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Tech Radar

Technology choices become deliberate decisions, not reflexes

A Tech Radar is a visual tool for systematically evaluating and categorising technological trends, tools, and methods. It helps the organisation stay focused on the right topics and keep the technology zoo under control.

The radar is not a static document, but the result of an ongoing discourse between engineering, architecture, and management.

Anti-Patterns: The Hype Overload

New frameworks, databases, or AI tools appear almost every week. Without a structured radar, organisations often react reactively: either ignoring innovations for too long (and getting left behind) or jumping on every trend (and drowning in technical complexity). A missing radar leads to inconsistent decisions across different teams.

The Four Quadrants

We evaluate technologies across four categories and four maturity levels:

  1. Quadrants:
    • Techniques: Methods such as Micro-Frontends or GitOps.
    • Tools: Tools such as Terraform, GitHub Copilot, or Prometheus.
    • Platforms: Infrastructure such as Kubernetes, AWS, or Vercel.
    • Languages and Frameworks: Programming languages and libraries such as Rust or React.
  2. Maturity Levels (Rings):
    • Adopt: Proven standards. We use these technologies by default.
    • Trial: Promising. We test them in initial pilot projects.
    • Assess: Interesting. We monitor the development and keep learning.
    • Hold: Stop. We no longer use this technology for new projects.

The Process: Transparent Decisions

Every entry on the radar comes with a brief rationale. This creates clarity for developers and confidence for management in investment decisions.

AI tools and language models in particular belong on the radar before a team uses them in production. The radar settles which technology is mature enough; which model is approved on which data is then settled by AI Governance.

FAQ

Who gets to decide what goes on the radar?

The radar is moderated by an expert panel (e.g. Architecture Guild), but any engineer can submit proposals. It is an instrument for democratising technological knowledge.

Are we not allowed to use a technology in the Hold ring at all?

In existing projects, yes (maintenance). But for new projects it is off-limits, so as not to increase technical debt further. We want to consolidate the stack over time.

What is the radar good for in budget planning?

It steers the innovation budget to where demonstrable business value emerges, instead of spreading it across every hype. The entries in the Trial ring show which few bets deserve targeted funding, turning the assessment into a steering of investments.

References

Related topics

  • AI Governance, the control over AI models and data that builds on the radar's approvals.
  • Innovation, the innovation section that frames Tech Radar.
  • Neuland Index, the index that places Tech Radar in the wider handbook.