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Unit 1 : Evolution Of Technology

Definition
● The branch of knowledge that deals with industrial arts, applied science, or engineering; the
terminology of an art or science or a technological process, invention, method and the like
and some of the ways in which a social group provides themselves with the material objects
of their civilisation.

● Technology is defined to be know how physical procedures used to produce products and
services.

● Technology is defined as all the knowledge, products, processes, tools, methods and systems
employed in the creation of goods or in providing services. It is the way to do things.

● Technology is the systematised knowledge applied to alter, control or order elements of our
physical and social environment.

Meaning

Know how

Used to
Technology Physical things Products and services
produce

Procedures

● Know how : Knowledge and judgement of how, when and why to employ equipment, processes
and procedures.

● Knowledge includes craftsmanship, experience which lies at the heart of economic

progress.

● Physical Things include: Equipment, Tools.

● Procedures: Rules and techniques for operating the equipment and performing the work.

Technology is the practical implementation of knowledge, a means of aiding human endeavour.

Evolution of technology
Three main time periods :

● Stone age: Age of Early human where tool creation and use was prominent.

● Bronze age : Most technology was outside the metals

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• Early writing
• Basic government
• Trade
• Agriculture and ox-plows
• The wheel
• The Loom
• Bronze.
● Iron age :
Much better for weapons and armor :
● Very abundant, and inexpensive
● Allowed for more permanent settlement
● Better militaries

• Industrial Revolution (@1750 – 1850) :

• Large-scale automation comes into being
• Factories and mass-production processes
• Increased use of steel
• Advancements in transportation

● Information age:
● The Information Age (also known as the Computer Age, Digital Age, or New Media
Age) is a historic period beginning in the 20th century
● Rapid shift from traditional industry that the Industrial Revolution brought through
industrialization to an economy primarily based upon information technology.

According to Masefield Books

Technology evolves in three stages:

● Tools : A tool provides a mechanical advantage in accomplishing a physical task, such as

an arrow, plough, or hammer that augments physical.
Later animal-powered tools such as the plow and the horse, increased the productivity
of food production about tenfold over the technology of the hunter-gatherers.

● Machine :  A machine is a tool that substitutes part of or all of the element of human
physical effort, requiring only the control of its functions.
Machines became widespread with the industrial revolution, though windmills.

● Automation : The automation is a machine that removes the element of human

control with an automatic algorithm. Examples of machines that exhibit this
characteristic are digital watches, automatic telephone switches, pacemakers, and
computer programs.

Characteristics of Technology

Resources :
Money, Time, People, Collateral assets.
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Transferability :
Technology transfer is not easy. Knowledge is always scarce and is sticky. Between the sender and
receiver during the communication, there is no perfect correspondence.

Oppurtunity :
Technology development takes place when human beings perceive an opportunity for improvement
due to intrinsic or economic reasons.

Appropriability :
In certain instances, technological development is for economic motives, wherein individuals will
pursue development only to the extent that there is a reasonable assurance; the fruits of their
labour will flow back to be developers.

Effects of New Technology :

1. Change in technology.

2. Change in scope.

3. Change in competition.

4. Change in asset valuation.

5. Change in focus for National competitiveness.

6. Change in emphasis of knowledge management.

Technology Innovation :

Technological innovations comprise new products and processes and significant technological
changes of products and processes. An innovation has been implemented if it has been introduced
on the market (product innovation).

● Technology creation and exploitation requires a chain of events starting with inventions in
labs and ending as sales at market place.

● Types of Innovation:

● Competence enhancing Vs Component.

● Architectural Vs Component.

● Product and Process innovation.

● Radical Vs Incremental.

● Technical Vs Social Innovations.

● Innovation process has been viewed as a sequence of separable stages.

● Basic variations of innovation are

1. Technology push
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2. Market pull

● The technological innovation begins with invention.

Technology Invention :

Invention ( the creative process) only produce “ideas: they are not useful while they are reduced to
practice and use, which is the process of innovation.Roberts and Wainer have identified five types of
people who are needed for technological innovation.

● Idea generator : Individual who creates.

● Entrepreneur : the person who carries ‘the ball’.

● Gate Keepers : Researchers who maintain a broad network of outside contacts, both
with people outside the organisation and the technical literature; they are not
appointed people but the wise research manager recognise them and their function.

● Program managers.

● Sponsor : the senior managerial person also provides financial and moral support.

Technology Diffusion :

Diffusion is the process of closing the gap between what people don’t know and what they can
effectively put to use.

Diffusion is the process by which a new idea or new product is accepted by the market.

Diffusion strategies address both internal and external customers are influenced by several factors
like

● Organizational climate.

● Innovation.

● Technology substitution.

● Bandwagon effect.

● Opinion leaders.

● Change agents.

Pattern of technology diffusion :

1. Innovation stage.

Innovation get diffused within innovative organizations.

2. Consolidation stage.

Diffusion takes place among major competitors.

