selecting and integrating product technologies 1 wim poelman technical university of delft 1.poelman...

Wim Poelman Technical University of Delft

Selecting and integrating product technologies

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1. Poelman PartnersBureau for design management, design research and design education

ir. Wim. A. Poelman

2. Technical University of DelftDepartment of Design and Manufacturing Technology

Department of Architecture



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Technotheque



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Building blocks of universal diffusion model:- Concept of constraints with pipelines as metaphor

- Concept of technology brokerage by Hargadon

- Concept of exposure

- Concept of leads, follow-up and transfer

- Concept of strategical, tactical & operational knowledge

- Concept of potentialities and functionalities

- Concept of memetics



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Valve: a mechanism, which prohibits knowledge to flow in or out the project, for example an embargo on speaking with certain companies.

Narrowing:a mechanism, which limits the flow of knowledge in or out the project, for example lack of capacity.

Semi-permeable membrane:a mechanism which selectively prevents knowledge coming through, for example marketing information is seized by the management.

One-way valve: a mechanism, which only lets through knowledge in one direction, for example no information is provided to sources about information needs.

The concept of constraints (piping technology)



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Filter: a mechanism, which prohibits complex knowledge items to pass, for example education to analyze scientific information is insufficient.

Labyrinth: a mechanism, which slows down the information flow, for example the manager wants to see it first and than passes it to the wrong officer.

Leakage: a mechanism, which leads to loss of knowledge, for example filing systems that do not function properly.

Compatibility:a mechanism which prevents information to merge, for example the extend too which the source and the recipient of the knowledge are able to communicate.



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Step 1: Access (Insight in many industries)

Step 2: Acquisition (Transfer to the organizational memory)

Step 3: Storage (Remaining in memory in several kinds of medium)

Step 4: Retrieval (Via internal communication knowledge is presented in the appropriate form)

Step 5: Output (Design solutions that are combinations of existing knowledge)

Concept of technology brokerage by Hargadon



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Concept of exposure (photography, marketing promotion)

Definition of exposure in our context:

Exposure is related to the effort to make information perceptible.

Over- and under-exposure:

Too much could be indicated as "technological exhibitionism". This can be dangerous.

Too little information is also dangerous, except for the people who accidentally notice it.



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Leads Follow-up Transfer

Valve Can you get in touch at all?

Do you have entrance to the organization?

Is it secret and or patented?

Narrowing Is your network extensive enough?

Do they have enough time to spend to knowledge acquisition?

Does the other party have capacity for knowledge transfer?

Membrane Is your network too dedicated?

Are you able to ask all the right questions?

Do you understand the kind of transferred knowledge?

One way valve Do you provide the necessary information to enable a reaction?

Do you have something to offer yourself?

Do you inform your informants enough about your needs?

Concept of leads, follow-up and transfer (direct marketing)



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Filter On which level are your contacts? Too high? Too low?

Do you get through to the contacts? Can you pay for the information?

Is the knowledge processable by you?

Leak

Is there a good relation management system?

Do your contacts remember youCan you find back all information?

Could you loose knowledge because of inaccurate transfer?

Labyrinth Do you only know people via-via?

Can you trace the source of the know-how?

Do you have direct contact with the original provider?

Compatibility

TransferFollow-upLeads

Do you receive “weak signals”?

Are you able to motivate your contact?

Are you able to communicate with your contact?



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Strategical:

what are we going to do? (Know what)

Tactical:

what do we need (to know/to be able to) to do it? (Know how)

Operational:

where do we find what we need? (Know where)

Concept of strategical, tactical & operational knowledge (business sciences)

These levels are relevant for the corporate level as well as for the individual level.



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Concept of potentialities and functionalities



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Function

Emotion

Artefact

Functio- nality

Functio- nality

Functio- nality

Functio- nality

Potentiality

Potentiality

Potentiality

Potentiality

Technology

Property

Property



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Genes as well as memes are so-called "replicators". The fact that they are programmed to replicate implies that copies not necessarily are successful. They "die" if not needed.

Genes as well as memes lead to evolution because of imperfections of the copy. Imperfect copies can lead to death or to survival over perfect copies.

