Profiting from Innovation: The Report of the Three-Year Study from the National Academy of EngineeringAmerican industry is renowned for its scientific and technical breakthroughs -- and equally famous for its visible failures in commercializing its own technology. Drawing on many examples of successful innovation management, an elite panel of the nation's most accomplished technical managers demonstrates how companies can transform new ideas into products efficiently and systematically by removing the barriers that surround innovative technology. This book reveals how technical innovation occurs in distinct patterns, and explains how pure technological advance relates to the organizations and markets it affects. Early in the life of a new technology, value lies in the search for applications and means, and the benefits come from being early to market. Later, value comes from executing product, process, quality, or service improvements sooner than others do. Finally, value comes from correctly managing mature products. The authors emphasize that recognizing and understanding these patterns enable managers to structure and prosecute commercialization activities, and relate internal capabilities to external opportunities. Since goals and techniques must vary with the characteristics and maturity of the technology, the requirements of production, and the parameters of competition in each industry, management must be flexible in the methods and strategies it selects. This nuts-and-bolts handbook demonstrates how managing technical resources is as important to the paper clip business as it is to microelectronics, and describes and illustrates tools and techniques to help managers keep commercialization efforts in any business on track. |
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ability Academy of Engineering application Bechtel Bell & Howell benchmarking Boston Consulting Group capability cess cialization commer commercialization activities company's competitive competitors computer-aided design copiers Corporation cost cycle decision devel discounted cash flow Edwin Mansfield effective electric motors electronic end game existing factors Figure firm focus forecast goals growth ical important improvement industry integrated circuit investment learning curves manufacturing marketplace mature ment mercialization Motorola National Academy nology operations opportunities organization organizational performance personal computer planning potential problems prod product and process product design product or process product or service products and services Profiting from Innovation project progress Project Team requires result risk Rosabeth Moss Kanter semiconductor Six Sigma specific stage strategy success tech technical techniques technol technological change technological innovation technology development technology roadmap technology-based technology-driven Time-to-break-even analysis tion understanding Xerox
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Page vi - The major effort should be placed on getting more managers, executives, and other key individuals — both in and out of government — to learn, feel, understand and appreciate how technological innovation is spawned, nurtured, financed, and managed into new technological businesses that grow, provide jobs, and satisfy people.