The roadmap is the key document for the implementation of the company’s strategy and contains the basic information about the project. Its goal is to explain ideas and progress on tasks to team members, the client, and others. And also focus all stakeholders on achieving a specific goal.
A roadmap is needed throughout the entire product lifecycle: from idea and development to launch, maintenance, and completion. It allows you to efficiently allocate time, finances, and resources. With its help, you can influence other departments and align them with your product vision. Therefore, the roadmap is not overloaded with details and is easily understandable for every employee.
MAIN ROADMAP COMPONENTS
1. STRATEGY
Why was the project drafted, what are its prospects? What benefits will it bring to consumers and companies, what is the main goal it pursues? The answers to these questions will be the starting point when creating a map.
2. RESULT
What will be the result of the implementation and completion of the project? It can be a document or software, or a physical product.
3. PROGRESS OF THE PROJECT
Typically, the progress of a project displayed on a timeline is a chronological order of the key periods in the project.
4. POTENTIAL RISKS
These can be complexities related to project activities, team members, resources, or external factors. It is very important to assess in advance what problems may lead to deviations from the schedule or increase in the budget.
All of the above points must be considered when creating even the simplest roadmap. They will give a clear understanding to colleagues and customers about the purpose of the project, help everyone interested to keep their finger on the pulse, and keep abreast of changes and innovations on time.
STEPS IN CREATING A ROADMAP
This process begins with a clear understanding of the ultimate goal. When creating a map, it is very important to know where it will ultimately lead.
Next, it is important to determine what will help turn the vision into a result. Which products/actions are better at implementing the company’s initiatives. Set priorities, choose those steps that are most likely to lead to a global goal, project idea.
In conclusion, it is important to define in general terms the deadlines for planned tasks, milestones. Don’t set clear boundaries, as they often move weeks or even months. Let the time frame be broader: indicate only the month, quarter, or even the year of completion of a particular stage.
Thus, we got a three-step top-down scheme for creating a project roadmap:
- A general vision of the goals and stages to which the company is striving.
- Products/activities that will help the team to implement the planned.
- Deadlines for completing each of the stages to achieve the global goal of the organization.
It’s important to remember that a product roadmap is a strategic document. The goals you want to share with management will be very different from the goals that the marketing or development team will see.
This means that it is undesirable to use an identity document for all stakeholders of the project. Why? If investors want to see a roadmap, their priority will be how the goal will help increase the company’s market share.