Mapping dependencies, building roadmaps

Mapping dependencies and building roadmaps is almost impossible without a toolset designed to support this kind of work.

In practice, there is only so much space on a whiteboard, limited real estate on a wall for sticky notes before everything becomes cluttered, or only so many pages in a journal before keeping track of priorities becomes difficult.

Spreadsheets may for suffice for lists of limited sizes but come near impossible when mapping dependencies etc.

Tools also provide additional functionality, such as:

• Setting deadlines
• Managing states, including:
  • To do
  • Doing
  • Awaiting feedback
  • Blocked
  • Done
• Mapping timelines into Gantt charts
• Linking dependencies, such as:
  • Blocked by
  • Relates to
  • Etc.

Tools also allow you to associate links to documents and whiteboards on cards, email directly to a card, and link chat groups to specific work items.

Developer task hierarchies such as:

• Roadmaps
• Goals
• Epics
• Features
• Stories/Tasks
• Sub-tasks

…enable portfolio management from the executive level right down to the day-to-day work being done on the ground.

Aligning company strategy with projects and everyday tasks helps ensure that the main things remain the main focus.

Reporting capabilities within these tools also enable the monitoring of ways of working as well as the outcomes teams produce, offering real-time insight into how teams and individuals are performing.

These insights can then feed back into process improvements or people-related interventions where required.