Portfolio Analysis Tool (PAT)

Knowledge Based Systems, Inc.

College Station, TX

PAT is a web based software tool that facilitates strategic change management. Key functional requirements addressed by PAT include (1) Provide Technology Investment Decision Information; (2) Facilitate identification of technology gaps; (3) Facilitate development of Technology Development Roadmaps; (4) Facilitate decision making over distributed teams: Intended PAT end-users are strategic planners and project / technology portfolio managers.

• Knowledge Based Systems, Inc., applied for and was awarded a Phase I and Phase II SBIR Contract through Kennedy Space Center´s SBIR/STTR Program to address NASA's need for a tool for investment decision making support and for knowledge capture.
• Development of prototype web-based portfolio analysis tool.
• Completion of PAT testing and deployment at KSC.
• Developed Spreadsheet Representations for Technology Road mapping.
• Technology transferred to other NASA organization and the U.S. Air Force.

• PAT targets key technology gaps and challenges associated with strategic change management: (i) lack of scientific methods for strategic change management; (ii) lack of information-integrated software tools to support the change management process; (iii) lack of knowledge management mechanisms that capture, store, and leverage corporate knowledge for strategic planning and control.
• Applications of PAT are currently being used by the Air Force and the Army. Investments in PAT after the conclusion of the NASA SBIR project that funded PAT exceeds $750,000 (Tinker AFB).

• A central function of PAT is to facilitate sound project / technology investment decision making as part of strategic change management. Different types of outputs and visualizations are generated by PAT to accomplish this function, including: (1) Risk-Return Portfolio Analysis, (2) Gap Analysis, (3) Sensitivity Analysis, (4) Roadmap generation, and (4) On-Demand Reports.
• PAT is expected to significantly improve NASA's change management capability in the near term. PAT was tested by Spaceport Technology portfolio managers at KSC. It is currently being used by Edgar Zapata at KSC.

Return to NASA SBIR Success Listings