Next Generation Roadmapping

Roadmapping is a flexible and powerful method for supporting strategic planning, which emerged from industrial practice more than 50 years ago. However, roadmapping has been largely ignored in mainstream business school research and teaching, attributed to its association with technology-intensive sectors. As a consequence, many general managers are not aware of the capability of roadmapping to address the strategic challenges they face, and the method lacks a clear theoretical base. Through empirical research, the general form of roadmapping has been identified, together with underpinning conceptualizations that enable its customization to any strategic context. This chapter sets out these general concepts from the perspectives of ‘roadmap as artefact’ and ‘roadmapping as process’, and relates them to mainstream management research. Two relevant research streams relating to ‘strategic fit’ are identified: ‘elements of strategic fit’ and ‘processes of strategic fit’. The relationships between roadmapping and the contributing management frameworks from each research stream are explored, focusing on the McKinsey ‘7S’ and ESCO frameworks for the former, and the Strategic Alignment Model (SAM) framework for the latter. This strengthens the theoretical basis of roadmapping and demonstrates the benefits of linking established roadmapping practice to management theory. Three key dimensions that underpin coherent strategy are identified and discussed: horizontal functional alignment, vertical hierarchical integration, and temporal synchronization, conceptualized as a 3×3×3 ‘strategy cube’.

One of the key tasks in the corporate strategic management is to ensure the transition from a general long-term vision of a company’s development to a sequence of specific decisions and actions. Even a very good strategy is difficult to transform into a plan of concrete actions supported by the specific implementation schedule and budget. It is far more difficult to reconcile the strategy with day-to-day actual activities of corporate divisions and employees. In the context of the innovation strategy, the issues of the operationalization become even more complicated. In this case, it is not only necessary to ensure a clear allignment of the company’s business strategy goals with the priorities of of its innovative development but also to consistently correlate these priorities with the corporate innovation capabilities through the analysis of market trends. Moreover, this allignment should become the basis for a balanced portfolio of innovation projects, and further for elaboration and implementation of the integrated plan of innovation development, including fine-tuning of the relevant business processes, providing resources, and establishing appropriate controls and monitoring procedures. The authors of this paper tried to reveal the fundamental features of the technology roadmaps as an effective instrument for operationalizing corporate innovation strategies based on real examples from large Russian companies’ practices. The analysis showed that the technology roadmaps, working as a bridge between innovation strategies and operations, could be effectively combined with the project portfolio management and in this capacity could perform a number of important functions, including transformation of strategic goals into the tasks of innovation projects, prioritization of these projects based on transparent criteria, introducing clarity on the roles and responsibilities within innovation projects and improving transparency of external partners’ contribution in the performance of joint innovation endeavors.

Performance measurements are crucial in determining the general health of a company. Key Performance Indicators (KPI) is one of the most widely used performance measurements. Choosing and maintaining a KPI is important as they are used as a source to inspect the current state of business operations and make future business decisions. This requires companies to invest carefully in the KPI area. At New Work SE, lack of alignment and reluctance among the business units in measuring performance levels was identified. This created many problems including but not limited to business steering and knowledge loss. Efforts were made through this thesis to understand the root cause of this reluctance and lack of alignment. Interviews were conducted. Online surveys were sent. Based on the inputs from the interviews and surveys, a technology roadmap was developed to cultivate a good KPI culture in the company. Pathway to achieve KPI harmony within the organization is highlighted in the roadmap. In adapting a clear KPI management process, it smoothens not only business steering but also encourages collaboration in the company which consequently will lead to greater innovation.

This chapter describes a value-oriented roadmapping (VRM) framework, which helps entrepreneurs improve the investor readiness of their ventures through developing better business models. As investors tend to perceive risks where entrepreneurs only have eyes for the opportunities, this value-oriented roadmapping framework is a practical tool to help bridge the gap between investors and entrepreneurs, reducing information asymmetries. The value-oriented roadmapping framework is a practical tool for entrepreneurs, developed through a series of eight case studies. The tool is a template-based (‘canvas’) approach, incorporating design elements that encapsulate process guidance for users. In a workshop setting, led by an experienced facilitator, participants critically assess the venture’s market, capability, application, revenue model, capital investment and IP-position, from an investor’s point of view. This qualitative appraisal is translated into a quantitative assessment, incorporating finance and options valuation theory and methodology. The end result is a roadmap for value creation, where in the end both investors and entrepreneurs require a reward for financial risks taken.

