Future-Aware Lifecycle Technology Radar (FLTR)

Abstract

Purpose: Technology radars help organizations assess options and decide when to adopt them. The Thoughtworks Technology Radar, for example, uses the categories Adopt, Trial, Assess, and Hold (Thoughtworks, 2026). Such recommendations are valuable, but a single edition does not necessarily show a technology's full history or an explicit five-year outlook. Supply chain decisions benefit from bringing these perspectives together.

Methodology: This paper proposes the Future-Aware Lifecycle Technology Radar (FLTR), a concentric-ring model in which the inner, middle, and outer rings represent past developments, present adoption, and possible future changes over the next five years. Technology paths connect these perspectives while distinguishing documented evidence from projections.

Findings: The paper explains the conceptual design and illustrates its use for supply chain management (SCM). Its contribution is an accessible, time-based view intended to improve the structure and transparency of strategic technology discussions. The model's decision-making benefits remain to be tested in practice

Unique Contribution to Theory Practice and Policy: The paper recommends exploring the FLTR model as a complementary tool for strategic technology assessment in supply chain management. Future research should empirically evaluate its usability, practical applicability, and effectiveness in improving technology adoption decisions across organizational contexts.