Technology road map

Competency Group: Business

Type: Process

Description: A graphic representation of technology evolution or technology plans mapped against time. It is used to guide new technology development and technology selection in developing new products (Belliveau, Griffin & Somermeyer, 2004). A technology roadmap is a plan that matches short-term and long-term goals with specific technology solutions to help meet those goals. It can apply to a new product or process, or to an emerging technology. Developing a roadmap has three major uses: It helps reach a consensus about a set of needs and the technologies required to satisfy those needs; it provides a mechanism to help forecast technology developments and it provides a framework to help plan and coordinate technology developments.

Citation for Description: Technology roadmap. (2011). Retrieved from Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Technology_roadmap. Belliveau, P., Griffin, A., & Somermeyer, S. (Eds.). (2002). The PDMA toolbook for new product development. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Advantages: Technology road mapping is a very useful means of looking at the state of a product now and where it is going in the future. This provides a focus and idea of where competitive advantage may be attained.

Limitations: Unless this process is done rigorously, morale may be damaged due to unattainable goals.

Target Audience: R&D

Relevant to Universal Design: Yes

Stages and Steps: 4.6

Free Resource: Phaal, R. (n.d.). Technology road mapping. Retrieved from http://www.cgee.org.br/atividades/redirKori/295

Purchase Resource: Road mapping Technology. (2012). Vision strategist strategic road mapping software. Retrieved from http://www.roadmappingtechnology.com