An Empirical Analysis of Advanced Technology New Product Development Issues

During 1996 and 1997 two empirical investigations into the importance of management of technology (MOT) issues (unresolved MOT problems) were completed. In these studies more than 150 academic and industry participants @om 17 countries evaluated the importance of each MOT issue relative to the others of its study. Each stu~ used a DELPHIIssues Questionnaire methodology which involved multiple questionnaires in sequence, which enables an initial evaluation of each issue and then subsequent reevaluations of the same issue. The first study ranks 24 MOT issues and identljles Strategic Planning For Technology Products as the “Number 1 MOT Issue”. The second study delves more deeply into this Number 1 Issue, placing 21 Strategic Planning for Technology Products sub-issues into rank order of importance identlfiing the improper linkages of technology strategic planning with other strategic planning aspects as the most critical technology product planning problem. Discussants provide insights into their reasoning. The purpose of this article is to briefly describe each completed DELPHI study ‘sj7ndings (including dl~erences among countries’ participants) and their implications for the A40Tfield.