CTMA study plan

Map the full CTMA blueprint into a one-page domain-and-task outline, weighting each domain at 25% and noting where technology management intersects operations and engineering.

Define and contrast technology strategy, technology roadmapping, and technology portfolio management, writing a one-sentence working definition of each in your own words.

Build a glossary of 20 core technology management terms (technology readiness level, technology push versus market pull, core versus enabling technology, make-buy-ally) with a concrete example for each.

Diagnose one real organization's technology position using a simple maturity or portfolio grid, and record the evidence behind each placement.

Sequence the stages of technology development from idea through scale-up, and identify the decision gate and success criterion at each stage.

Compare technology acquisition routes (internal R&D, licensing, joint venture, acquisition, open innovation) and select the best route for three different scenarios.

Explain how intellectual property type (patent, trade secret, copyright, trademark) is chosen based on the nature of the technology and the competitive risk.

Draft a simple technology roadmap for a product line, linking market drivers to technology enablers across a three-horizon timeline.

Evaluate a technology investment using net present value, payback, and a qualitative risk score, then recommend go or no-go in writing.

Translate a product design into a bill of materials and a routing sheet, identifying where process choice constrains design freedom.

Classify production systems (job shop, batch, line, continuous) and match each to a product volume-variety profile.

Calculate takt time, capacity, and utilization for a simple line, showing each formula used.

Construct a process flow map for a real or realistic operation, marking value-added steps, delays, and inventory points.

Compute key operations metrics (throughput, cycle time, work-in-process, and Little's Law relationships) and interpret what each number signals to a manager.

Apply lean concepts (value stream mapping, takt, pull, and waste identification) to propose at least five specific improvement actions.

Explain the trade-offs among cost, quality, speed, and flexibility, and show how a chosen competitive priority drives operating decisions.

Build a demand forecast using at least two methods (moving average and exponential smoothing) and compare their error using MAD or MAPE.

Distinguish dependent from independent demand and select the appropriate planning approach (MRP versus forecast-driven ordering) for each.

Calculate economic order quantity and safety stock, and explain how service level and lead-time variability change the result.

Outline a quality management system using the plan-do-check-act cycle and one structured problem-solving method such as root cause analysis or DMAIC.

Explain the purpose and structure of a maintenance strategy (preventive, predictive, and total productive maintenance) and when each is justified.

Apply engineering economy techniques (present worth, annual worth, rate of return) to compare mutually exclusive alternatives and document the assumption set.

Explain how tolerances, standards, and design margins affect manufacturability, cost, and safety in an applied engineering decision.

Describe the role of reliability concepts (failure rate, mean time between failures, redundancy) in system design and justify a redundancy decision.

Identify the safety, environmental, and regulatory obligations that attach to an engineering change, and describe the change control process step by step.

Interpret basic control and instrumentation concepts (sensor, controller, actuator, feedback loop, setpoint) and explain how automation changes labor and skill requirements.

Assess a proposed automation or digitalization project for technical feasibility, economic return, and workforce impact, and write the recommendation.

Compare leadership styles (transactional, transformational, situational) and match each to a team maturity level and task type.

Draft a stakeholder communication plan for a technical change, naming audiences, key messages, channels, and timing.

Build a project plan for a technical initiative with a work breakdown structure, critical path, and resource loading.

Identify and rank at least five project risks by likelihood and impact, and assign a mitigation owner to each.

Explain how to set goals and measure performance using objectives and key results or another goal framework, and connect measures to team behavior.

Prepare for behavioral and situational questions on leading technical teams, conflict resolution, delegation, and ethical decision-making, using structured story answers.

Complete a timed mixed-domain practice set and analyze every missed item by domain and error type.