Roadmaps are one of the best and most important tools for project/product teams. When done well, road maps provide tremendous value. When done poorly, I hear things like this from BAs and product owners:
- “Road maps are a joke around here.”
- “We don’t follow it anyway, what’s the point?”
- “Oh, you mean the ficticious road map?”
- “I can’t even understand this road map my leader gave me, this is a joke!”
- “I haven’t had time to collaborate with anyone on the road map, so I just put something together to meet a deadline. It won’t stick anyway!”
Road maps should be a useful guide for the team through the solution lifecycle. Like any artifact that provides value over time, road maps must be fluid and change throughout the year. If your road map is created and never looked at again, it’s time to take another look at how your road map is developed, maintained and used by the team.
When reviewing your road map, consider the following questions:
- Is your road map a living document that changes as needs and priorities change?
- Do items on your road map get reprioritized, resorted, deleted and added as the year goes on?
- Does the road map align with a larger strategy? Are changes to the road map aligned with a bigger purpose?
- Does everyone impacted by the road map understand the customer point of view and have a value mindset?
- Is your road map visible and transparent so the team can see it and discuss it often?
Want to know more about high-value road maps? I’m here to help, contact me to learn how to bring value to this important tool!