Continuing rapid advances in digital technologies offer considerable scope to enhance roadmapping processes. Research and development have focused on information gathering and roadmap management. However, digitalization also involves the interaction between roadmapping participants and digital tools as part of remote and co-located digital workshops. This chapter explores remote and co-located digital roadmapping applications, gathering and discussing insights and opportunities that could support digital roadmapping progress. A novel framework, merging processual and psychosocial perspectives, is proposed to support research analysis and the description of findings. Results suggest that the digitalization of roadmapping can support improvements in information processing and narrative building during interactive workshop environments, leading to more robust roadmaps. However, brainstorming and consensus-building can be hindered by remote roadmapping. The differences between co-located and remote roadmapping seem to be the core factor impacting roadmapping performance rather than adopting digital tools. With careful planning and design, the digitalization of roadmapping shows great promise in achieving the benefits of digital technologies without losing the advantages of human-centric processes.

Technology roadmapping is an effective strategic management method. However, in making and implementing science and technology innovation policies in reality, there is a problem of relying solely on experts’ prior knowledge and lack posterior knowledge in objective data. The problem may cause subjective bias, which disconnects technology foresight, national strategic planning, and action plan. Researchers try to analyze and visualize technical information to support expert discussions, to realize the benefits of combining of data analysis and expert knowledge. However, there is still a problem that data analysis and experts are independent of each other, and it is difficult to effectively support experts. Knowledge graphs provide a way to efficiently manage and utilize massive amounts of information. They display structured technical information graphically, helping experts locate and acquire knowledge accurately. A process to support expert interaction via technology roadmapping, guided by the technical knowledge graph is proposed in this chapter. This process guides the effective interaction between experts and data through the technical knowledge graph, which can improve the quality of data analysis and enhance the foresight ability of experts. The process of multiple interactions helps to better connect expert knowledge and the objective principles and laws of technological development, and enhances the scientific basis and accuracy of technology roadmapping. This research takes the intelligent machine tool industrial sector as a case study through expert discussion to verify the effectiveness of the technology roadmapping developing process. This approach provides important support for national-level technology roadmapping development. Using the technology knowledge graph to guide interaction between experts and data analysis results periodically throughout the process reduces subjective bias and information loss in technology foresight. The process effectively connects expert knowledge with objective principles and laws of technology development by means of interaction, and powerfully supports national strategic planning and policy implementation via technology roadmapping.

The Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) region has been in the past decades largely excluded in the research trends, and technology output regarding the implementation of Refrigeration, Cooling and Heating (RCH) systems for the residential and commercial building sectors. The RCH technology, which is a subset of the general Heating, Air Conditioning, and Ventilation (HVAC) domain has been introduced full-fledged in Western Europe for more than seven decades, with consistent improvements in its efficiency through Investments, and Research & Development (R&D). This project enumerates the prevailing global framework for the RCH systems industry, the system types, and the areas of application. The location profiles of two major emerging economies in the SSA region, Nigeria and South Africa, itemize the potentials for the RCH systems industry growth and possible market gains. It also enumerates the focus points for organizations and firms which might have considered or would like to explore unreached regional markets for the goal of technology expansion, and consequently, organizational profitability. Considerations for market introduction are discussed, and three major tools for industry analyses, the SWOT, the P5F, and the QFD are utilized. The tools aid in itemizing most of the aspects of technology deployment which potential RCH industry stakeholders need to note in their organizational or internal market analyses and eventual product development.

A Technology Roadmap extracted from the generic Technology Roadmap (TRM) in literature is drawn, itemizing the aspects of the unique SSA business climate, and building construction market. Furthermore, listings of the technology and product features are itemized, while creating a provisional timeline for RCH technology introduction in the SSA region. In conclusion, recommendations for further exploration of the Technology Roadmap, tailored for the SSA region and other unreached regional markets for RCH technology are made.

