Roadmap for starting an enterprise. Roadmap as a tool for managing the development of an organization. A document that the cleaning lady can understand

What is a road map or product roadmap? Why is it needed and how to compose it?

Let's look at the 2 most common cases:

You are working with a finished product. It functions, makes a profit, the processes are streamlined.
You have come to a new product that is just planned to be launched.

For the first case, you need to synchronize with internal processes. Understand what is happening at the moment, what goals and objectives are set, and also what role you will play in all this. In this situation, you need a certain action plan that the team adheres to and this is exactly the road map.

For the second case the situation is somewhat different. If you have decided on your goals and roughly charted your course, then all this needs to be reflected somewhere. A strategy with basic tactical steps is also a road map.

Road map, what is it

Wikipedia says that a product technological map is a road map, but I would expand the definition a little. A road map is an action plan that describes the key stages of product development and the means to achieve them.

What problems does it solve?

Reflects the product mission and strategy
Is the main document for implementing the strategy
Shows the main direction of action for key people and the team
Synchronizes all participants in the process, eliminates unnecessary discussions and misunderstandings
Helps answer the question “Why are we doing this?”

What does it consist of?

Use the picture below to understand what parts a road map consists of.

– Describe the mission and goals of the product you are working on

– Determine who will use the road map

management
development
related structures (marketing, sales, finance)
users

Depending on this, the internal content of the roadmap will be built: goals, objectives, etc. A roadmap for development is not the same as a roadmap for management. Goals and objectives will be completely different.

– Determine the type of road map

by purpose
by team
by country
by platform

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Visualization example

I made a roadmap for my latest product (a news site) in Google Sheets, it looked like this.

From left to right: goals, details of tasks, time periods for implementation (highlighted in colors). Breakdown by month. The red vertical line is the date of completion of the work, that is, by the seventh month (July) it is planned to realize all the goals set.

This is only a visual representation of the roadmap, in addition to it there should be a description of the mission and product strategy. This way, you will have a plan in your hands that you can always refer to.

But it is important to remember that a road map is not a rigid guide to action. You can adjust your course, balance between tasks and redistribute resources within the team.

How to make a road map

Excel/Numbers/Google Sheets
PowerPoint/KeyNote
Special services

There is no fundamental difference; the easiest and fastest way, in my opinion, is to display everything in tables. As a fan of Google's cloud services, I prefer Sheets. They are easy to create and even easier to share with all interested parties.

Key Features

A road map is not a backlog. If the backlog is specific tasks that need to be completed within the established deadlines/sprints, then the roadmap is more of a direction and larger steps.
Base your road map on main topics/epics (large tasks) and be more flexible at the level of small features/tasks.
Monitor all changes in the company's strategy and goals. Add them to your roadmap.
Re-prioritize for the long term. Perhaps some tasks are no longer as important as they used to be.

Don't isolate yourself

The main thing to remember is that a road map is not a monolithic structure, but your assistant on the path to a better product. You can create a roadmap for both large and small tasks. There is no strict rule that we should only work with global stages. But even for small ones, you will need to answer the question: “How does this fit with our mission and strategy?” - so do not forget to connect your road map to the main directions of the product.

The problem we are considering here can be formulated in different ways. We can say that we strive to bring order to the company’s business processes, make them transparent and manageable. We can say that we are creating a process management system, or in another way: we are introducing a process-oriented approach to company management.

Whatever you call it, the point is that we want to create workable process controls that enable continuous improvement. We are building an organizational system, and this construction must be carried out on the basis of a certain methodology and technology. No one will undertake to build a house or a ship without mastering the technology for constructing the object that needs to be created. “Organization building” is no simpler than engineering. It also has its own laws and rules, violation of which never goes unpunished. The huge number of unsuccessful projects in the field of “institutional construction” is explained precisely by the fact that the work was carried out without an “architectural project” in violation of SNIP (building codes and regulations). Therefore, in our work to introduce a process approach to management in the company, we will be guided by a strictly defined technology, which is presented in the diagram in the form of a “road map” of the project. We will follow this map step by step, consistently approaching our goal - creating a process management system.

The first point of our “road map” is the identification of the company’s strategy. It is necessary to clearly formulate the basic principles of the company's activities in its target market, defining its customers, the key values that are significant to consumers and the main differences from competitors. This is important because these principles imply requirements for the company’s internal organization, its processes and structure. There is no point in pursuing processes without first defining who they should serve and what they should be like to satisfy customers and provide an edge over competitors. All this stems from market strategy.

The next step is to develop an organizational concept. This is a kind of “architectural design” of our organizational system. It defines the structure and interconnection of processes, as well as the main centers of responsibility and their functions in servicing processes.

The organizational concept serves as the basis for identifying processes and developing an organizational structure. These two tasks are solved in close cooperation. During process identification, their characteristics are determined: inputs, outputs, clients. suppliers, performers, goals and targets. Process executors are determined in relation to the organizational structure, while the structure itself is clarified and detailed.

