A Brownian Motion Model for Technology Transfer: Application to a Machine Maintenance Expert System

Based on an analogy to the physical phenomenon of Brownian motion, Venkatesh Padmanabhan and Wm. E. Souder present a general purpose model to assist in the successful transfer of newly developed technologies. The model, named Techtran II, is successfully demonstrated with ten case studies showing how it helps managers develop a priori intervention strategies for improving transfer likelihoods. The results suggest that Techtran II can assist in overcoming problems in successful new product development, commercialization, transfer and user adoption. The Techtran II computer program is available to interested users and researchers.