Hello, dear readers of the KtoNaNovenkogo.ru blog. In recent years, the expressions “innovative technologies”, “unique technology”, etc. have been constantly heard.
Let’s see what exactly is meant? We will analyze what technology is, what varieties exist.
Technology is…
Let’s say you are planning to make a birdhouse or plant potatoes. Where will you start your business? That’s right, first you will draw up a certain algorithm of actions (what is it?).
To make a house for birds, you will sketch out a structure diagram, calculate the number of building materials needed, choose a method for fastening parts (nails, screws, glue). And then, in a certain order, assemble your craft.
After the birdhouse is ready, you will climb the tree and with great difficulty attach it there. And after that, maybe sparrows will settle there.
If you are going to plant potatoes, then first you will prepare the seed potatoes (put them in the light so that sprouts appear), dig up a piece of land, then bury the potatoes there. And then all summer you will either weed it, or spud it, and, most importantly, do not forget to dig it up in the fall.
So, you made a birdhouse and planted potatoes, using a certain algorithm of sequential actions and using the necessary raw materials and the necessary tools. In other words, you achieved your goals by using technologies developed by someone at some time.
Conclusion: technology is a set of certain methods, processes, tools and materials, with the help of which it is possible to achieve the desired result.
You can formulate the definition a little differently:
Technology is the process of processing an initial product (raw material, material, semi-finished product) through the application of certain methods into a final product with previously known properties and characteristics.
It is worth adding that technology is not just a set of any methods, but only those that allow you to achieve a predetermined goal. Therefore, such a chain “from the opposite” emerges:
For reference: a technologist is a position of an employee of an organization who monitors compliance with the technologies used in the production process.
What is the technology life cycle
Each technology has a finite lifetime. This means that technologies cannot be static, they change under the influence of external factors:
the emergence of new materials;
invention of new energy sources;
development of methods and ways of processing raw materials, materials, semi-finished products;
invention of new tools and equipment.
For example, many millennia ago, the technology of baking bread appeared.
But live fire was replaced by electricity, natural sourdough was replaced by “fast” yeast, special equipment for automatic kneading, molding and baking was developed and introduced.
Only one thing remained unshakable – the use of cereals as the basis of the recipe.
It can be concluded that all technologies have a certain life cycle.
That is, during its existence, several stages pass:
state-of-the-art technology – a new development with a high application potential;
advanced – used on a limited scale, has good efficiency;
modern – appreciated and recognized by many consumers (about consumers – in the next section of the article), acquires the status of a standard, the demand for it becomes maximum;
not new – the emergence of newer technological developments reduces the demand for this technology, its effectiveness is lower than advanced or modern technologies;
obsolete – the demand is minimal, gradually disappearing altogether.
Conclusion: technology is an object finite in time.
Therefore, using any technology in your business, you should not hold on to it if it has already entered the stage of “not new” and, moreover, “obsolete”.
After all, the ultimate goal of any business is to make a profit, and the use of outdated technology allows your competitors to “get around” you, thereby reducing your profits.
Who is the consumer of technology
Technology consumers are individuals or legal entities that use any development for their own purposes.
Consumers are classified depending on the degree of interest in using the technology at any stage of its life cycle. Not quite clear? Then read on:
innovators – consumers who are the first to use the newly developed technology before it becomes known and relevant in the market;
early adopters – consumers interested in the benefits of the new technology;
the early majority are consumers for whom the most important is the practical value of the new technology;
the late majority are consumers who begin to use the new technology only after it becomes the standard;
lagging behind – consumers who are not interested in the benefits of technology, begin to use it only “on occasion”.
Types of technologies
Technologies are usually classified either on the basis of their relationship to certain industries, or by the raw materials used (materials, semi-finished products), or by processing features.
Technologies that are based on science-intensive developments and involve computer technology, advances in microelectronics, robotics, etc. in the production process are called high technologies.
