Structuring Technology Scouting projects
Last updated
Last updated
A Technology overview, discovery, or technology scouting project, will require to first get an overview of a field and the potential solutions available, rate those solutions, then dive deeper into the relevant ones to get one step closer to an innovation.
At Findest, we have been running these type of projects for more than 7 years. Here-under you can find the structure we usually follow to deliver those type of projects in the Universe. This guide assumes you know how to create studies and entities, and create links between the different objects.
The typical format for scouting projects within the Universe presents a unique process compared to a research report. This distinction arises from two main factors:
The work executed in phases, narrowing down on results. These phases needs to be tangible and visible. Furthermore, discussions like scoping, intake sheets or executive summary also arise along the project
Secondly, the Universe is a dynamically evolving environment teeming with new technologies and entities. Its progression continues even after project completion, allowing for users to utilize it for subsequent projects and independent research purposes.
This is all doable with the entity and study structure available in the universe. Hereunder, we propose a structure that can help to provide clarity and that can be used to start your scouting projects. The schematic diagram below, that lays out the essential components of the structure, constructed from: Studies, Entities, Documents and highlights and Links
This structure includes:·
The Landing Page, which acts as a comprehensive hub containing all the information relevant to the scouting project. It serves as the primary interface for the other users, presenting them with key connections to various project elements. It also includes an Intake Sheet, that summarises the intake discussions with the customer and the scope of the project.
Within that landing page there are connections to:
Phase 1 summarises the work executed in phase 1, with an overview table of all the technologies found in phase 1
Phase N summarises the work executed in phase N, with an overview table of all the technologies explored in phase N
Other, type of pages related to Executive Summaries or supplementary material curated for the client beyond conventional scouting phases.
A Technologies study, that is connected to all the technologies, suppliers, etc. found in the scouting project. This is needed to keep a steady point in the universe for which all technologies are linked too, and connect it to the phases. These technologies are organized within concepts, that help to group technologies together Each technology then includes a (AI)-report, Documents and Highlights, which are specific to a technology
Click the create new button to start a new study, and give it a name, for example "Scouting Project X". This page will be the central location where all the information related to your scouting project will be connected. It will help your colleagues or customers find all the scoping discussions, intake sheets, scouting phases or executive summary that you produced.
Once you create a new study, the page will open on the study you created or selected. You can structure your landing page with headings, and create links to other pages.
The landing page serves as the main point of consolidation for all tasks carried out within a technology scouting case. It will help your colleagues or customer to navigate the results of your study with the left navigation bar that will link everything to that study.
Typically, the landing page can comprise the following elements:
1. Put the type of study on “Technology Scouting”. This will ensure customer can use filters to find all our projects.
2. An illustrative image that succinctly encapsulates the essence of the project.
3. The intake Sheet: Summarizing the scope of the project
3. Conclusions from the Scouting Study: A compact paragraph detailing the conclusions derived from completing each of the scouting phases.
Example: As a result of executing three scouting phases, we discovered 30 technologies capable of seawater desalination. Following customer selection, we zeroed in on the top 3 technologies for a more detailed exploration. Their performance metrics have been summarized within the requirement table, and we have sourced potential suppliers for these technologies.
4. Links to relevant components of the scouting project:
The respective results tables for each Phase, also showcased as standalone studies.
And, a link to all the technologies identified throughout the project.
Innovation Structure Tree and Ideal Scouting Strategy, both uploaded as a PDF.
Refer below for visual example within the Universe, and a visual representation of the left navigation bar.
INCLUDE PICTURE LANDING PAGE HERE
At this stage, your structure is ready and you can start scouting to find technologies, either by:
Creating an IGOR^AI search query and save technologies, papers and patents via IGOR^AI
Use a google search and save with the plug-in extension technologies, papers and patents via IGOR^AI
Find existing technologies in your Universe
To ensure en efficient scouting process, we recommend that once you scouted and found several technologies, you stop and analyze your existing list. This is a perfect time to start conceptualising your results. To create concepts, you want to look at similar type of technologies and how they link together.
