| Numerous studies, articles and books have remarked | | | | would perceive? What process and tools are in place |
| recently on a key governance gap for many | | | | to ensure that whoever in the company that might |
| technology companies' boards of directors. Attention | | | | contribute to the discovery of viable insights is kept in |
| to this issue arises from survey results that show only | | | | the loop early on when creative ideas can still have |
| about 14% of technologies focused companies have | | | | time to be considered. Outsiders can't generate some |
| well developed global technology intelligence scanning | | | | of the insightful business ideas that can "connect" in the |
| practices. What expectations and fiduciary | | | | minds of people who are living and breathing a |
| assessment practices should be instituted in the | | | | business daily - are we involving the right internal |
| boardroom to assess how well management can | | | | people in the process? |
| explain the company's product development strategy | | | | 5 - How effective are we at finding potential |
| in terms of the ever changing global technologies | | | | technology partners and assessing the true synergistic |
| landscape and the competition? | | | | value of their technology? Do we have a way to do |
| These 7 questions represent the strategic questions | | | | thorough homework on potential partners' technologies |
| mentioned in recent publications that should be asked | | | | capabilities before approaching them? Are we able to |
| of CEO's. | | | | surprise them with how much we know about their |
| 1 - Do we have a complete view of what our | | | | capabilities and intents, so we can quickly get to the |
| technology stacks are? Does our picture of the | | | | real truths? Can we easily prove to them with hard |
| technology stacks include potential disruptive as well | | | | data the profit-making synergistic technologies fits of |
| as sustaining options? | | | | our proposed partnering ideas? |
| Does management have a clear and up-to-date | | | | 6 - Do we have a clear picture of what real intellectual |
| understanding of the technology innovation landscapes | | | | property barriers in a technology area look like? Do |
| for all of the layers of our technology stacks? | | | | we have built into the process the analysis and |
| 2 - What is the sense of urgency regarding the | | | | visualizations that can give us the confidence to know |
| opportunities and risks that exist in our technology | | | | why and when to say no? Especially before we |
| stack? Is there consensus among company | | | | decide on our strategic direction of new initiatives, and |
| stakeholders about the strategic priorities of the | | | | begin to invest and develop or acquire technology? |
| technologies in these stacks in terms of the current | | | | Alternatively, can we easily drill down deep into the |
| competitiveness of the company's technology portfolio | | | | data that proves a winning idea's technology risk |
| and strategic innovation roadmap? What compelling | | | | proposition? |
| visual tools are used to ensure people "see it and | | | | 7 - Who in our organization fully understands our |
| believe it," regarding urgency and impact? | | | | technology landscape and can present our technology |
| 3 - What is our on-going process for technology | | | | innovation strategic plan in a way that everyone can |
| innovation intelligence gathering, and how do we | | | | understand it? How deep is our bench? Is everyone |
| ensure that we are getting the most reliable | | | | visualizing the company's future from the same |
| information? If the service or data is being outsourced, | | | | playbook? Could each and every one of the key |
| how do we ensure that the analysis is tuned to our | | | | managers in R&D, or Business Development, or |
| company's specific strategies, rather than being | | | | Marketing, or Partnering "pinch hit" for the CEO on this |
| generically common data that any competitors in this | | | | subject? Could they each make a strategic level |
| marketplace can also view and act upon? | | | | technology landscape presentation to the Board in |
| 4 - Are we able to involve our key domain experts in | | | | terms that the Board would understand? |
| the technology innovation discovery and analysis | | | | Most importantly a final question, if we can't do this all |
| process early enough in the process for them to spot | | | | now, can we get most of these answers in time for |
| truly innovative, "out-of-the-box" ideas that no one else | | | | the next board meeting in 8 weeks? |