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Four Dimensions of Technology
Intelligence2 |
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Objectives
of the scanning activity
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Type of information sought
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Sources of the information
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Practices used to manage
technology intelligence
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Four
Behavioral Modes of Intelligence Activities3 |
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Undirected
viewing: general
exposure to information without specific purpose
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Conditioned viewing: directed
exposure to information without active search
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Informal search: relatively
limited and unstructured efforts to obtain specific information
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Formal search: deliberate efforts
following a pre-established plan, procedure, or methodology to
secure specific information
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Why Technology
Intelligence?
Companies install an
intelligence system (technology, market, business or competitive
intelligence) to collect and analyze information on market, product, and
technology changes and on other environmental transformations in order to
increase their decision-making quality and
competitiveness.
As organizational needs in
information on markets, competitors, products, and technology changes may
differ, there are different ways to develop and implement technology
intelligence activities, depending upon the
business environment, its uncertainty,
technology strategy, and the
resources &
capabilities available.
Another important factor influencing the technology intelligence needs
depends on the stages in the company life cycle.
Technology Intelligence in Start-Up
Ventures
Flexibility and speed of response are key
advantages of
start-up
ventures based on their organizational knowledge base. To support
sustainable growth, this organizational knowledge base has to be
elaborated on and carefully cultivated.
During the initial stages
(inception,
pilot production,
rolling out, and
growth phase), startup firms are
especially faced with rapid changing technology and
innovation management
activities, and therefore, with changing technology intelligence needs as
well.
Because of the
entrepreneurial dynamics and cultures within start-up
ventures,
implementing
a technology intelligence model from traditional firms and the search for
the technology management approach seems not to be very promising.
Therefore, technology intelligence has to be looked at in a more generic
manner e.g. by using the four behavioral modes
of intelligence activities in order to be managed in
start-up ventures.
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