Using the results of process identification, we can determine performance indicators for performers and create job responsibilities for them. Next, requirements for the job positions of performers, remuneration rules related to performance indicators, process regulations and instructions for performers are developed.

This is the sequence of “construction” of the company’s process management system. Violation of this order inevitably leads to project failure and disappointment for both managers and employees.

We will look at each stage of this “road map” in detail in our next articles.

It is also important that all this “construction activity” is carried out in the form of a project. That is, according to a clearly defined plan with specific deadlines, responsible executors, control and evaluation of results. The project may cover the processes of the entire company or one of its divisions; this must be determined first. Project goals must be formulated in such a way that measurable criteria for success are defined. It is necessary to answer the question: “What business indicators should improve as a result of implementing a process approach?” This could be inventory turnover, reduced logistics costs, increased production volumes, or other indicators.

Then a project team should be formed, which should include representatives of all parties interested in the process: process clients, suppliers, performers and, of course, the process owner. Customer representatives in the company are marketing specialists, and supplier representatives are purchasing specialists. If the project covers all company processes, the project team should include all top managers.

To prepare a project plan, you need to use our “road map”, which contains all the main stages of work.

It is important that the official status of the project is established by order of the General Director, which defines:

Project Manager,
Composition of the project team,
Project goals and success criteria,
Project results,
Project plan.

During the work, it is necessary to conduct weekly reviews of the results obtained and identified problems, and develop solutions to ensure further progress.

Many projects fail due to poor management. The reasons for the high mortality rate of organizational transformations are well known. I will name the three most common.

Lack of attention to the project from the company manager . When the manager believes that it is enough to appoint those responsible and not think about it anymore, then the project uncontrollably “goes to the bottom.” No change in an organization can occur without the strong support of management. The head of the company must demonstrate an unyielding will to change, constantly monitor the progress of the project and remove all obstacles from its path.
Low employee engagement . An extremely unproductive approach to process implementation is one in which business analysts or external consultants develop process regulations, and then managers force employees to work according to these regulations. People resist changes that are imposed on them from the outside. The energy of resistance can be transformed into a driving force for change by involving employees early in the development of processes and working with them all the way to the final results. In this case, people consciously and responsibly carry out the decisions that were developed with their participation.
Wrong methodology for carrying out organizational change . Carrying out organizational changes requires special competencies, knowledge of methods for carrying out changes and the ability to apply them. The methodology for implementing the process approach outlined in our articles makes it possible to reduce the risks of this project. To do this, you need to follow the “road map” and our recommendations.

In the following articles of this series, we will discuss in detail each stage of implementing a process-oriented approach to company management.

Practical guidance on implementing the process approach is given in the electronic training course “How to build a process management system in your company.”

Any company whose business is not built on its knees needs competent planning mechanisms. Corporate Roadmap is a similar practical tool for strategic corporate planning. Unfortunately, due to lack of popularity, it is not widely used in Russian business.

What is the roadmap? This is the supporting document for management's work. It describes steps planned over a long period of time in a structured and sequential manner. Usually this is one, three, four or five years. A business roadmap is one of the management tools in a company or group of companies. It is applicable in organizations with more than 200-300 employees with two or more levels of management hierarchy. Attention is drawn to it by its high efficiency, transparency and visibility, as well as the clarity of the criteria for monitoring and motivating both individual employees and individual structures of the company or holding.

The essence of the Corporate Roadmap

A road map is a set of measures to implement the achievement of the planned result, with a clear definition and audit of the starting point of movement. This is a toolkit for identifying gaps in certain processes and self-tuning of the control system during application.

To solve the problems, you can use two models. The first model allows you to build on accepted practice as you achieve results, step by step. It is used when the previous period's performance is positive and the company has used other planning tools. The second model represents the introduction of a new mechanism entirely. It is necessary in startups, in crisis management, and when changing technologies in the industry.

Corporate Roadmap stimulates those areas of management that will give the maximum effect for achieving long-term goals. Directions in company management are stimulated at all levels of the hierarchy from top management to line managers.

The roadmap is very good at building processes and balancing the distribution of attention between solving short-term and long-term problems. In essence, this document links strategic and operational objectives into a single mechanism. It allows you to find solutions that convey the goals and vision of owners and shareholders to all levels of the company, stimulate research and control the development of events in the right direction.

Corporate Roadmap tools are interconnected and include:

Development of key technologies and competencies.
Risk management and restrictions.
Strategic Marketing Toolkit.
Political management of human resources.
Justification and proper use of investments.
Development and mechanism for implementing solutions leading to the success of the company.
Support of strategic processes.

Step-by-step planning for roadmap development

The roadmap contains information that is of a basic nature for monitoring and managing the process, as well as indicators of the success of movement along the route and tools for working with deviations (compensations).