Genes are basic elements of nature; memes are basic elements of culture

Concept of memetics



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Genes cannot be defined exactly, just like memes

Combinations of genes can perform a certain function, just like memes, which function in so-called "meme-plexes".

Concept of memetics

Technology could be defined as meme-plexes, or combinations of potentialities.



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Descriptive model of the knowledge metabolism in development projects

Product development is in fact information processing



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knowledge metabolism in development projects

- Many different organisms/cells with different tasks

- Architecture of every organisms/cell in principle the same

- Organisms for production/realization of:- strategical information

- marketing information

- sales orders

- products

- service

- etcetera



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Prescriptive model for the diffusion of knowledge(still to develop)

Will be based on:

- Diagnoses using the descriptive model

- Description of how physiologic processes should function in specific circumstances

- Prescription of tools/medicines to improve the metabolism in general and the individual processes in particular.



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Relation to Creativity & Innovation

Statements:

1. Creativity of an individual is limited by his/her ability to associate and the amount of knowledge to refer to.

2. Creativity of an organization is limited by the ability of making people communicate and managing knowledge to refer to.

The presented model is aimed at improving the creativity of an organization!



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Technology diffusion audit

Goals:

1. Testing if the model is usable as input for a project survey

2. Testing if such a project survey is useful

3. Testing if such a project survey is usable

The unit for investigation is a project and not a department or a company



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departmentdepartment

department

department

Company


department

department

Company


department

Company


department

department


department

department

Company

individuals

individualsindividuals

individuals

individuals

Project



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Audit questions:

1. The concept of constraints2. The concept of technology brokerage by Hargadon3. The concept of exposure4. The concept of leads, follow-up and transfer 5. The concept of strategic, tactical and operational

knowledge6. The concept of potentialities and functionalities7. The concept of corporate memory

For each concept primary and secondary questions are formulated:



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1. The concept of constraints1.a. Valve: Is there a mechanism, which prevents knowledge from flowing in or out of the

project?1.b. Narrowing:Is there a mechanism, which limits the flow of knowledge into or out of the

project?1.c. Semi-permeable: Is there a mechanism, which selectively prevents knowledge from

coming through?1.d. One‑way valve: Is there a mechanism, which only lets knowledge through in one

direction (inside)?1.e. Filter: Is there a mechanism, which prohibits complex knowledge items from passing?

1.f. Labyrinth: Is there a mechanism, which slows down the information flow?

1.g. Leakage: Is there a mechanism, which leads to the loss of knowledge?1.h. Compatibility: Is there a problem with respect to the capability of the source and the

recipient of the knowledge to communicate?



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1.a.

Valve: Is there a mechanism, which prevents knowledge from flowing in or out of the project?

Is there a lack of communicability between team members?Is an external network lacking?

1.b.

Narrowing:Is there a mechanism, which limits the flow of knowledge into or out of the project?

Are there insufficient human resources?Do team members demonstrate insufficient interest?Is there a question of insufficient use of media (for contacts with sources)?

1.c. Semi-permeable: Is there a mechanism, which selectively prevents knowledge from coming through?

Are the fields of interest too limited?Are the fields of basic knowledge too limited?Are there restrictions by the management studying other domains?

1.d.

One‑way valve: Is there a mechanism, which only lets knowledge through in one direction (inside)?

Is there a problem of a “not invented here” syndrome?Is there a fear for plagiarism?Is there a lack of curiosity?



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1.e. Filter: Is there a mechanism, which prohibits complex knowledge items from passing?

Is there insufficient basic education of team members?Is there a problem with laziness with respect to studying complex information?Do team members lack time?

1.f. Labyrinth: Is there a mechanism, which slows down the information flow?

Is there a forced flow of information through special officials?Are information items buffered for a period of time before handling?

1.g. Leakage:Is there a mechanism, which leads to the loss of knowledge?

Are filing systems inappropriate?Is there a intensive flow of personnel?Are information items thrown away items too early?

1.h. Compatibility:Is there a problem with respect to the capability of the source and the recipient of the knowledge to communicate?

