Profiting from Innovation: The Report of the Three-Year Study from the National Academy of Engineering Book

Contents

Preface and Acknowledgments

1. Why This Book?

2. The Prepared Mind: Understanding Technological Innovation in Industry

Distinguishing Commercialization Challenges

The Range of Commercialization Challenges

3. Management Tools and Techniques

Measuring What Matters and Understanding the Costs of Not Acting

Evaluating a Company's Performance in New Product Commercialization

Understanding Technological Competence of Existing Businesses

Evaluating New Products, Processes, and Service Opportunities

Tracking Project Progress

Evaluating Product- and Process-Improvement Opportunities

End Game Decisions

4. A New Order of Things: Organization and Management of Commercialization Activities

Challenge One: Balancing Focus and Disorder, Promoting Intelligent Risk Taking and Experimentation

Challenge Two: Nurturing Champions

Challenge Three: Building a Useful Technological Information System

Challenge Four: Managing Joint Technology Efforts

Challenge Five: Organizing to Develop a Technology and Create New Businesses

Challenge Six: Building More Responsive Project Teams

Challenge Seven: Using a Project Contract to Drive Commercialization

Challenge Eight: Integrating Corporate Technical Efforts

Challenge Nine: Managing Quality

Challenge Ten: Knowing When and How to Quit

5. The Competitive Advantage of the Firm: On Technology, Strategy, and Style

6. Final Thoughts

Notes

Study Committee on Profiting from Innovation

Index