The Role of Technology Management Capability in Defense New Product Development Process (The Empirical Findings)

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Ph.D candidate in Technology Management at Allameh Tabataba'i University

2 Research Fellow at Technology Studies Institute & Ph.D candidate in Science and Technology Policy Making at Tehran University

3 Ph.D candidate in Science and Technology Policy Making at Tehran University

Abstract

The main purpose of defense new product development (NPD) process is to transform different ideas to a product or a system that fulfill some needs. NPD process consists of six phases: idea development; concept development; problem definition and planning; engineering and production design and development; validation; and pre-commercialization and market launch. In this paper, we discuss the role of technology management and its related capabilities in new defense products and systems acquisition process and in each of the six phases, and discuss the role of technology management and its important and essential tools in each phase. For understanding this relationship, after interviews with the experts of defense industries, first the tools associated with technology management used at different phases are identified, and then a Fuzzy seven-scaled questionnaire is designed for data gathering. The data are analyzed using Fuzzy Delphi Technique. The results show that technology management, as one of the most important tools in defense new products development process, is more influential in initial phases. As we go through the NPD process, the role of technology management becomes less influential. The role of technology management, as a supporting tool in NPD process, is significant, and in this paper we aim to comprehensively cover this role. Finally, by using Fuzzy logic 14 processes and 8 tools associated with technology management are identified and analyzed.

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