Project Management roadmap: a complete guide

A project management roadmap provides project stakeholders with a visual overview of the proposed project track, including its goals, deliverables, execution, and more.

It is a clear representation of the expected path of a particular project, from conception to implementation and completion. No matter how well-thought-out a project is, several factors affect its success. Knowing what to expect will prepare your team to tackle any challenges that may arise in the future. 

However, like project management tools, a project management roadmap is only as effective as the experts who create it. 

This post will serve as a complete guide to project roadmap planning so you have all the information you need to create an effective project management roadmap. 

Let’s get started!

TL;DR

• A project management roadmap is a visual guide that outlines key project components, such as goals, timelines, milestones, and deliverables. It helps project collaborators stay on track and manage stakeholder expectations. 
• There are different types of project management roadmaps, including Agile roadmaps for flexibility, Timeline roadmaps focused on schedules, and Gantt charts for detailed task tracking.
• A well-done project management roadmap makes it easy for project managers and team collaborators to remain accountable, prioritize tasks properly, communicate effectively and manage risks, ensuring smoother project execution.
• Break your projects into manageable tasks, link dependencies, and clearly outline deliverables and milestones. Use tools that support communication and real-time updates. Every roadmap should include project goals, milestones, deliverables, timelines, resources, dependencies, and potential risks.
• Luna simplifies stakeholder alignment and engagement throughout the project lifecycle. Create customized views of the roadmap for different stakeholders. Automatically notify and follow up with them to contribute to milestones. Ensure they stay informed about key changes in timelines and scopes, helping to manage risks and course-correct in a timely manner

What is a roadmap in project management?

A roadmap in project management is a visual representation of a project's key components, including timelines, deliverables, activities, and milestones. It gives stakeholders a high-level view of the project's status, progress indicators, and final goals.  

When created and used properly, a project management roadmap can significantly improve your team's project management and help you achieve goals faster. It also helps you determine how effective your team is by allowing you to compare expectations and the reality of how the project went. This helps you create more realistic roadmaps in the future based on your team's perceived strengths and weaknesses. 

Benefits of a project management roadmap

Your project management roadmap is the bridge that connects your objectives to your outcomes. It provides a clear understanding of what you are building and your desired goals. Let’s explore the benefits of having a project roadmap. 

‍Improved accountability

A project roadmap keeps you and your team accountable by providing a view of who is responsible for each task and the associated deadline. It also helps you allocate resources responsibly for each phase of the project. 

Strategic prioritization

With a project roadmap, you’re able to see which tasks should be prioritized so the project can move forward. In cases where priorities shift, the roadmap still helps you remain aligned with your goals. 

Better coordination and communication

A well-done project roadmap keeps collaborators and stakeholders in sync throughout the project’s lifecycle. Everyone can communicate with each other and note expected deliverables to avoid miscommunication and delays. 

Improved visibility

Project management roadmaps clearly show stakeholders and collaborators their different roles in the project. This allows everyone to ask important questions, share ideas, and spot problems. 

By better planning and aligning with stakeholders throughout the project lifecycle, you will improve the predictability of your project and increase the likelihood to deliver on time and per expectations. 

Strategic risk management

With project roadmap planning, you can proactively identify and reduce possible risks before they become serious. Visualizing possible risks at different stages of the project enables you to devise contingency plans to ensure the project stays on track with the estimated timeline. 

Who creates the project roadmap?

Project managers create project roadmaps to visualize a project in its entirety from conception to completion. These professionals usually create roadmaps to help with:

• Team progress tracking
• Guide project collaborators to prioritize decisions
• Track deliverables
• Spot roadblocks
• Manage project dependencies and stakeholder expectations 
• Communicate progress. 

Typically, a project manager develops an overview of the entire project and then uses this roadmap to break each stage or milestone into simpler tasks for easy assimilation. 

Types of project roadmaps

Choosing the right type of roadmap depends on the complexity and timeline of your project. Here are the main types:

Agile roadmap

Designed for agile project management, this roadmap helps teams break projects into short, adaptable sprints. Using agile methods like Scrum and Kanban, it allows for flexibility and quick adjustments as the project progresses. 

Timeline roadmap

Focused on tracking key milestones, deliverables, tasks, and resources, a timeline roadmap provides a clear visual of the project's schedule. It helps teams compare estimated timelines with actual progress and make adjustments as needed.

Gantt roadmap

Combining elements of a Gantt chart with a high-level roadmap, this format displays a timeline of tasks, milestones, and dependencies. It allows teams and stakeholders to see how different phases align over time, offering a detailed view of the project’s structure.

Tip: Gantt roadmap vs Timeline roadmap

While both Gantt and timeline roadmaps illustrate project schedules, Gantt roadmaps go further by showing task dependencies. This added layer helps teams understand how different parts of the project are interconnected, enabling better real-time adjustments.

Elements of a typical project management roadmap

Every project management roadmap is different, but it ultimately serves the same purpose. A solid project management roadmap should also be easy to understand, collaborative, and dynamic. 

How you create your project roadmap (whether detailed or more summarized) largely depends on what your audience wants to see. For example, your investors may only need to see that each major and defining milestone is completed instead of every single task that is completed. 

The best roadmap software you use to create and share roadmaps should allow you to tailor them to the needs of various stakeholders, from high-level overviews to detailed task monitoring. 

Here are the key elements of a typical project management roadmap. 

