Instruments for patent data analyses in business firms

The availability of patent data in data banks has largely increased the possibilities for patent analyses. In this paper we discuss overall measures of patent activity for individual firms. As the data are broken down by technology fields we introduce patent portfolios that represent the patent position of a firm relative to its competitors over all technology fields covered. We then use matrix algebra to suggest an alternative to standard procedures of importance weightings for patents, and we extent the analysis to show the relations between inventors and end-products via patents that are used in the end-products. This may have many applications, from inventor remuneration to human resource management. The paper concludes with suggestions for further research

Issues in predicting the demand for a new technological product

This paper focuses on various issues that need to be considered when an analyst wishes to predict the demand for a new technological product. The interplay of the strategic behavior of the firm, notably with regard to preannouncing the future availability of the new product and the behavior of channel members and prospective customers is highlighted in this paper. Prospective customers' choice behavior is governed by such factors as credibility of the firm's preannouncement and expectations on the availability of the new product while a channel member's decision to accept the new product depends upon the expected sales and a demonstration of the product's acceptance by other channel members. These issues lead logically to the interdependence between the product positioning and the preannouncement decisions potential of the firm. The paper concludes with a discussion of the data requirements for implementing the approach suggested by the model and implications for product development process and competitive behavior

Issues in predicting the demand for a new technological product

SIGLEAvailable from Bibliothek des Instituts fuer Weltwirtschaft, ZBW, Duesternbrook Weg 120, D-24105 Kiel / FIZ - Fachinformationszzentrum Karlsruhe / TIB - Technische InformationsbibliothekDEGerman

Gutenberg’s concept of production control, uncertainty, and the implications for modelling production and cost

Jahnke H. Gutenberg’s concept of production control, uncertainty, and the implications for modelling production and cost. In: Albach H, Brockhoff KKL, Eymann E, Jungen P, Steven M, Luhmer A, eds. Theory of the Firm. Erich Gutenberg's foundations and further developments. Berlin: Springer; 2000: 245-260