Strategic technology management in practice: SAP-LAP hills analysis of an automobile manufacturer in India

Abstract

The automotive industry in India has seen the entry of almost all global auto majors post-liberalisation. To keep pace with the changing automotive world, the companies have adopted newer ways of thinking and also adopted work practices conducive to the changed environment. One of the important elements that the organisations have come to appreciate is technology management. A structured approach to technology management has been the key to better business performance. In India, we find specific examples of organisations that have put the strategic technology management into practice and improved their business performance through effective synchronisation between their technology and business strategy. This article deals with a case study carried out in an Indian automotive major, Maruti Suzuki India Ltd. The various situations encountered by the organisation were considered for study, analysed by SAP-LAP hills technique to find processes that had maximum potential for change management application. Organisations need to learn from previous situations and by locating the best key result area, it can be recommended to concentrate there and give prime considerations to such situations and how actors need to behave and how process need to be scheduled under similar situations.