Business Roadmaps: Connectors for Success

Molly Lee
10 July 2024

Roadmaps are more than a plan to achieve your business goals. They are a visual representation that connects all the work, time, and people necessary to make your business succeed.  

When building your roadmap, consider working with a third party who has the experience and knowledge to understand your business and ecosystem. Roadmaps offer a holistic view of your business and can benefit from being strategically built with the help of a partner who can view things objectively.  

Understand the Large and Small Picture 

Roadmaps are a way of showing how small things apply to the business as a whole. An effective roadmap starts with outlining and prioritizing the company's primary initiatives. This step is typically done with the leadership team or the key stakeholders. It’s also important to have a comprehensive understanding of your organization’s ecosystem. You need a clear understanding of the tools your company already has, what tools they may need, and any additional resources required.  

Once the top initiatives are identified, it’s time to work your way down the organization. Pinpoint the various departments or individuals necessary to complete these objectives and work with them to understand the detailed tasks required to achieve them. 

Organize the Timeline 

A complete list of priorities and a detailed outline of what needs to be accomplished to achieve them is most effective when using a timeline. Define annual goals and break them down into what needs to be accomplished each quarter. From there, each team or individual responsible can determine detailed schedules of how to meet each quarter’s goals. 

By mapping out the timeline in conjunction with both the high-level and detailed initiatives, you can gain a clearer understanding of how much time is required to meet each goal. 

Experience the Benefits 

  • Capacity Planning: People and time are finite. You only have a certain number of employees and there is only so much time. A well-executed roadmap allows you to effectively allocate time and resources. 

  • Visual Cause and Effect: When it comes to deciding what work gets done, it’s easy to succumb to prioritizing what the loudest person in the room wants. Your roadmap allows your employees to visually show the cause and effect of adding or removing different initiatives. 

  • Cost Reduction: Because your roadmap allows you to see both the detailed and bird's-eye view of your organization’s initiatives, you can plan your budget accordingly. A strong roadmap will help you avoid piecemeal spending, which is associated with greater costs over time.  

  • Employee Buy-In: A detailed roadmap allows your employees to see their work's direct impact on the company. It offers transparency and can give your employees a greater sense of belonging. 

Designed to be Durable 

A successful roadmap is built to be flexible to your company’s needs, which is why we recommend reviewing it quarterly. The economic climate is prone to rapid shifts, and your roadmaps should be able to adapt to them. Whether it strategically makes sense to shift priorities or to stay with the plan you have, a complete roadmap breaks down what initiatives and tasks need to be completed, the technology and tools you need, and the people necessary to succeed.  

 

Are you interested in building a roadmap that propels your business forward?

Contact the Adage team to learn more about our strategy services.

Molly Lee



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