necessary for the manufacture of a product, the application of a procedure or the provision of a service. These elements can be grouped into four areas that correspond to the specific functional scope of the company: general, technical, commercial and management.
In summary, it can be admitted that there are two specific ways of disposing of technology by the company: through its own development or in cooperation and through acquisition from third parties. There are no concrete rules on the advisability of one or the other strategy. The decision must be made by each company in a specific way.
Small and medium-sized companies tend to seek technology developed by other agents, due to their limited resources, while large companies strengthen their R&D departments since they will have sufficient resources to take risks to benefit their technological preponderance.
The promotion of technological exchange between companies leads to the dissemination of R&D results and their commercialization by those companies that have the resources and capacities to carry out their own developments. Regardless of the specific mechanisms used for the transfer of technology, its diffusion and subsequent circulation, it is carried out through the following vehicles: products and capital goods, individuals and written or audiovisual documents.
5.1. International technology transfer strategies
The achievement of an efficient transfer is associated with the development of one of the five types of strategies that the company can adopt to transfer technology:
- Reactive strategy: it is based on the reaction of the technology transferor company to a specific demand from another company that induces it to commercialize its knowledge. In this strategy, the transfer modality can range from the pure assignment of a specific technology to turnkey projects. Offensive strategy: the company's attitude is more active than in the previous one. The company wants to value its technological assets and make profitable its research and development. The main lines of action of this strategy are based on the use of a set of technology transfer modalities such as technical assistance, licensing or training in the use and development of the technology considered. Investment strategy: the company,even knowing the geographical area of the new market in which he wishes to enter, he seeks to do so by finding a partner who will provide him with the complementary resources he needs. Franchise strategy: it is adopted by the company that is willing to fully participate in the results obtained by the future commercialization of its technology, without having to give up its own brand. Technology alliances strategy: it is adopted by the company that has a leading position in the market. The strong pressure of competition forces companies to seek technological partners so that the distances they maintain with their main competitors are not reduced.Franchise strategy: it is adopted by the company that is willing to fully participate in the results obtained by the future commercialization of its technology, without having to give up its own brand. Technology alliances strategy: it is adopted by the company that It has a leadership position in the market. The strong pressure of competition forces companies to seek technological partners so that the distances they maintain with their main competitors are not reduced.Franchise strategy: it is adopted by the company that is willing to fully participate in the results obtained by the future commercialization of its technology, without having to give up its own brand. Technology alliances strategy: it is adopted by the company that It has a leadership position in the market. The strong pressure of competition forces companies to seek technological partners so that the distances they maintain with their main competitors are not reduced.The strong pressure of competition forces companies to seek technological partners so that the distances they maintain with their main competitors are not reduced.The strong pressure of competition forces companies to seek technological partners so that the distances they maintain with their main competitors are not reduced.
5.2. International protection of technology
- Taking into account the high cost generally associated with the development of new products or processes, it is easily understood that no company would be willing to assume it if they were not granted privileges that would allow them to exploit them exclusively and obtain benefits to recover the investments made. There are a number of positive aspects that make it advisable for the company to consider industrial property: The service that trademarks provide to the constitution and maintenance of a company's competitive position; Use of patents as a way of ensuring that Results of a project can protect themselves from unauthorized exploitation. The effectiveness of the information provided by patents to rationalize spending on R&D projects.
The different forms of industrial property can be grouped around four specific figures:
- Protection of inventions, through patents and utility models. Protection of trademarks, by registering it. Protection of industrial design, through industrial models and drawings that are specifically aimed at the protection of ornamental features, structure and the external configuration. Protection of know-how: knowledge is protected under the forms that exist for patents and other industrial property figures.
Patents are the most effective form of industrial property designed to protect the technological innovation process in the company.
5.3. The most common forms of technology transfer
The most common ways in which technology transfer agreements can materialize are grouped into research contracts, patent and knowledge licenses, technical cooperation contracts, joint-ventures (involves the creation of a permanent organization and the sharing of human and technical resources. and financial), franchises and distribution agreements.
6. METHODOLOGIES FOR THE EVALUATION OF TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION PROJECTS
6.1 Innovation projects in the company
For the analysis of a technological innovation project, two approaches can be carried out: the one derived from systems analysis and the other from a functional vision of innovation processes. A systematic vision leads to consider the existence of five basic functions that can be identified as:
- Diagnostic functions: Oriented to the analysis and apprehension of problems. Management functions: oriented to the definition of policies and strategies, to the identification of objectives and to the planning of activities for the achievement of such objectives Operational functions: they are in charge of the execution of research, development, design, production and marketing activities new products or processes.Interrelation functions: they formalize the link mechanisms between knowledge generators and their users. Service functions: information, training and financing.
