Glossary Q-T

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Real Time Strategic Change (RTSC)
Real time strategic change is a newer and very flexible format of participative vision finding. At the same time it can be used for larger groups.

Relevance Tree Analysis
The relevance tree analysis enables the fragmentation of a topic into several aspects, which are set up hierarchically and weighted in a way, that the relevance for the general topic can be estimated.

Riskmanagement
In the terms of riskmanagement threats, which could result from a divergence of the actual development of a plan, are identified in advance, evaluated and handled in a continuous process. An element are early warning systems. In practice, a broad range of applications exists, from the operative riskmanagement in the financial and banking sector up to qualitative riskmanagement in the sense of strategic early warning.

Roadmap / Roadmapping
A roadmap combines and visualises the steps of development from the present to the future.Within strategic product planning and technology management, roadmaps for technologies (technology roadmaps), for products and services (product roadmaps), as well as for processes (process roadmaps) are developed. Furthermore, industry-wide roadmaps or political roadmaps exist.

Robust strategies
Robust strategies build their core on options for action, which are useful for several scenarios. There are no (completely robust strategies) or only a few(partly robust strategies) strategy critical scenarios.

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Scenario
A scenario describes one of several conceivable futures of complex systems. A scenario is based on the combination of a number of conceivable and consistent individual developments.

Scenario field
A scenario field describes the area, for which possible future developments are described in the form of scenarios.

Scenario Management
Scenario management includes the systematic development and application of scenarios to identify and develop success and value potentials.

Scenario Monitoring
Scenario monitoring inlcludes the continuous observation of the scenario field. Furthermore, identified trends need to be matched to pre-developed scenarios.

Scenario Planning
Scenario planning is the most traditional and (in Anglo-American parts) most widely used, deductive approach to develop market scenarios. The forming of scenarios happens on the basis of only a small number of structure criteria, which is different to the scenario technique where a more complete criteria is applied.

Scenario Technique
Scenario technique is the inductive way of scenario development, where scenarios are designed by systematically combining the possible developments of the key factors systematically.

Semantic Intuition
Semantic intuition is a creativity technique which is supposed to generate new ideas by combining words and word perceptions. It si esepccialy useful for generating new product ideas.

Sensitivity model
This approach of Frederic Vester is assigned to the biocybernetic approaches of linked thinking, since the holistic thinking is put on a level with ecological thinking.

Simulations
Simulations or trend influence analyses reach further than a simple extrapolation of existing data, but they include impulses of change.

Six Hat Methodology
The six hat methodology, developed by von de Bono, instructs the participants to think in different forms. This is carried out by six hats of different colours: Red hats express their feelings; black hats mention problems and threats; green hats try to express creative suggestions; white hats question the accessable information concerning the given statement; yellow hats name possible advantages of a given statement; blue hats show how it is possible to come from the present situation to the described statement.

Strategic Competencies
Strategic competencies describe the necessary abilities to reach the objectives recorded in the business principles or the company vision. It is rather a bundle of abilities, skills, processes and technologies than just a number of individual abilities. Therefore, strategic competencies can be also seen as intentionally developed core competencies.

Strategic Early Warning
Strategic early warning involves the early identification of weak signals in the business environment, the observation of business ratios and indicators as well as their interpretation and foresight.

Strategic Foresight
Strategic foresight is the connection of strategic early warning and strategic planning by using scenarios. It involves scenario monitoring in the sense of a strategic environment controlling as well as trend and issue management.

Strategic Navigation
Strategic navigation is the flexible connection of a strategic business plan, business development, strategic organisational orientation, product and technology management, as well as logistics.

Strategic Success Position
The strategic success position after Pümpin is an intentionally created requirement through the composition of important and dominating abilities, which enable the company to realise long-term superior results compared to competitors.

Strategy Options
Strategy options describe alternative conceivable, long-term visionary strategies of a company, a business division or an organisation. They build a connection between the classic market scenarios and the action-initiating strategies. Since strategy options are also alternative future images, they are referred to as "strategy scenarios".

Strategy Roadmap/Strategy Roadmapping
Strategy roadmapping is used to show the time schedule of strategic activities and elements, while the balanced scorecard approach and the connected strategy map follow a rather controlling-oriented approach. Therefore, the time horizon is longer than of the balanced scorecard, but with 3 to 5 years shorter as traditional technology roadmapping.

Strategy Scenario
Strategy scenarios describe alternative, conceivable, long-term visionary strategies of a company, a business division or an organisation. They build a connection between the classic market scenarios and the action-initiating strategies. They are also referred to as "strategy options".

Synectics
The synectics approach, developed by William Gordon, follows the principle "familiarise with the unknown and alienate the known". After analysing the problem an alienation of the original issue takes place through forming of analogies, from which new and surprising problem solutions are developed.

System Dynamics
This approach was developed in the sixties by Jay Forrester and tailored to companies ("Industrial Dynamics"), cities ("Urban Dynamics") and issues ("World Dynamics").

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Time Series/Time Series Prediction
Time series consist of a number of data which are ranged according to time. Hence, they describe a development from past to present. This development is analysed and shown by a mathematical-statistical model. Within time series predictions the previous development is being extrapolated into the future. Furthermore, additional, future incidents can be taken into account within a trend influence analysis.

Trend
At the lowest level, individual streams and socio-cultural effects are described as "trends". This concept is restricted to the area of market and consumer research.

Trend flower
The trend flower is an approach, which has been successfully used by the ScMI AG in several trend processes. Within short time, new ideas concerning dealing with the future can be identified.

Trend Landscape
Trend landscapes or trend cluster evolve through the combination of similar, thematically close or consistent trends. They can be understood as an optional part of trend management.

Trend research
Trend research and trend management respectively deal with the identification and evaluation of relevant market trends, in order to develop suitable measures for management and observation of the identified trends.

Trend Scenarios
Trend Scenarios are scenarios which show the expected direction of change. They can develop of a scenario evaluation or can be designed as an individual future image.