Do difference in cultures (and jargon) play a role? Do difference in languages play a role?Do levels of education differ too much?



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2. The concept of technology brokerage by Hargadon

2.a.

Acquisition:Does the project group have the skills and the facilities for knowledge acquisition?

Are useful heuristics for desk research (methods) used?Are the proper media (tools) available?

2.b.

Generalization:Are skills sufficiently available for noticing potentialities?

Are team members skillful in recognizing technical features?Are analytic skills available?

2.c. Function analysis:Are skills sufficiently available for product function analysis?

Are team members skillful in recognizing the needed and desired functionalities in products (and services)?Are tools for carrying out product function analysis available?



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2.d.

Association:Are skills sufficiently available for association of potentialities with functionalities?

Is the level of creativity of team members adequate?Are tools for stimulating creativity applied?

2.e.

Application:Is the organization capable of practical application of new technology in industrial product design?

Do team members have enough engineering capabilities?Is enough capacity (in manpower) available?Are the necessary facilities available?

2.f. Recording:Is knowledge recorded for the benefit of future association in new projects?

Is there a formal or an informal process?Is it systematically done or, in its implementation, dependant on team members preference?Are all kinds of information carriers, inclusive physical models, preserved?



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3. The concept of exposure3.a.

Detection:Are skills sufficiently available to notice “weak signals”?

Do individual team members have the necessary skills?Do team members have methods and tools, for stimulating the observation of weak signals, at their disposal?

3.b.

Ejection:Is enough attention paid to broadcasting information to trigger knowledge providers?

Are lectures presented at seminars and conferences?Are interviews given with specialist magazines?



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4. The concept of leads, follow-up and transfer

4.a.

Leads:Is there a mechanism for handling leads to interesting knowledge?

Are weak signals brought up by team members neglected, or are they systematically discussed?Is there a procedure to handle leads?

4.b.

Follow-up:Is there a mechanism for follow-up of those leads?

Is enough attention paid to follow-up?Is there a procedure for follow-up?

4.c.

Transfer:Are skills, facilities and capacity available for the transfer of knowledge to the own organization?

Is enough attention paid to the transfer?Is the transfer realized in a methodic way?



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5. The concept of strategic, tactical and operational knowledge

5.a.

Strategic knowledge:Is enough knowledge available to make strategic choices with respect to technology and new product development?

Is there a defined policy with respect to technology?Are the appropriate media used?Are choices made in a methodical way?

5.b.

Tactical:Is enough knowledge available to apply new technology in the development of new products?

What about the capabilities with respect to applied research?Is the application of new technology integrated in a product plan?

5.c.

Operational:Is enough knowledge available to manage the project information?

Is new technology introduced within the organization in an adequate way?Is the organization’s learning process structured in a proper way?



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6. The concept of potentialities and functionalities

6.a. Potentialities:Can examples be given of interesting new potentialities, noticed in technology in other domains, which led to new functionalities in products?

Can exceptionally innovative examples be given? Can innovative examples can be given? Can no examples can be given? Is there, besides that, little attention for new potentialities Is there is no attention at all for new potentialities?

6.b. Functionalities:Can examples be given of the definition of new functionalities, which led to the acquisition of new technology from other domains?

Can exceptionally innovative examples be given Can innovative examples be given Can no examples be given Is there, besides that, little attention for new functionalities Is there is no attention at all for new functionalities



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Normative information

To be able to evaluate the cases, it was necessary to have normative information at our disposal. The author performed every validation, so personal opinion determined the answer given.

For the assessment of the parameters a five-point scale was used, with the following legend:

-2: The assessment of this parameter indicates a serious deficiency in the process of knowledge transfer

-1: The assessment of this parameter indicates a clear, but not serious deficiency in the process of knowledge transfer

0: The assessment of this parameter yields a positive or negative opinion with respect to the process of knowledge transfer

1: The assessment of this parameter indicates that it contributes to the process of knowledge transfer in a positive way

2: The assessment of this parameter indicates that it functions optimally in the process of knowledge transfer



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Thank you!!

selecting and integrating product technologies 1 wim poelman technical university of delft 1.poelman...

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