Definition
A standardized scale that defines levels of technology maturity.
In detail
Technology Readiness Level (TRL) is a scale from 1 to 9 used to uniformly describe the maturity of a technology from concept to mature application. It addresses the problem of inconsistent understanding of technology maturity across teams and provides a common language for technology assessment, investment decisions, and risk management. In the system, TRL is often used together with TRA as the yardstick for assessment. Unlike other maturity models in project management, TRL focuses on the technology itself, not on process or organizational capability. The 1–9 level scale comes from common NASA/U.S. Department of Defense practice; there is no first-hand Danaher TDP document in the library that gives specific level definitions. The output of TRL is usually a level value, accompanied by the corresponding definition and evidence requirements.
Example in practice
A manufacturing company introduced a new automated inspection technology, and the supplier claimed the technology was mature. To make an objective judgment, the company's technical department used the TRL scale to rate the technology. They found that the technology had been verified in a laboratory environment (TRL 4), but had not yet been verified in a relevant real-world environment (TRL 5 not reached; actual production line operation is TRL 7 or above). Based on this, the company decided to first run a small-scale pilot and accumulate data before full rollout. The TRL rating helped both parties communicate the technology status clearly and avoided investment mistakes caused by misunderstandings.