How to use roadmapping for global platform products

Roadmaps are about the future A roadmap describes a future environment, objectives to be achieved within that environment, and plans for how those objectives will be achieved over time. Roadmaps with these basic characteristics are used for planning and forecasting in several applications. Science and technology roadmaps plot the future development of a scientific or technical field, and industry/ government-sponsored roadmaps aim to describe the future of an industry or sector, along with actions to move the industry or sector forward. For example, the International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors [1] sets aggressive goals for the industry and its suppliers, defining the framework within which all participants contribute and compete. Finally, corporations use roadmaps for product, platform, and technology planning, as well as for functional planning in areas such as manufacturing or information technology. An overview and classification of roadmapping applications can be found in Kostoff and Schaller [2]. New applications As corporations find their markets increasingly globalizing, roadmaps are finding new applications in planning development of global platform products that have common architecture and technology underpinnings, but at the same time are differentiated to satisfy regional, cultural, and regulatory market drivers. Roadmaps help manage the complexities of coordinating features and technologies while maintaining the benefits of designing platform-based products. The most important application of roadmapping within a corporation integrates product and technology planning to create a Product-Technology Roadmap. The roadmapping process calls for a cross-functional team that includes the many functions that contribute to the success of a product line T he successful development of a global platform product requires that a product team manage the complexities of producing a series of products at the right costs, with the right features, and using the most appropriate technologies. Product-technology road-mapping leads a team to create a plan that integrates market and customer needs, product evolution, and introduction of new technologies at the beginning of their development journey. The roadmap makes sure that gaps in the plan are identified and can be closed as needed in the future. It also serves as a guide for the team during their journey, allowing them to recognize and act on events that require a change of direction. In its simplest form, a product-technology roadmap lays out the evolution and timing of platform products to serve multiple, changing market segment needs. Exhibit 1 on this page shows one type of roadmap. For products intended for global deployment, a roadmap also incorporates plans for localization of features to meet regional customer needs or national requirements. And for platforms that combine several products or subsystems to create an offer or solution, roadmaps help