What Ordino Does

Technology Management Overview

Technology management is required in all phases of the technology development and deployment cycle. As with any activity a management process tries to ensure effective and efficient undertakings, but with technology management there is the added requirement that to some degree new techniques, fitted to the particular characteristics of the technology, will be required. Thus we cannot depend on past experience to the same degree that we can with other fields, but need instead to evolve management processes specifically fitted to the particular technology.

There are, of course, some principles which help in this evolutionary process, and in many cases the degree of change required may be slight. To be most effective however, there is a need to look at the issues critically to ensure that the best management process is being used.

Because there is innovation involved, there is always a higher degree of risk than there is with routine management activities. Risk is accordingly treated with special care in technology management, and risk mitigation is one of the most important considerations.

In summary, technology management is management especially adapted to meet the particular needs of technology creation and use.

The Technology Cycle

The technology cycle starts with an identification of a need or of an opportunity. It continues through the development of a plan to address the need or opportunity, and the subsequent development of a new technology. The next stage requires the application of the new technology to create a new product, or process, which can then be brought into use, or into the market.

In most instances the technology cycle continues with the education of the user community and the development of the support and installation services required to make the use of the new technology effective. There may also be the requirement to continue to refine the new technology and to create additional applications so that a greater economic benefit may be obtained. In some instances there may be standards that need to be set, associated with the use of the new technology, and testing defined to ensure that those standards are met.

At the end of the cycle there are special requirements to identify a technology which has reached the end of its useful life and which is in need of being replaced. It is through the analysis of the costs associated with the technology in all phases of its lifecycle that the requirements for the replacement technology can be most specifically identified. Once this is done, the cycle starts again.

It should be noted that the next cycle is not a replay of its predecessor. It typically involves a change in costs to emphasize capital requirements, for example, and a wider range of applications, which together create larger economies of scale. It may shift the user education requirements to either a higher or a lower skill level. The same mixture of technology management components will be present, but there will be differences which need to be accurately gauged.

Technology Management Tools

1. Risk management and mitigation
2. Skills assessment
3. Planning
4. Project Management
5. Intellectual Property Protection
6. Technology Transfer
7. Technology Support
8. Infrastructure development

Benefits of Technology Management

Technology management confers the benefits of management in the specific domain it is used in. Its effectiveness is measured by such factors as reduced costs, increased revenues, reduced time to market, market share and market leadership. Which of these benefits is most applicable in any specific case will be identified as part of the planning process.

For Ordino's complete view see the paper "An Overview of Technology Management." found on the Papers page.