The Technology Due Diligence Team
Posts over the last couple of weeks have examined the technology due diligence process. Now we turn to the necessary attributes of the team that actually performs the assessment
A technology due diligence (TDD) exercise requires a team with a rare mix of skills and knowledge.
According to [1], “for technology assessment to augment conventional due diligence, [the following are required]:”
- An intimate knowledge of the state-of-the-art in the relevant technology, as well as of technology trends
- A high degree of research and scientific sophistication
- A well-developed analytical methodology to evaluate the relative potential risks and rewards
- Extensive data gathering and information extraction capabilities
- The ability to translate technical detail into terms that make relative potential risks and rewards meaningful to [investors]
A good TDD team must strike a careful balance between technical knowledge and business sense, benefiting from the following key characteristics:
Technical Knowledge
First and foremost, the team must have a deep knowledge of the technology that they are assessing. TDD consultants need to have access to a pool of industry-leading experts who can be called upon at short notice to add very deep understanding to the broader knowledge of the rest of the team.
Experience in Technology Management
The TDD team needs to have extensive experience of technology management practices. They should be familiar with methods of managing and implementing technology in the same field as the company under examination, or in a closely related one.
Ability to Bridge the Technical/Commercial Divide
This rare skill is a crucial one for the TDD team. Not only must they produce meaningful, well-organised and complete results, they must be able to communicate and present these findings in a way that clearly explains their implications for the value of the deal. Raw technical data is of little use to investors. An extensive understanding of technology markets is required in order for the TDD team to present their findings in a manner that the investor will find useful and relevant.
Objectivity
It almost goes without saying that any TDD team must be impartial and independent. Many potential team members who possess the required technical skills are likely to be involved in the same industry and hence have a vested interest in the outcome of the assessment. The leader of the TDD assessment is faced with the challenge of finding knowledgeable yet impartial technical experts.
Responsiveness
By the time it comes to do TDD, all parties involved in the deal are usually anxious to get the deal signed and avoid any hold-ups that may jeopardize the transaction. For that reason, a TDD team must be able to mobilise and complete an assessment very quickly. There is no time for team members to familiarise themselves with a new technical discipline, so TDD consultants must have access to a pool of experts with the requisite prior knowledge and ability to provide feedback quickly.
Confidentiality
Last, but by no means least, the TDD team must maintain integrity throughout the assessment and long after it completion. A lot of sensitive information will pass before their eyes: disclosure could have a severely detrimental effect on the fortunes of the proposition company.
[1] “Technology due diligence: the need for and benefits of technology assessment in connection with investment in high-tech companies”, Carol R. Goforth, Ronald R. Goforth, Rutgers Computer & Technology Law Journal, Summer 2001