Enactment of Technology Strategy-Creating and Implementing a Development Strategy describes how development projects are traditionally managed and states the bases as to why so many fail and/or not completed on time. It describes six phases of a development project and claims that traditionally management attention and influence is heavy in the end phases of the project when they should be focused at the beginning phases of the project for success. These suggest the development strategy leadership approach for senior management at the onset of projects in order to determine the best set of projects to pursue. Four team structures are defined with recommendations for the types of development projects each is best suited for. Guidance for post process learning is also presented.
QUESTIONS
What are the three areas of promise associated with the commercialization of new products and processes, that is, of successful development projects? Give a specific example of each.
Successful development projects occur when attention and influence by management is allocated at the onset of development projects, not in the prototype building, pilot production, and manufacturing ramp?up phases. Traditionally why is management resources focused at the end phases of the project?
What are shortcomings of go/no?go decisions on a handful of projects by senior management? What does the development strategy leadership approach entail?
Regarding the widening of the mouth of the funnel theory when creating an aggregate set of projects, it is encouraged to investigate alternatives before making the go/no?go decisions on just a few. How can these costs be justified to pure financial branches of management who may well see this as a waste?
State the characteristics of a functional team structure. What type of development project is a functional team structure best suited for?