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3. Mature Technology stage.

Diffusion spreads to laggards.

Characteristics of Technology Diffusion :

● Diffusion is not one-way traffic. The innovator can also learn from imitator.

● Diffusion is not once-for-all occurrence. It is cyclical in nature.

● Diffusion can take place in varying degrees :

Intra Firm – diffusion of lowest degree

Inter Firm – diffusion of medium degree

Economy wide – diffusion of highest degree.

● Diffusion can take place in variety of forms like product, service or a process, use &
production, stock of technological knowledge.

● Standard measures :

● Awareness – building

● Research

● Technical assistance and consultancy

● Training

● Financial support

● Personnel exchange and the support of R&D personnel.

● Standardization.

Revolutionary Innovation :

Revolution : Forcible overthrow for an entirely new system.., drastic, disruptive, far-reaching,
momentous change.

● Revolutionary innovation focuses on orientation of tomorrow’s customers and is associated

with uncertainity.

● Revolutionary innovation is optimal under :

High performance products.

Long product lifecycles.

A relatively long window of market opportunity.

Relatively high sales.

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Stable margins.

Relatively flat development costs.

Scenarios under which revolutionary innovation can guarantee a sustainable advantage :

● If you can secure ironclad patent protection

● If you can set a proprietary industry standard

● If you can use your lead to establish such a beachhead that even if better options
become available, your customers will find it too much of a hassle to switch.

Evolutionary Innovation :

Evolution : Gradual change, adaptation, progression, metamorphosis.

Evolutionary innovation focuses on orientation towards today’s customers. Evolutionary innovation

plans for the world as it could be and begins calculated migration to new ideas while understanding
the world as it is today.

Product Innovation :

Creation and subsequent introduction of a good or service that is either new, or improved on
previous goods or services of its kind.

Anatomy of a product can be studied along three dimensions :

● Core benefits – these are the basic functions and attributes meant to be provided by the
good/ product.

● Tangible specifications:

These define shape, size, appearance etc., of the product.

● Augmented Features:

These are the additional benefits or utilities associated with the product like after sale
service, perceived benefits of a brand etc.,

Product design refers to complete specification of a product to be manufactured and contains

following details :

● Functions/attributes

● Weight,size,appearance

● Engineering/technical specifications

● Constituents/components/parts of final product

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Product design has direct impact over selection of processing equipments and methods, plant layout
and in process material flows.

Reasons for change in product design :

● Change in customer requirements

● Adding more functions/attributes

● Increasing saleability (appearance etc.,)

● Enhancing ease in manufacturing

● Tapping new markets or market segments

● Increasing product’s life cycle

● Enhancing convenience to use

● Technological advancements and progress.

● Improving product reliability and quality.

● Gaining competitive edge

● Sustaining competitiveness

● Reducing processing and manufacturing costs

● Standardization and simplification efforts in an organization.

Process Innovation:

A Process is combination of facilities, skills and technologies that are used to produce products or
provide services.

A process usually consists of :

● A set of tasks

● A flow of material and information that connect these tasks and

● Storage of material and information.

These tasks transform inputs to outputs. Thus process results into change. Process changes i.e.,
converts inputs into outputs. Inputs being land, labour, capital etc., output being goods, services.

Process Design :

● It means the complete delineation and description of specific steps in the production
process and the linkages among these steps that will enable the production system to
produce products / provide services as per the goals / policies of the organisation.
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● Process design directly influences plant layout effecting processing wastage and quality
of output.

● The process design decision influences processing time, in-process-inventories and

processing costs.

● It influences capability of an organisation to make timely deliveries.

● A cost effective process design helps in procuring jobwork/ contract work.

Factors determining change in process design/re-design:

● Controlling and reducing process wastage

● Improving quality of output, process efficiency, ease in manufacturing and productivity

● Controlling and reducing work in process inventories

● Reducing processing time and cost

● Ensuring timely deliveries

● Reducing health hazards and improving safety of workforce

● Change in product design or overall technological advancements

● Gaining and sustaining competitiveness

Steps in Process innovation:

1. Proper planning as to focus area of innovations; deciding about use of technological

tools for mechanisation, computerisation and automation; setting targets, goals;
deciding timeframe of commercialization etc.

2. Creating a multifunctional team of technical , production and maintenance department

3. Selecting a small group of operators and workers, seeking their participation in process
innovation through communication, counselling, training and rewards etc.

4. Pilot run of the new process

5. Observations and improvements in the new process based on feedback from pilot
testing.

6. Large scale training of entire work force.

7. Commercial use of new process.

Tools :

● Developing Assembly Charts for studying conceptual frame work of material flow

● Developing Process Charts for studying conceptual framework of process flow

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● Computer Aided Designing, Computer simulation

● Time Study for comparing time taken for various operations and tasks

● Value Engineering and Analysis

● Business process Reengineering

● Benchmarking

● Using Change Management Strategies

● Financial Appraisal.