Development and integration of winning technologies as key to competitive advantage

Abstract

Technologies are a critical issue within product development, since technologies are the foundation for successful products. Technology development has suffered from a fuzzy innovation process based on trial and error in a high-pressure product development environment, often leaving no time for real innovation. Technologies developed under these circumstances seldom become superior, robust, mature and flexible-the criteria that are critical for technologies to provide competitive advantage. In this paper the idea is developed of a steady technology stream that is both separated from and appropriately integrated with the downstream product development. This enables companies to supply their product development programs with winning technologies at the right time. A four-phase process framework to support and catalyze the technology development cycle is introduced and described. The proposed framework is based on an integration of six major development methodologies and aims at providing competitive advantage to companies by emphasizing superior, robust, mature, and flexible technologies.

Technology-product integration in SMEs: the unclear separation between the technology and product development

“…This fact endorses Schulz et al (2000), who states that for successful technology-product integration, people from both sides must interact with each other, sharing experiences, knowledge and ideas.…”

“…A large contribution to the theory of integration strategies in large companies were made by previous studies such as : Iansiti (1998), Drejer (2002 and Schulz et al (2000). However, in the last years, even with the growing importance of topics related to the fuzzy front-end ( VAN DE VRANDE et al, 2009;HUIZINGH, 2011;MÜLLER-SEITZ;REGER, 2010;LICHTENTHALER, 2010;SPITHOVEN et al, 2011;BADAWY, 2011), it seems that less effort has been allocated to explore the integration strategies, both for SMEs and large companies.…”

“…In addition, Eldred and McGrath (1997b) showed that the ineffective integration results in problems of costs and time to market. Therefore, technology-product integration is acknowledged to be imperative to achieve successful innovations (STOCK;TATIKONDA, 2004;DREJER, 2002;SCHULZ et al, 2000).…”

Avaliação de redes de instituições de pesquisa científica e tecnológica baseada em um sistema de gestão padronizado

“…Some of these difficulties derive from internal and external communication problems, cultural barrier, use of improper processes and methods not necessarily structured by superior and mature technologies. Such difficulties require an efficient management of innovation process (Nobelius, 2004;Schulz et al, 2000).…”

“…Based on prior knowledge and according to studies of authors of the Innovation, Technology and Product Management field (Clark & Wheelwright (1993), Clausing (1993, Cooper (2006), Creveling et al (2003), Schulz et al (2000), Sheasley (2000), EMBRAPII sought to address actions for the R&D Institutes' improvement on the EOE standard, providing them capability to: 1) plan technological strategies; 2) plan compatible business that support its actions; 3) manage portfolio of insights (demand) and its projects; 4) establish business processes which allow operational improvement; 5) develop its skills constantly.…”