TERA - An Assessment of Technology Reuse Feasibility

Paper in proceeding, 2015

Instead of developing each new product from scratch, firms strive to reuse prior components and technologies in new applications in order to improve robustness, reduce cost and shorten time-to-market. Technologies come in the forms of methods, designs and processes, and are suitable for reuse since they are concepts for solving certain problems that multiple products have use for. However, reuse of technology where the application context is different requires adaptation of both the technology and the product system into which it is introduced. In practice, the magnitude and sources for this effect are often underestimated, which leads to unanticipated uncertainty in product development projects with consequences for robustness and efficiency in development. Based on available literature and needs identified within a case company, this paper proposes a method for identifying potential challenges of technology reuse that may otherwise be overlooked or only implicitly acknowledged. The method features a scorecard that guides a workshop to be attended by technology experts and managers where the prospect for successful technology reuse is assessed.