6.2 Evaluation criteria for innovation projects
There are many evaluation methods that the specialized literature offers to carry out the selection of innovation projects. This set of methods can be classified generically depending on the type of criteria used:
- Qualitative criteria Quantitative criteria
Among the qualitative methods we find the weighted checklist, which allows to formalize the dialogue between professionals involved in the evaluation in a flexible way from a first written document, such as a technological innovation project analyzed through the cited "checklist". In this checklist there are a series of criteria that are necessary to check if all the relevant information for the innovation project is included in the report, and what are the strengths and weaknesses of the project. To carry out this analysis, they have all the necessary aspects that allow an overall vision of the real possibilities of the company to successfully complete the project of technological innovation.And it is done by evaluating all the necessary points and criteria in the form of a matrix so that later a weighting can be applied and the “grade” of the project can be obtained.
Net present value is a quantitative method based on the value of money in the future, which will be when we can obtain benefits from the innovation project. This tells us that we must achieve a higher return than the investment by adding the depreciation of the purchasing value of money.
6.3 Risk analysis
The new products are designed by companies to meet the needs of consumers. A certain level of uncertainty is implicit in its development. By identifying which are the main sources of uncertainty in an innovation project, you will be in a position to establish mechanisms to reduce them. The speed of development of an innovation project varies between sectors and between companies in the same sector. The reasons for these differences are at the very basis of process management and can be summarized as:
- Competencies involved in the project Coordination mechanisms between specialists Degree of autonomy of the project team with respect to company management Support from company management
And finally, the level of information necessary for the project team can be classified according to its origin:
- External: information on customers, technologies, suppliers and competitors Internal: non-routine activities strongly interdependent with each other From the project itself: specifications
7. EFFECTIVE MANAGEMENT OF TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION PROJECTS
A technological innovation project can be defined as the combination, of a temporary nature, of human, technical and financial resources in an organization aimed at achieving the introduction of a new product or process successfully on the market.
7.1 The life cycle of an innovation project
Systems theory indicates that every dynamic system always has a life cycle, regardless of its nature. This cycle is in turn made up of a set of phases with their own purpose and different from the others. According to this statement, a technological innovation project has a life cycle, since it is a dynamic system, although depending on the degree of complexity of the project, its phases may be more or less clearly delimited, which are four: definition, design, execution and abandonment.
The factors or parameters that are critical in a technological innovation project are the following:
- Financial assumptions Execution costs Execution factors Market hypotheses Legal factors Availability of resources
7.2 The management of technological innovation projects
The organization of a project is normally a task superimposed on the functional structure of the company in which it is developed. The main characteristics of this overlapping organization are that it is configured by horizontal workflows and a large network of communication lines, as well as by the need to plan, integrate and control numerous multidisciplinary tasks through personal lines.
The execution of a technological innovation project is the process of turning innovation strategies into realities. It is actually a stark test of the ability to lead a team and manage resources.
The management of an innovation project also consists in choosing the right work team and the main incentive for the configuration of innovation project teams comes from the need of the company to give a more efficient response in costs or market diversification. Team members must be motivated to contribute ideas and recommendations to improve the process, and sometimes redefine their work, deciding as a team the best way to develop it.
The set of actions to carry out the planning of a technological project are the following:
- Establish clear requirements of the functions of the project team members Carry out feasibility studies Prepare a proposed report to be approved by the company management Develop detailed budget plans Supervise and control the degree of project development Document the progress of the project and ensure that the project manager is well informed
7.3 Influence factors and ways to resolve conflicts in project management
The influencing factors associated with project management can be broken down into personal authority and the possibility of influencing rewards and punishments. The bases of this influence are the following:
- Special knowledge or experience. Authority to give orders. Personal enjoyment of work. Personal attraction through your relationship with project team members. Influence on the assignment of future tasks. Power to allocate financial resources. Ability to grant organizational rewards. or economic. Ability to apply penalties.
Conflict is always present in the management of complex projects as a consequence of it being an inherent factor in human behavior. Thamhain and Wilemon have identified five specific ways to deal with conflict:
- Confrontation or problem solving: conflict situations solved based on the parties in enjoyment solving their differences by attending to alternative approaches. Commitment: solutions that provide some level of satisfaction to the parties involved. Conciliation: highlight common areas of agreement and downplay the areas where differences occur. Imposition of the point of view of one of the parties.
