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A four-component technology model has been proposed. [13] According to this model, the technology needed by a productive enterprise to transform inputs into marketable outputs is a system consisting of the following four technological components:
1. The " physical products embedded in objects " component ( English technoware ) that helps to create a product or to offer a service; this component controls all physical transformation operations. Examples: equipment, laboratories, instruments, devices, machines, machinery, etc.
2. The element of " human skills embodied in people " ( English Humanware ) qualifying individual technological capabilities such as design skills, technical knowledge, expertise, creativity, experience, etc. This component indicates the level of competence of the people.
3. The component " coded knowledge, embedded in electronic information records " ( English inforware ), for example, design parameters, specifications, sketches and drawings, operation, maintenance and service manuals.
4. The " organizational skills " component ( English orgaware ) describes the capabilities of the organization that derive from its structure and the processes that determine how the organization operates. For example: organizational methods and techniques, internal and external links of cooperation, organizational framework. These organizational technological skills are manifested through organizational routines and processes, adapted for the development and replication of technology. This component ( orgaware ) results in improved overall market performance of the organization.
All four components of technology interact dynamically and are needed simultaneously for successful business achievements. The relative importance of the four components of the technology depends on the type of transformation specific to the production system and the operational complexity.
Technologies in different sectors are interdependent: advances in one technology sector are rapidly influencing other seemingly unrelated areas. For example, the development of molecular chemistry techniques led to the art of microminiaturization, which allowed the development of computer technology, beyond expectations. The revolution in computer science has made possible the development of on-board computers for guiding missiles with very high precision.
