Integrating Roadmapping into Technical Planning

OVERVIEW:Developing a roadmap within a single product line or a single autonomous business unit is relatively straightforward. A substantial body of literature exists on the process of generating roadmaps at the product, group or business-unit level. However, additional factors need to be considered when extending roadmapping to an integrated view of several highly autonomous business units. The customer base, the rate of product turnover, and the planning horizon will vary across business units. The architecture of the integrated roadmaps and the model for supporting the process should fit the structure and organization of the company. Additional issues also can be anticipated in areas including the scope of roadmapping, the level of detail in the roadmaps, the security of the roadmap information, and the use of a standard taxonomy to integrate information from diverse organizations.