Assessing the tools and techniques enterprises use for analysing Innovation, Science and Technology (IS&T) factors: are they up to the task?

This paper assesses the methodological tools and techniques that analysts use to assess the evolving Innovation, Science and Technology-related (IS&T) factors impacting their enterprise's competitiveness and strategic environment. Studies generally show that a limited set of conceptual tools are regularly utilised by analysts in some enterprises; nevertheless, they are perceived only to demonstrate mixed success levels in meeting planning or decision-oriented needs. A performance gap exists between organisational needs to proactively address IS&T factors impacting their organisation's competitiveness and the insights actually delivered to decision-makers by existing methods and the analysts who employ them. In this paper, the author defines the scope of IS&T analytical applications, identifies the conceptual tools and techniques used, applies a model for assessing the utility of the tools, describes the reasons why the tools do not deliver what is needed, and makes recommendations for improving the use of IS&T-focused analysis tools.