Why a Tech Roadmap?
Roadmaps provide direction
When driving, a roadmap guides the journey so that the trip is fastest or the trip passes by major points of interest or even to be sure the trip avoids specific areas of traffic congestion or so on. Roadmaps give information to know at this moment “where to go next” on a longer journey.
A technology roadmap serves a similar purpose. It outlines specific milestones where a team will deliver a useful, measurable technical product or improvement. These milestones are arranged in a specific order, laid out on a timeline. The roadmap does NOT need to be a project plan or GANTT chart. It can be an outline, a boxes-and-arrow drawing, a chevron diagram, or (yes) a GANTT chart.
In the end, a successful roadmap presents the viewer with information describing what a technology organization is doing and will do in coming sprints, months, or quarters.
Defining a Roadmap
Roadmaps provide a high-level overview of what work a technical team will do in coming months and quarters. It is NOT a detailed plan. It is not a detailed timeline or promise. It shows the anticipated route a technology team will take to advance larger business goals and strategies.
Differences Between Roadmaps and Project Plans
To illustrate the differences between a roadmap and project plan, consider:
- Level of Detail: Roadmaps are high level. They describe bundles of work that will advance a corresponding business goal. Project plans are detailed and focus on specific tasks, resource allocations, and day-to-day timelines.
- Document Focus: Roadmaps answer high-level questions like “what will be delivered?” or “why are we doing this?” and thus connect back to business objectives. Project plans answer the question “how will we do this?”.
- Timeframes: Roadmaps are typically measured in months, quarters, or even years. Project plans are for specific projects and typically look at coming days and weeks. (A project plan can have a total duration of years! But it looks at things on a day-to-day basis…)
- Flexibility: Roadmaps will change as business goals evolve, budgets change, or other situations emerge. Project plan focus, typically starting with a baseline with hard objectives, tends to resist change and/or has a well-defined change control process that reduces risk within the project.
If it isn’t clear: project plans will be generated from a roadmap and a roadmap may be updated to reflect the results of ongoing projects. They are complimentary. They are not in conflict or tension with each other!