The availability of energy resources greatly impacts achieving energy security and a steady economic growth rate. Countries in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) are highly dependent on fossil fuels for energy generation. Hence, there is a need to divert focus to renewable energy resources such as biogas production. SSA has experienced very slow growth in the production of biogas, despite having access to land and feedstock. This paper outlines the guidelines and strategy for implementing sustainable biogas technology. Key barriers and business drivers were identified, and the outcome gives insights regarding the factors that are similar to those identified in other studies from developing nations with comparable socioeconomic status. Three major techniques for technology roadmap analysis were used, which include SWOT and P5F analysis, and these are discussed in the context of bringing biogas technology to the SSA market. The proposed technology roadmap for biogas production technology was developed while taking into consideration four components, which are business drivers, product features, technology features, and resources. It can be concluded that an appropriate focus on issues pertaining to policy and financial framework is vital for efficient biogas technology implementation. Recommendations were made for advancing biogas technology in SSA to maintain a competitive advantage.

Demand response (DR) is a term used for energy exchange between producer and costumer. Especially beginning of the twentieth country, the demand for high-quality and accessible energy is increased inevitably because of the rapid development of technologies. Roughly, demand-side energy management is applied to three sectors: residential, commercial, and industrial. On the other hand, the energy consumption of space heating and cooling systems can be shifted by using demand-side energy management systems in residential and commercial buildings for reduction in energy consumption. To sum up, the main object of demand-side energy management is minimizing energy costs and dynamic management of electricity consumption. Turkey’s infrastructure is not exactly suitable for demand-side energy management, but it is being developed. For instance, solar and wind energies are still imbalanced costs. On the other hand, Turkey’s grid network still struggles with peak times. In this paper, DR technology roadmap of electricity transmission and distribution of Turkey is inspected and discussed by a group that from different backgrounds. Basically, transmission and distribution topics are the main criteria for this paper. In this context, existing technologies, capability gaps, drivers, and adequate R&D efforts are determined. In these categories, demand-side management, DR as nonwires solution to grid congestion, DR and energy storage, and DR and mitigation of constraints in transmission technologies are discussed. The DR technologies in transmission and distribution are inspected, and the technology roadmap of Turkey is explained.

The objective of the study is to propose a roadmap for the application of demand response (DR) technologies in capacity planning. Capacity planning is aimed as part of the general DR roadmap. In this context, it is of great importance to bring the flexibility of grid-connected hydrogen production to the system, open the markets to the demand side, encourage new business models, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, build an aggregator system and create a hydrogen economy. Generation capacity planning has been studied and solved in 3 different parts: mitigation of constraints in the generation, system balancing and flexibility and optimal aggregation and dispatch DR in generation capacity planning (BPA 2014)

In case of generation imbalances, demand response should have been enabled in response to dynamic grid energy, load forecasts, and capacity requirements to enhance the flexibility of the system. Grid balancing has become a crucial component of the power grid’s ability to match energy supply and demand. Demand response will be used more effectively in daily operations under favor of smart grid technologies. In the scope of this study, DR in grid operations is examined under three main topics, which are demand response in Grid Balancing, demand response in Automated Peak Shaving, and demand response in Frequency Regulation. In this chapter, a roadmap was created for an efficient DR in grid operations study, which is more stable, more compatible with sudden demand or load needs, fewer and smoother harmonics, and more instantaneous production-consumption balance.

Demand response in energy is an indispensable side of energy governance, including energy efficiency (EE), resilience in energy resource management, design of new energy developments, and governmental applications. Therefore, all further attempts to create applicable EE management would be noteworthy to reduce energy consumption to make a zero-net society and catch the Paris Agreement’s proposes. Developing and developed countries have started progressing rapidly regarding the impact and demand response in the EE context. These approaches, seen as the positive external effect of the last 20 years of climate data and the consciousness created by natural disasters, have made EE a trend in today. That is why the development of various approaches for every instrument that can be controlled in terms of energy consumption has accelerated the integration of energy science with other fields of science. Building energy management systems (BEMS), home energy management systems (HEMS), and for legacy process load (FLPL)—legacy management in energy are core elements of conventional and residential energy consumption control mechanisms in energy technology and sciences. The effect of these systems is undeniable in the energy transition and economic process. This article aims to indicate how the demand response in energy affects BEMS, HEMS, and the legacy process loads and to show which technology roadmap controls the problems that the effect will create. The research uses the Bonneville Power Administration demand response technology project to adapt Turkey’s new energy demand response–based technology roadmap. In conclusion, the article will demonstrate the technology roadmap process of the proposed approach and its analytical systems.