Map development can be divided into two large stages:

Setting goals and clarifying the real picture of the world.
Setting movement towards a goal with clear results and responsibility for the result: what will happen or not happen when the goal is achieved or not achieved, in what areas, with whom, how significant the results will be.

We set goals and clarify the situation in the company

Step one. In terms of KPIs, the company's flagship goals (primarily in the field of marketing) are defined, associated with a new vision of the future. Goals are set by shareholders and management and then adjusted as they are audited and developed based on the Corporate Roadmap tools. At the same stage, additional (side) goals are established.

Step two. An audit during which marketing and management tools are selected to achieve the company’s goals. At this point, it is advisable to evaluate the opportunities that the company has and determine what new tools it would be advisable to introduce into management practice in order to take advantage of them. It is also important to evaluate the work of all management levels, including motivating managers and reorienting them to more effective methods. The audit may also include an assessment of interaction with third-party organizations, but this work is also impossible without an assessment of the company’s internal processes.

The analysis is carried out in different areas: marketing oscillators, commercial analytics, production capabilities, financial and investment assessment. Heads of the main business divisions, areas and departments participate in the audit process and approval of the findings.

After completing the audit, we receive: first conclusions, a list of blind spots, a list of hypotheses and clear target results. Company owners either immediately receive processes that provide the business efficiency they need, or information that allows them to prepare existing processes to be taken to a higher level. The audit allows you not to miss important stages in the implementation of the developed set of measures, without which the stated goals will not be fully achieved.

Step three. Application of recommended tools. Corporate Roadmap tools are applied based on the objectives identified during the audit. The task of this stage is to get an answer to the question through what approaches the set goals will be achieved. What are the best practices that will allow us to do this? Analyzing successful strategies will not only help you find new ideas, but will also help you determine whether business process reengineering is necessary to implement them.

The third stage covers a wide range of issues and areas:

Implementation of section planning, setting milestones, automation.
Changes in technological processes.
Control lever in the area of control points and identified white spots.
Attracting and engaging human resources.
Implement effective processes for quickly applying incoming data.

As a result, we define the leading three “goals – objectives – approaches” and formulate a concept that will be implemented.

Setting movement towards goals

Step one. Determine the starting position. To do this, we start from the audit results. The starting position is the starting point of the improvement route and the basis for further success. It includes the presence or absence of a necessary and sufficient list of managerial, production, financial and marketing “weapons”. As a result of elaboration, we receive a block of the Corporate Roadmap document that describes the situation now “as is” - a description that is shared by all participants in the implementation.

Step two. We define action steps in various areas with indicators. This section may contain several scenarios. Each scenario (case) describes the structure of the stages and their sequence. Each stage answers the question of what will be done and why. Each stage can be detailed by area of responsibility. For example:

Product planning (portfolio).
Planning opportunities and identifying implementations in management practice.
Segment Capture Planning (panel).
Investment calculations.

At the end of the development of this block, we receive confirmation from the responsible persons of the route along which the movement will take place; if necessary, broken down by cases and areas of responsibility (subplans).

Step three. Implementation. This step describes the roadmap implementation plan. This is the main interactive block, for which either an elected official (personally) or a department (collegially) must be responsible. Motivation and demotivation, powers - everything must be described in detail and approved. The task of the stage is to develop a system of interrelated actions.

The action plan provided for by the roadmap can be compiled in the form of a table with the following fields:

Stage/substage number.
Main activity.
Case.
Start and end dates (plan / actual).
Expected results.
Significant control results of the stage.
Informing about the result (who, when).
Responsible.

In essence, this is a schedule for the implementation of the roadmap, which allows you to control the process and links the timing of results to given points in time with the introduction of rapid response (strategic focusing). It is very important that actions are provided to monitor these indicators, control results and deadlines.

When developing a roadmap, it is necessary to take into account the content of interrelated documents. This will allow the actions envisaged by it to be correlated with other planned actions in order to avoid overlaps, conflicts of resources, duplication, contradictions and other confusions. Which documents should be reviewed first to identify any inconsistencies? First of all, the company’s main documents: the company’s annual report and investment projects. It is also important to study basic documents: marketing and production planning documents, R&D and development data, analysis of capabilities by profile. And it is necessary not to forget about additional documents reflecting the state of existing projects and programs. The accounting of related documents occurs at the end of the “Implementation” stage.

A document that the cleaning lady can understand

Were you able to create a working toolkit in the end? Can the Corporate Roadmap project be formalized into a final document? In order to understand this, we use a simple checklist:

Minimum administrative resources, maximum practical results.
Clarity, simplicity, clarity, clarity and transparency of the final document. It should be understandable to any employee of the company, from the cleaner to the top manager.
Fast movement to the goal. Moving from stage to stage is easy, deadlines are controlled, reports are received on achievements and gaps are eliminated.