M1D2: How to put technology into corporate planning

By the conclusion of this activity you will be able to:

1. Explain how technological innovation is perceived and responded to by senior management at the company you work for.
2. Explain how senior management uses innovative technology to implement strategic objectives.
3. Describe the responsibilities of your company’s R&D Department.
4. Describe the responsibilities of your company’s Technical Specialists.

Article R-1-2: “How to Put Technology into Corporate Planning” discusses how technological innovation may be quantified as a valuable asset in a large company if it is properly perceived. This includes defining fundamentally what the innovative technology is in terms of unit of technology, as well as how it affects the seven dimensions of acceptability. By creating a table of company principal products versus units of technology one can track which innovative technologies should be further investigated due to their potential improvement on numerous products.

The article also suggests that you contemplate how the company you work for views innovative technology. If you work for a company that manufactures a product, the confidence in innovative technology by senior management may be reflected in the handling of the R&D department. If you work for a design company the confidence in innovative technology by senior management may be reflected in the handling of specialists who work with vendors on incorporating new technology into design.

Read R-1-2: “How to Put Technology into Corporate Planning” (pages 62-66) 

For this Discussion activity, write a synopsis describing the reaction to innovative technology by senior management at your company, addressing the questions posed under “Questions to Consider”.

Questions to Consider for the Discussion:

1. How is technological innovation perceived and responded to by your senior management? Is it embraced or always rejected? Rejection may be the conservative, low-risk path.
2. How has management used innovative technology to implement strategic objectives?
3. How have technologically innovative opportunities been monitored? Does management encourage potential technologically innovative improvements?
4. How are technologically innovative opportunities organized within your company? What is the size of your R&D department, or how many specialized personnel does your company employ?