Spreadsheet for Technology Radar

Introduction

The management tools help to link the conceptual ideas of technology and innovation towards the more practical tasks performed by R&D managers. Each module will therefore introduce one tool related to the module's topic, explain how it works, and ask you to practice it once.

This module's tool is the technology radar. Fortunately, the organization that developed and promoted this tool has also created an online platform allowing others to create their own technology radar. We will use this tool to develop our own technology radar.

Instructions

Each team is going to develop its own technology radar displaying the technologies it deems relevant for their organization, locating them in quadrants, and most importantly evaluating their level of readiness for adoption.

Step 1: pick your organization

As a first step, pick the organization you will develop a technology radar for. This could be the firm you are currently working for (or like to work for), your favorite fast-food restaurant chain (like Burger King or Wendy's), large employers in the area (like HII's Newport News Shipyard), or a branch of the military (Army, Navy, Air Force).

Step 2: select the technologies

Select at least 15 emerging and mature technologies that are most relevant for your organization.

If you unaware of technologies, consider this list: 3D-glasses; 3D-printing/4D-printing; 5G/6G networks; AI/machine learning; airless tires; AR/VR; autonomous vehicles; blockchain; cloaking and stealth; cloud computing; Crispr; crowdfunding; cryogenic treatment; cryptocurrency; cultured meat; DNA-based analysis; drone technology; electric vehicles; encryption; exoskeletons; face recognition; fintech; foldable screens; gesture recognition; graphene; holography; internet-of-things; laser; LED lighting; lithium-ion batteries; magnesium batteries; m-commerce; mRNA technology; nanoparticles; nanotubes; neural interfacing; nuclear fusion; plasma propulsion; quantum computing; RFID; robotics; satellite internet constellation; smart speakers/virtual assistants; smartphones; smartwatch; solar panels; spray-on fabric; supersonic flying; tablets; virtual teams; wireless sensors.

Alternatively, this Wikipedia page also keeps track of new technologies.

Step 3: create your technology radar

Create a Google Spreadsheet file with the following columns:

name: the name of the technology

ring: whether the technology is Adopt, Trial, Assess, or Hold (only use these rings and type them exactly like this)

quadrant: the tool only allows for Techniques, Platforms, Tools, and languages-and-frameworks (typed exactly like this). To keep it simple: techniques means technologies for the production process, platforms means technologies for the product itself, tools means technologies for managing people, and languages-and-frameworks means other support activities.

isNew: whether the technology was already considered a year ago, answered as TRUE or FALSE (typed exactly like this).

status: whether the technology changed in rings compared to last year, with the options new, moved in, moved out, or no change.

description: a short description of the technology and how the organization will use it.

Your spreadsheet should look like this example.

Step 4: create your technology radar

First, share your Google Spreadsheet: click on the Share button, set General Access to 'Anyone with the link' and click on the Copy Link button. Now visit [login to view URL] , enter the URL of your Google Spreadsheet, and build your radar.

If the technology radar does not look as you had expected, it is probably because there are mistakes in the spreadsheet: it is important to type the names of columns and labels exactly like the example.

Step 5: submit

Once you have successfully created your radar, it has a unique URL in the address bar. Copy and submit this URL.

Estimated time

The total time spent on this tool should be around 90 minutes: 30 minutes to watch the video and 60 minutes to apply the tool to the case with your team.

Submission

Please submit your team's technology radar by copying the URL and submitting it through this Canvas page.

Example

Here is an example of a technology radar created for ODU. This spreadsheet file with technologies, their level and quadrant, and the intended use results in this technology radar.

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