Technology Roadmapping Data

Organisations often complain about the amount of information that is required for business processes to be carried out (Edmunds and Morris 2000). Data can be

collected from a variety of diverse internal and external sources. Internal sources may include accounting and investment management, human resources, sales and

marketing, quality management and quality management and control. External data sources can include commercial databases, the output of conferences and workshops, trade journals, the academic and trade press, electronic discussion lists as well as the Internet. The incorporation of a wide range of validated data sources along with input from experts and stakeholders ensures that the technology roadmapping data

collection process will enable a ‘rich’ validated roadmap to be represented.

2.7.1 Data Management

The management of data within the technology roadmapping process is as important as any of the technologies represented in the roadmap. There are three distinct activities within the data management process (Gordon 2007): data administration; database administration (if appropriate); and repository administration (including

preservation issues). Data management does have a resource implication and this issue needs to be considered at the pre-roadmapping stage, as inefficient data management may lead to a new version of a roadmap having to be developed. If consideration was given to the effective management of the data, an update process might have been all that was required. The technology roadmapping data collection phase must collect data that has meaning attributed to it, to turn the data into

information that can be represented on the roadmapping landscape. The management of data is not a mystical process that needs to be carried out by an individual with specialist skills, the issues associated with data management need to be identified, addressed and a protocol developed for management.

2.7.2 Ontologies

Ontologies are categories of entities that exist in a specific domain as defined by Sowa (2000). Another definition (Uscho 1998) views ontologies as a vocabulary of interrelated terms which impose a structure in a particular domain and also constrain possible interpretation of terms. As such, the development of ontologies in a

technology roadmapping context suggests the possibility of supporting the collection of information and also supporting the identification of relationships between entities that are not hierarchical.

Uschild and Gruninger (1996) comment that “disparate backgrounds, languages, tools and techniques” are a major barrier to effective communication among people and organisations. They suggest that ontologies in a specific subject area can improve communication which may lead to an increase in reuse and sharing of information, an essential requirement of successful technology roadmap development. The

improvement in communication by the use of an ontological approach is also one that is explored by Grubber (1993). He suggests that ontologies are descriptive and as such support knowledge sharing and re-use of information, also encouraging the sharing of a common understanding of the structure of information that could be represented in a technology roadmapping format.

In terms of using ontologies to develop and structure technology roadmaps, they can be seen as a tool to support the process, have a given purpose and have flexibility to change and evolve over time (van Elst and Abecker). Stability, sharing scope and formality are three critical elements identified that are deemed to be critical and impact on the usefulness and usability of ontology based information systems such as

a technology roadmap. Figure 2.2 illustrates the relationship between the three elements and the drivers to support the process are also shown.

Sharing Scope

Decreases Enables Restricts Facilitates Likelihood

Constraints

Stability Formality

Requires

Figure 2.2. Sharing Scope, Stability and Formality of Information (Source: van Elst and Abecker)

Sharing Scope involves defining the extent to which information is to be shared and the level of confidence in the information that is to be shared. Stability can be seen as comprising of different facets; in the case of the technology roadmapping process information gathered from a disparate group of people is seen as a snapshot taken at a particular point in time, permanence in terms of the stability of the information cannot therefore be guaranteed over time. Formality relates to the type of information

collected, text documents as opposed to informal comments require identification and may be weighted differently.

2.7.3 Preservation of Data

The data collected during the roadmapping process will in essence, be stored in a digital format. Therefore, during the pre-roadmapping stage attention should be given to the development of a preservation policy (Matthews et al. 1997). The process of digital preservation ensures that digital files can be accessed and be of some use in the future. One of the first decisions to be taken relate to the useful life of the roadmap and if it is to be viewed as a stand alone document. Technology roadmaps may be seen to be of only short term use, medium term use will require frequent management of the roadmap and of any software used to create the roadmap to ensure access remains for as long as possible. Long term use that requires continued access to the roadmap and the information contained for as long as possible.

The usefulness of retrospective analysis of technology roadmaps has been identified by Kostoff and Schaller (2001) as being of some use in certain industrial domains. Development of a technology roadmapping preservation policy to ensure that access to past versions of a roadmap in the future would be safeguarded is an integral part of the technology roadmapping process.

Preservation of the technology roadmap in digital format appears to be an area that is generally overlooked, although it is a critical element that needs to be addressed if technology roadmapping is to be embedded in industrial culture at an organisational, national and/or international level. The term preservation in relation to roadmapping activity is currently often linked, in the case of product roadmaps, to the preservation of the product itself.