8. TECHNOLOGICAL SURVEILLANCE AND PROSPECT
8.1. Technological surveillance in the company
It is hardly conceivable that a company pursues to be technologically self-sufficient, so the best managed companies will be those that can better and faster make creative assimilations of technologies that have been successful.
The implementation and development of a technological surveillance system in the company will provide inputs of great strategic value that will have a positive impact on its level of development. Various criteria can be used to enable the company to decide in which areas it wishes to be well informed. Based on the four determining factors of business competitiveness (customers, suppliers, substitute products and potential competitors), the company can identify the areas it is interested in monitoring, as well as the variables from which it wishes to obtain information, which are: area commercial, technological, competitive and external. Once the areas of interest to the company have been correctly identified, technological surveillance must be structured.The technological surveillance function in the company must be systematically focused and specialized.
Generically, a distinction should be made between active technological surveillance and passive technological surveillance. Passive technological surveillance consists of routinely listening to a wide range of information sources, while active technology consists of searching for relevant information on a regular basis on the areas selected by the company, in order to provide continuous knowledge of technological developments.
The development and use of a technological intelligence system in the company involves six phases that constitute a process that incorporates feedback mechanisms regarding the successes and failures of the activity. Which are:
- Activity planning: the effectiveness of the system is based on the precise identification of the information needs of its users and the careful collection and analysis of information. Data collection: the choice of technological information sources depends on such factors such as the scope of the company, the level of funds available, the needs of the users of the intelligence system and the degree of effort applied to the project. Data analysis: this process includes, in addition to studying the data, the evaluation of the veracity, timeliness and integrity of the data used. Dissemination of information: the processed information can be delivered to users in the same way in various ways, through formal reports or presentations,even by email or informal oral communication. Use of the results: for specific actions or simply to store it to increase the organization's stock of knowledge. Performance evaluation: to improve future actions and to classify the needs of those responsible for make decisions.
9. BENCHMARKING IN THE TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION STRATEGY
To improve the technological innovation process, the technique known as benchmarking constitutes a strategic improvement procedure for the company whose application has important implications for the management of the company; It is a continuous and systematic process that aims to establish and identify areas of importance to compare their own efficiency with that of those companies or organizations that represent what can be called "excellence". It is about comparing an organization with another considered excellent in its broadest sense, taking reference models to set the course and produce enough creative tension within the organization to be able to overcome the existing model.
The process of developing this figure can be broken down into a set of stages focused on making comparative measures of competitiveness. These stages are in turn grouped into specific phases:
- Planning: determine the company or companies that are going to be used as a reference to apply benchmarking. Analysis: consists of studying the information collected to know the processes, procedures and methods used. Development: pursues the establishment of objectives according to the analysis of the Information obtained Improvement: its purpose is to implement and carry out specific plans that allow for more efficient participation of workers in the process.
10. STRATEGIC ALLIANCES OF A TECHNOLOGICAL NATURE
The alliances constitute a natural complement to the strategies that pursue the valorization of the scientific and technical knowledge developed by the companies, causing the establishment of new rules of the game and, therefore, of new forms of competition.
Numerous studies carried out show that alliances do not constitute a lasting solution, nor a definitive one, within a global strategy in the company. Two specific aspects of alliances must be taken into account: their selective nature and the choice of the country in which to support the strategy.
One of the main characteristics of alliances is that they tend to blur the boundaries of companies, allowing knowledge to flow easily through them.
10.1.a management of technology alliances
To understand the optimal way to manage technology alliances, one must consider the factors that stimulate or impede the acquisition and creation of technology within an organization. They can be summarized in the following relationship:
- Have a clear idea of the project's objectives. Define the basic resources and adequate capacities. Define a pilot team with a strong personal commitment to achieving success. Achieve a team spirit and a common company among the different participants. Create an environment of trust between people and the organization. Enlist the support of senior management.
10.2. The influence of company size
The size of the company has a direct effect on the intensity of technological cooperation. Not only can large companies be attractive or indispensable partners, but small high-tech companies may also have characteristics that make them desirable as partners in a technology alliance.
Experience indicates that companies that establish strategic technological alliances and that base their cooperation on the R&D phases, obtain high profit rates. These alliances have a strong impact on improving the company's results, which is all the more relevant the larger the company is.
PERSONAL OPINION
The management of technological innovation constitutes an important point within the company's strategy, but I find that many of the phases that the book develops, the only thing they do is bureaucratize technological innovation excessively. Thus nullifying the synergistic effect that the author intends to instill with the reading of his book.
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