• Project goals: The purpose and desired outcome of the project
• Significant milestones: Major points in the project’s timeline. This shows completed project phases or important deliverables. 
• Deliverables: Important outputs that the project will produce at different phases to meet the overall goal. 
• Timeline: A schedule of the project showcasing when each deliverable or milestone should be completed. 
• Resources: Outlines the important human, equipment, and financial resources needed to complete your project successfully to ensure its feasibility.
• Dependencies: The clear relationship between milestones and tasks showcases how the completion of one stage of the project depends on the completion of another stage. 
• Risks: Potential issues that could affect project completion, such as budget constraints, personnel unavailability, or technical challenges. Include possible solutions to each risk. 

These elements help stakeholders and collaborators clearly see the overall direction of the project at every stage. 

How to prepare a roadmap for project management

Once you understand every element that should be included in your PM roadmap, you can create one that fully encapsulates every important aspect of your project. The following steps will help you create a solid project management roadmap. 

Step 1: Break your project into chunks

It's easy to get carried away with the overall scope of your project, especially if it’s a big one. To create a strong roadmap, you should break your project into smaller, manageable chunks by identifying specific milestones and tasks that must be completed to advance to the next stage. Keep in mind the existing dependencies and how these milestones affect the proposed completion time of the project. 

Example: Assume you’re managing the mobile app development for a client. You can break this project into simpler chunks like:

• Research & planning: User research, outline key features.
  Milestone: App requirements finalized.
• Design: Create and approve UI/UX mockups.
  Milestone: Final design approved.
• Development: Build backend and front-end and integrate APIs.
  Milestone: Beta version ready.
• Testing: Perform tests and fix bugs.
  Milestone: Bug-free app.
• Launch: Deploy the app and monitor performance.
  Milestone: App successfully launched.

Now, you have a clearer picture of what to do at each stage, who to engage with, and what milestones to check. 

Step 2: Clearly state project tasks

Mapping out the project's tasks at each stage ensures every collaborator knows what to do without needing to be told. This helps everyone stay organized and on track. It also makes it easy to hold people accountable for missed deadlines or unsatisfactory work. 

Example: For the mobile app development project, you can map out your project like this:

• Research: UX designer gathers user insights and prepares a report.
• Design: The team creates wireframes and UI mockups for approval.
• Development: Developers build the user login, integrate APIs, and ensure backend functionality.
• Testing: The QA team runs tests and reports bugs.
• Launch: The marketing team prepares the launch plan, and the developers handle the app deployment.

Everyone with access to the roadmap knows who is responsible for what milestone and can easily communicate with them when necessary. 

Step 3: Link dependencies

Linking task dependencies is important as it lets all collaborators and stakeholders know which tasks must be checked off before others can begin. Ensuring these dependencies are linked in your roadmap helps you keep track of your overall project timeline and ensure each stage is completed without any delays. 

Example: For the mobile app development project:

• Design depends on research: UI/UX mockups can only start once the designer completes user research.
• Development depends on design: Developers cannot start coding until all designs are approved.
• Testing depends on development: QA can only start testing after the beta version is built.
• Launch depends on testing: The app launch happens only after the final bug fixes.

Step 4: State your deliverables, milestones, and timeline

Once you complete the steps outlined above, it's time to set your deliverables and milestones. Be realistic when setting your timeline and ensure it works for the entire team. Keep the dependencies and individual tasks in mind, and leave a little wiggle room for setbacks or delays so they don’t completely derail the project's progress. 

Tip: Look for a project management roadmap tool that lets you incorporate all these steps and manage your project effectively. A good PM roadmap tool should have the following:

• Timeline views and Gantt charts
• Metrics for goals 
• Stakeholder alignment features
• Phases, deliverables, and milestones
• Set tasks and due dates with corresponding assignees
• Streamlined communication 

Best practices for project management roadmap 

Following best practices will make it easier for you to create functional project management roadmaps. 

• Use templates: A project roadmap template provides a comprehensive structure and format for presenting information in a visually appealing way. 

• Regular reviews: Review and update your roadmap regularly to ensure it still reflects the project stage and make adjustments accordingly. 

• Assign ownership: Assign clear ownership of various items in the roadmap so collaborators and stakeholders have a point of contact for any issues. 

• Allow feedback: Create a 360-degree feedback loop for continuous improvement as the project progresses. 
• Realistic timelines: It’s always better to underpromise and overdeliver, so ensure your timelines for different stages of the project are not unrealistic.  

How Luna helps you create the perfect project management roadmap

It is important to keep your stakeholders actively involved at key stages of the project lifecycle, and Luna makes it easy. It provides stakeholders with a clear view of the project’s progress, making it easy for them to spot discrepancies and ensure timely corrections. 

With Luna, you can create better project management roadmaps with the following features:

• Customized views: Tailor your roadmap for different audiences. This way, every collaborator and stakeholder sees the information they need to see. 
• Robust templates: Standardize project processes including milestones and key responsibilities, deliverables, and more.
• Automated workflows & notifications: Involve the right stakeholder at the right time to keep them in the loop of changes/updates in the process. 
• Change management & risk monitoring: Automatically notify relevant stakeholders of key changes in plans, flag potential risks in the project timeline and devise strategic solutions. 
• Update stakeholders via their preferred tools: Share insights via popular tools like Slack, docs, slides, and emails. 

Explore Luna’s offering here.