I have been a reading a book called Tech Mining. I was planning to write a few blogs after finishing the book. But the whole purpose of my learn log is to (b)log as I learn. So here some information from the first couple of chapters.
According to the authors, various types of Technology Analyses can be aided by tech mining.
1. Technology Monitoring(also known as technology watch or environmental scanning) – cataloguing, characterizing, and interpreting technology development activities.
2. Competitive Technology Intelligence(CTI) – finding out “Who is doing what?”
3. Technology Forecasting – anticipating possible future development path for particular technologies
4. Technology Roadmapping – tracking evolutionary steps in related technologies and, sometimes, product families.
5. Technology Assessment – anticipating the possible, unintended, indirect, and delayed consequences of particular technology changes.
6. Technology Foresight – startegic planning(especially national) with emphasis on technology roles and priorities
7. Technology Process Managment – getting people making decisions about technology
8. Science and Technology Indicators – time series that track advances in national (or other) technological capabilities.
We do a bit of the first activity with our product InfoMinder, but have a long way to go in provide the other capabilities mentioned above. We do plan to help customers set up Information Portals to store the tracked information and do some automatic linking.
