Defining the Technology Transition Manager within the Acquisition Framework of the Department of Defense

摘要

One of the main challenges in new product development is maintaining communication and coordination among the various development and product teams supporting the project. This research proposes the establishment of a technology transition manager who acts on the behalf of the program manager as a 'deal broker' to facilitate the transition of technology from one organization to another for further development and integration. Specifically, the researcher sought to answer five research questions addressing the required experience, expertise, organizational alignment, job skills, individual characteristics, roles, and responsibilities of technology transition managers. The researcher also examined differing expectations of transition managers among organizations. The research questions were answered through in-depth interviews with program managers and engineers from the Air Force Research Laboratory and the program offices with experience in technology transition programs. The researcher identified specific expertise, past job experiences, desired skills and personal traits, and defined explicit roles technology managers ought to play in the technology development and transition process. The position of the technology transition manager in the Department of Defense is situational dependent. The relative importance of areas of expertise, skills, roles, and responsibilities defined in this study depends on the stage of technology development and transition.