Lecture 4 April 15, 2008 Project Research

Discussion No lecture on Thursday Make-up lecture to be scheduled Next Tuesday- Progress presentations New Time for Kresa presentation April 29, 2008, 4:00 PM Change of date for Final?

Research Process 1.Decide on project/team 2.Allocation of Responsibility 3.Create hypotheses 4.Secondary Research 5.Primary Research 6.Analysis 7.Write-up

Choose a firm. The firm can be large or small, or a business within a larger firm. This will generally require the permission of the firm if you want to do internal interviews. Caltech alumni could be helpful on this. It is your responsibility to find the firm. Develop a conceptual framework to perform an audit. You will get a lot of information on approaches from the cases studied in class but you might want to figure out your own methodologies. You want to examine what aspects of the firm’s capabilities and culture augment or discourage innovative development. A good approach is to begin with 2-3 hypotheses and prove or disprove them through your research. Do your homework! Use the framework you have developed to gather data. You may use public information, personal interviews, and internal documents. Look particularly for inconsistencies, unrealistic expectations, neglect of key success factors, poor execution, etc. A common shortfall is lack of critical consideration of market acceptability. Analyze the data Make recommendations on how the firm's capabilities can be improved. Write a Final Report. Prepare a presentation. You may get invited to present to the Firm you review as well. Choice B

Hypotheses Initial Examples –Eng Devt in focused on primary product – Company has competitive advantage in the technology they are pursuing –Work is scheduled so that engineers have time to finish product/project (tight but realistic) –Marketing and manufacturing tied into devt process After Hearing CEO Consider modification

Secondary Research Where to find it? –Google, Internet –Patent search – find alternatives, competitors –Scientific Publications search –Current Events related to technology Economist, newspapers –Research key components separately –Stock market/financial stmt analysis –Industry journals –Use Kristin Buxton – Research librarian –Check out imitators – tag-along industries –Company news release –Consultant reports – ask Kristin for help, reimbursement aval

Primary research Customers Alumni contacts Industry analyst Company itself – start with CEO –CFO, Marketing, R&D -> (Manager and Engineer), HR Company’s competitors

Interviewing techniques How many people? At least 2 Try to have same team going to each one How fast should you recap? Right away Break up roles: –Recorder, also can record it –Person asking questions –Observer – note body-language, come up with addtl questions Go in with a script – questions want to answer –Update based on results before next one Inform them also what you want to ask about Work around their schedule Telephone interview – or video conference also option Freeconference.com access Ask them who else you should speak to Follow up with thank-you , that evening

Choice A Technology Analysis S-curve analysis Delphi (consulting “wise people”) Trend extrapolation Scenario development Reasoning from analogy (the experience of similar technology innovations in similar markets) comparing with technology development models and norms. Your own techniques

S curve analyses Where are you on the curve –Number of competitors (growing, shrinking, static) –Rate of increase in technology capability –Rate of increase in sales/number of customers –Number of Publications –Market growth –History of predictions in this space Five years off Key markets

T Trend Extrapolation Whatever ?

Delphi Choice of “experts” who are they? –Industry analyst, Professor, Blogger, Senior Scientist Distribution Writings Interviews Triangulation/ Correlation Voice in the wilderness Listen to Assumptions Groupthink- your own judgment