You can create concept with studies, and group relevant technologies underneath those concepts. To do this, simply link the entities you find to the concept they belong to. If you don't know the concept yet, link it to the overarching study and organize it later in the list view.
At this stage, you might also realize that some technologies are similar and want to combine them. You can do this through two ways:
Dragging them under the main technology, as sub-technologies, in your tree view
Select all the papers from one entity, and link them to the entity you want to keep. You can then delete the superfluous entity.
Once you have completed your search, you will want to create the report in each technology, to allow other users to understand the technology, but also why it is relevant. Here-under, you can find a standard we use for technologies during a first phase and a deep-dive. You can leverage them as examples of technology card structure.
Generate a description by using the Question and Answering, or the Description options
Generate examples of highlights from the abstract and the saved information with the Quesiton and Answering tool
Extract detailed information from every paper with the Extract Detail information option
Write an executive summary of all the information you saved, and wrote in the report
Alternatively, you can write text yourself, and use you saved to fill in the repot.
Discovery stage: In a technology card used for discovery, we can usually include:
Description: A short description of the technology, how it works and how it could be relevant in this study
Example of applications or requirements: that can provide the customer with some context on why this technology is relevant
Documents: 2 to 3 documents justifying the technology
A picture representing the technology
More example of applications and requirement
WIth the AI-tools, you can extract more easily this information and add it to the project.
Deepdive Stage: When a technology is relevant, and you want to add more information to it, you can use this example template for your technology card. In this case, it can usually include:
Description: A short description of the technology, how it works and how it could be relevant in this study
Requirement examples: One bullet point or higlight group per requirement. You can use the Detail extraction requirement to add them.
Examples of suppliers : 2 to 3 suppliers with a link and information on why they are relevant.
Maturity Estimation: Short sentence or number about the maturity that you found for the technology
Documents: A list of documents used to create the page the technology
Once you finished scouting and your technology cards are filled, you might want to create overview tables and summaries to help your colleagues a navigate your project. This can be best filled in the "phases" study you crated. Hereunder you can find an example of a study populated with an overview table.
You can start building a structure for your project in the tree and list view. This can be done in multiple ways.
Creating New Study or entities: On the left bar, you have a New Study and New entity button, you can drag those into your tree or your list to create a new study. You can directly change the name of those studies in the tree or list view
How to structure your study can depend on what you are trying to achieve. Here are a couple of examples of structures you can use as an inspiration
Goal: Find a list of potential technologies that can solve a problem
Structure: in this case, we use an overarching study for the project with are working on. We then use concepts to separate and provide structure to all the technologies found. These concepts could for example be a physical principle (Vision-based, Magnetic based, etc.), the type of applications (Used in Food, Used in Wind turbines, etc.), or any other categorization fitting to your project. Under these concepts, we then use entities to represent the technologies
How to use it while building your report: Simply link the entities you find to the concept they belong to. If you don't know the concept yet, link it to the overarching study and organize it later in the list view.
Competitive Intelligence
Goal: Find a list of actors in a field
Structure: The structure will be similar, but the concepts and entities will change. These concepts could for example be a type of company (SME, Startups, etc.), the type of Technology (Ultrasonic Sensors, pressure sensors, etc.), or any other categorization fitting to your project. Under these concepts, we then use entities to represent the intelligence gathered. This could be a company name, etc.
How to use it while building your report: Simply create entities with the Metadata and affiliations in your searches.
Goal: Finding technologies and analyzing the market around it
Structure: In this case, you can add more levels to your entities and studies to reprensent what you are doing on it, as shown on the example.
How to use it while building your report: Take a pause in your reporting to structure the results as you would like to present them halfway through.
To fill the you can:
More information is available on how to , and .
With an overview table, you can share the page to your colleagues and ask them
