Strategic Roadmaps or Orphan Projects

Do you enjoy sitting around a table with incredible business minds, indulging in a delicious meal and thought-provoking conversations? I do. It fills my cup of curiosity and sprinkles ideas on how I can add more value in the work I do with my clients.

Recently I was confused sitting at such a table. The conversations about ways of working were being driven by glossary sales brochures promising savings yet there was no mention of the organisation’s business change strategy.

Maybe the confusion was triggered by a moment I had about seven years ago when I was engaged to provide planning services for an Office 365 rollout. I won’t go into the details, but after speaking with a number of different stakeholders in the organisation it was obvious the trigger to invest in Office 365 was based on a sales promotion offering 30% savings on licence fees rather than how the technology could support virtual ways of working, cross function team collaboration, elimination of duplicate documents in email inboxes, and so on…there was no strategy. And yes, I did recommend the project should not proceed at that time.

I believe all projects are change initiatives in a strategic roadmap and should not appear as an orphan piece of work. Even regular small change of continuous improvement activities is from a strategic decision and plan – for example an organisation that wants to demonstrate a growth culture. 

Orphan projects can be a priority distraction, consume capacity better else allocated, sabotage change momentum or not achieve an acceptable return on investment.

A good business strategic roadmap guides an organisation’s approach to implementing change involving people, process and technology. It should be clear, actionable, and flexible enough to adapt to emerging trends and external influences.

Here’s a suggested table of contents to be included: 

1. Executive Summary

This is a high-level overview of the strategy including the main goals, the reasons behind the change, and what the organisation hopes to achieve.

2. Introduction

Provide the background of the organisation and the need for the change. It could include the current market situation, competitor analysis, and the identified internal challenges that the change aims to address.

3. Vision and Objectives

Outline the vision for the future of the organisation and the strategic objectives. The vision should be ambitious but achievable.

4. Current State Assessment

Provide a thorough review of the current maturity of the organisation understanding staff skills, business processes, customer interactions and IT systems. This can help identify the gaps and opportunities for change.

5. Stakeholder Analysis

Identify the key stakeholders who will be impacted by the changes, including staff, customers, partners, and suppliers. Include their roles, responsibilities, potential concerns, and how to engage with them.

6. Roadmap

This is the path from the current state to the desired future state. Include the key projects, timelines, resources, and success metrics. This roadmap should be high-level for the entire change journey but detailed for the next 6-12 months.

7. Technology and Process

Detail the technologies and processes to support the changes. This could include cloud computing platforms, data analytics tools, customer relationship management (CRM) systems, cybersecurity measures, etc.

8. Impact and Change

Provide details for managing the organisational change and how to support staff. Include business impact assessments, communication plans and training. Remember to maintain the stakeholder analysis and engagement plan.

9. Governance

Explain how the changes will be managed and who will be responsible for decision-making. Include structures for project management, advisory or reference groups, risk management, and delivery assurance.

10. Risk Assessment and Mitigation

Identify potential risks related to the change journey. For each high risk, propose a mitigation strategy.

11. Measurement and Evaluation

Define how success (benefits) will be measured. This could include operational metrics like improved efficiency, financial metrics like increased revenue, or customer metrics like improved satisfaction scores.

12. Budget and Financing

Outline the funding plan and provide a forecast budget that includes staff, contractor, supplier costs plus goods and services like software and logistics.

13. Conclusion and Next Steps

Wrap up the strategy document by summarising the key points and outlining the next steps, such as stakeholder meetings, pilot projects, or the start of a specific initiative.

Keep in mind that a good business strategic roadmap should be a living document. As the projects progress, the roadmap should be regularly reviewed and updated to reflect any changes in business priorities, technology trends, or market conditions.