Roadmap Management
Roadmap management and roadmap planning is closely aligned to project management, but it is not a project management approach. Roadmaps are used to provide a helicopter view of feature development which is grouped according relevancy and interdependency. Roadmaps work hand in hand with Agile development methodologies and provide a method to fragment complex features into smaller tasks or features for development.
The use of Roadmaps provide the the following benefits :-
The source of a roadmap will ultimately be the original prioritisation (as illustrated in Prioritisation Determination) of features and the resultant project spreadsheet or Gantt chart. The detailed project information needs to be distilled into a variety of different versions depending on the audience. Roadmaps can be used a sales tool to highlight "what is coming" and to inspire long-term adoption of the product or service. Complex tasks or sprints of two weeks are defined as major features with corresponding sub features. In relation to the Sprint, further prioritisation will be determined via a MoSCoW analysis. The following illustrates a typical project plan source which would predominately be used internally.
Roadmap management and roadmap planning is closely aligned to project management, but it is not a project management approach. Roadmaps are used to provide a helicopter view of feature development which is grouped according relevancy and interdependency. Roadmaps work hand in hand with Agile development methodologies and provide a method to fragment complex features into smaller tasks or features for development.
The use of Roadmaps provide the the following benefits :-
- Universal representation of product/feature development during and after development budget agreement
- Ability to track progress in simple terms on a regular basis closely aligned to tradition project management documentation
- Illustrates interdependencies with other associated products
- Can be distilled for a variety of readers albeit within the business or to customers
- Communicates the company product strategy to the market place
The source of a roadmap will ultimately be the original prioritisation (as illustrated in Prioritisation Determination) of features and the resultant project spreadsheet or Gantt chart. The detailed project information needs to be distilled into a variety of different versions depending on the audience. Roadmaps can be used a sales tool to highlight "what is coming" and to inspire long-term adoption of the product or service. Complex tasks or sprints of two weeks are defined as major features with corresponding sub features. In relation to the Sprint, further prioritisation will be determined via a MoSCoW analysis. The following illustrates a typical project plan source which would predominately be used internally.
Next is an example of how active Roadmap Project Plans can be converted into a Highlevel Roadmap that is simpler to appreciate and discuss. During roadmap reviews tasks and features can be highlighted "at risk" and the team can discuss what mitigating action. Again tracking of progress and tasks at risk is usually the responsibility of the Project Manager.