3. Map your technologies and other IP

Once your process map has been drawn up and shared, you'll need to identify the technologies and any intellectual property your organization may possess in this field.

This is where you need your experts and, if necessary, legal advisors specializing in intellectual property. For each of the technologies you have identified, ask yourself the following questions:

• Is it innovative in any way?

• Is it different from that used by your competitors (to the best of your knowledge), and if so, how does this difference stand out?

• Do you own any intellectual property, or could you?

While a macro approach may suffice for process identification, this part requires a relatively precise description of this "technology" and its...