Clients often make the mistake of believing that R&D in and of itself will create profits. Given the relatively poor track record of financial success in companies that detach R&D from the unmet needs of the marketplace, it is clear that a careful analysis of market demand is needed in order to formulate an effective R&D strategy. This is easier said than done, however, since the economic, political, and technical factors that influence market demand are becoming increasingly variable and uncertain, and new products and technologies undergo increasingly rapid commoditization.
Kline’s vast storehouse of industry and technology expertise, combined with proven planning methodologies and the ability to tailor those methodologies to the specific needs of our clients, enable us to collaborate with you to develop robust technology strategies that keep you tied to the needs of the rapidly changing marketplace while maximizing the value of your R&D spend. Our Technology Management practice focuses on four main areas:
- New Product/Service Opportunity Ideation and Evaluation: Facilitated brainstorming of new product/service ideas and consensus evaluation in a workshop setting provides an environment well-suited to out-of-the-box thinking and the efficient generation and first-level rating of new product and service offerings tied to your internal criteria and competences.
- Development of Flexible R&D Strategies: Scenario planning methodologies can be brought to bear to solve the thorny issue of making real-time changes to R&D investment strategies between strategic planning cycles. The construction of detailed scenarios can be used to identify signposts in the highly uncertain external environment that can serve as signals to change R&D investment priorities.
- Technology Evaluation and Benchmarking: The identification of best practices in linking R&D to unmet market needs, coupled with the objective evaluation of the quality of your R&D program, can be powerful tools in optimizing the efficacy of your R&D efforts.
- Assistance with Technology Licensing and Outsourcing: Given the need to maximize the value of your R&D spend, it often makes sense to license needed technologies and/or to outsource part of your R&D activities. Kline’s broad industry and technology knowledge base can be employed to locate the best technology partners for your needs.
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