Ganzheitliche Bewertung der Einsatzfähigkeit von hochdynamischen Technologieinnovationen aus dem Bereich der Produktionstechnik - Entwicklung einer Methodik zur Entscheidungsfindung für das Technologiemanagement

The management of technology innovations (TI) evolves into an ever-increasing uncertainty of decision making. For example, production technologies in the fields of additive manufacturing and robotics are a big challenge for managers. Many technology managers fail to adapt them for a beneficial application in their company because holistic evaluation models tailored to technologies with hardly predictable lifecycles do not exist. On this background this thesis delivers the development of a new holistic assessment model for technologies with high dynamics which mean radical and disruptive technology innovations. This model is created to help managers of the production industry in making decisions on the basis of multiple criteria.
The research project follows a qualitative and explorative approach. In a structured literature analysis specific assessment criteria regarding higher dynamics have been raised systematically. These main theoretical findings are implications for the management to consider interdisciplinary perspectives, to use qualitative attributes and to combine the assessment with technology maturity levels.
Based on these theoretical findings, the development of a holistic technology assessment method takes place. It consists of three different steps. During the exploration step the requirements and goals for the technology assessment are set. Afterwards, the assessment step occurs which considers five different perspectives (innovation, functionality, customer, production and economy) to fulfil the requirements of a holistic TI assessment. The evaluation step shows the summarized results of the assessment perspectives referring to the set goals. In conclusion the results are intended to be reported to the technology management.
In addition, interviews were conducted to check and extend the assessment model by suggestions of industry experts. The main practical finding is that the model meets industry demands in a very comprehensive way. In addition knowledge as well as trust of the management is required for the widespread acceptance of the qualitative assessment. At last, the final decision model has been tested successfully in a case study for the implementation of an additive manufacturing technology in a medium-sized enterprise.
This thesis makes a new contribution to support technology managers in more objectively evaluating TI with high dynamics.