Structuring Effective Factors on Maturity of Technology Using the ISM Method

Due to the dynamic nature of technology, capabilities related to production technologies that have been created for manufacturing new and unique products are constantly changing. Therefore it is essential to monitor the processes and techniques used to understand whether the production of a product fits future circumstances. Leaders of organizations must decide when to switch to a new technology, to maintain and increase competitive advantages. In such conditions, evaluating the maturity of the considered technologies is essential. This article with a conclusive view at various factors affecting the maturity of technology, examines the structuring of the factors affecting the aforementioned maturity. This model is based on Interpretive Structural Modelling (ISM) methodology. The ISM approach enables groups and individuals to identify complex relationships among a multitude of elements in a complex decision-making situation; and it works as a tool for organizing and directing complexities of relationships between variables. This technique starts with identifying variables that are related to the issue, then the contextual relations between the variables are determined using the knowledge and experience of the experts; finally, the multilevel structural model is formed.