The Oakland Matrix ®

The Oakland 3A’s Matrix® is a tried and tested evaluation process that helps organisations to assess opportunities. As a practical decision-making tool it can be applied to a wide range of situations, including the introduction of:

• New enabling technologies
• Innovative product concepts
• Disruptive products or services
• Potential partners

The Oakland 3A’s Matrix combines a robust and meticulous set of methodologies developed through many years’ product innovation experience across global markets and multiple sectors. It forms an integral part of the Oakland TREE® process, a four-step system for identifying enabling technologies; however, it can also be applied as a stand-alone decision-making aid.

At the heart of the Oakland 3A’s Matrix® is a grid system that models the potential value, viability, and positioning of a specific technology option or market opportunity against three key measures, the 3As:

• Applicability: How well does this option meet requirements
• Availability: How quickly can this option be commercially deployed
• Affordability: How high or low are the costs associated with this option

The straightforward evaluation provided by the Oakland 3A’s Matrix® delivers multiple benefits, enabling you to:

• Gain insight into the implications of your selections, so making it easier to define strategies as to whether, when, and how to enter – or withdraw from – specific markets
• Understand the relative positioning and value of the different technology or market options available
• Ensure your decisions are underpinned by clear analysis of the facts
• Form accurate conclusions on which to base clear and effective routes to market