March 1, 2013
The “Business Objectives to Roadmap” Cascade helps organizations visualize the links between the 2 concepts.
First, the organization “defines the work to be done based on its objectives. This results in “work” which can be governed via “projects’ or “operations.” Projects are unique and temporary in nature (i.e., there is a beginning and an end). The purpose of a project is to attain its objective & then
terminates when its specific objectives have been attained. Projects are planned, executed & governed by a PM methodology (e.g., PMP). Operations are ongoing & repetitive. The purpose of an ongoing operation is to sustain business. Operations adopt a new set of objectives and the work continues. Operations are planned, executed and governed by an “operational manual.”
Second, the organization needs to prioritize the “work.” Most organizations prioritize the 2 segments of work independently. This often can result in issues since an “operations” person might be needed on a project based on her knowledge of the particular subject domain.
Third, the organization needs to “schedule” the work. Since most organizations face some type of constraint (e.g., finance, resource, time, etc…) the list of prioritized work generated in the second step may need to be adjusted. The end result is a Gantt chart (aka a Roadmap) of prioritized work that the organization needs to complete in order to satisfy its objectives. It’s that simple.
