A BCG map connects university
researchers

As information continues to get tougher to keep track of, Boston Consulting Group is pushing its proprietary social map to streamline research efforts.

Already, BCG has mapped links among people and corporations that are issuing patents and conducting research, according to Business Week.

By showing managers which researchers are communicating with whom, the mapping allows money to be better focused on developing breakthroughs and potentially shaving years off the research process.

The mapping software works by conducting keyword searches of patent and scholarly databases. The tool then arranges data in the form of a map, connecting like researchers and organizations.