INNOVATION ROAD MAPS

4.23.2009

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Roadmaps help define the who, what and why data of the innovation effort. A living document, the roadmap provides ongoing situational description of the innovation activity. It also acts as a database map for lots of other content relating to the development effort allowing users to drill down from the big-picture road map to detailed project plans, marketing and engineering documents or financial analysis documentation.

Depending on the project or development activity, multiple roadmaps may be used. Some of the main types of are: market, strategy, technology, platform, product and visionary roadmaps. Market road maps are used to project how the market will develop over the life cycle of the product. Strategy road maps are often tied to the market road map, but may also contain tactical assumptions. Platform road maps are used by organizations that want to develop product decisions around their core technology or process. Planning how the underlying core platform evolves is therefore extremely important. Product road maps are used to chart out how the product will develop. Visionary road maps, although mentioned last in this sequence are often undertaken prior to the others, as they define the essential aims or themes of the business or organization.

Road map creation is now available in innovation management software such as Accept 360, 280Group and Sopheon's Vision Strategist. Combined with effective database tools, this software combines the visual benefits of roadmaps with integrated drill-down ability. Software such as this allows the user to visualize and predict how external market and technology trends will impact product strategy over time, allowing better decisions on product direction or the introduction of new technologies. Centralization of product development planning information, simplifies the access of the data and utilization of it for roadmaps.

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