This basic approach provides a relative comparison of the technology to other …show more content…
The concept of a total number is also questionable as to the comparison of the difference in the total numbers with respect to the relevance for the decision. If a large number of characteristics are selected and the range of possible outcomes can be – 9000 to +9000 how relevant is the comparison if the totals range from -78 to +15?
This basic approach does have issues pertaining to decision making, but it does provide understanding of what characteristics are important in favor of and against the technology. In addition if the customer is involved with the variance rating the technology commercializer can gather valuable information of the customer’s biases that will have to be overcome for adoption to occur.
5.2 CAPABILITY, ATTRIBUTE, CHARACTERISTIC TRADE STUDY
Another approach to trade studies is a more qualitative approach. This approach assist the technology commercializer when a technology could be used to enable multiple different capabilities or multiple marketspaces with differing desirable attributes. This approach attempts to provide traceability of capabilities to desirable technology characteristics and technology characteristics to capabilities, Figure