![\"ProjectManager's](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/portfolio-roadmap-light-mode-webp-e1723229198497.webp\")
<\/a>What Is a Product Roadmap Template?<\/h2>\n
A product roadmap template is a strategic document that outlines the vision, direction and timeline of a product’s development. It provides a high-level view of the product’s key goals, features, milestones and initiatives. This helps the team align priorities, track progress and communicate plans with stakeholders. There are various types of product roadmaps.<\/p>\n
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- Strategic roadmaps<\/a> outline the product’s long-term vision, goals and strategic direction.<\/li>\n
- Feature roadmaps focus on the specific features or capabilities to be developed and released over time.<\/li>\n
- Release roadmaps detail how and when features or products will be launched.<\/li>\n
- Technical roadmaps speak to technical improvements, infrastructure or platform changes.<\/li>\n
- Timeline roadmaps visually represent the timeline of tasks, features or initiatives.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
When making a product roadmap, keep in mind that it\u2019s a high-level overview, not a detailed one. However, it should be actionable, highlighting key initiatives and milestones.<\/a> The roadmap should also evolve based on customer feedback, sales input and performance data, so it should be flexible. These are also living documents, which are shared with stakeholders, including marketing, sales, customer support and the executive team. They should be reviewed and updated regularly.<\/p>\n
![\"Product](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Product-roadmap-template-2.png\")
ProjectManager’s free product roadmap template for Excel<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Why Use a Product Roadmap Template?<\/h2>\n
There are several advantages to using a product roadmap template. For one, it provides structure and consistency to streamline processes and save time. It’s also a great tool to improve communication<\/a> across departments and external stakeholders to ensure everyone is on the same page.<\/p>\n
Using this template forces managers to prioritize features, goals and initiatives based on business needs, customer feedback or strategic direction. This guides decision-making<\/a> and prevents the introduction of unnecessary features that can lead to scope creep.<\/p>\n
Product management<\/a> is dynamic, as we stated above, and a product roadmap offers a clear and organized way to update it over time. This makes it easier to iterate and track progress by producing reports, managing dependencies and documenting delays. It also improves the larger strategic planning by clarifying the big picture and aligning with business goals.<\/p>\n
Who Is This Product Roadmap Template For?<\/h2>\n
The number of professionals who can use this free template is vast. Anyone involved in the development, management and execution of a product can use it. Some of those people are listed below.<\/p>\n
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- Product managers<\/a><\/li>\n
- Development and engineering teams<\/li>\n
- Design teams<\/li>\n
- Marketing teams<\/li>\n
- Sales teams<\/li>\n
- Customer support teams<\/li>\n
- Executives and leadership<\/li>\n
- Investors and stakeholders<\/li>\n
- Business analysts<\/li>\n
- Quality assurance (QA) teams<\/li>\n
- Customer success teams<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
When Should You Use This Product Roadmap Template?<\/h2>\n
There are several key stages of the product development process to use this template. It’s critical to planning, communicating and tracking progress.<\/a> Below are some specific points in the product life cycle to use the template.<\/p>\n
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- At the beginning of a new product or feature development<\/li>\n
- Aligning teams around product strategy<\/li>\n
- Communicating with stakeholders<\/li>\n
- During agile<\/a> or iterative product development<\/li>\n
- Managing multiple product versions or roadmaps<\/li>\n
- Preparing for product launches<\/li>\n
- Evaluating product progress and adjusting strategy<\/li>\n
- Responding to market changes or customer feedback<\/li>\n
- Managing dependencies<\/a> between teams or projects<\/li>\n
- Forecasting and planning long-term product development<\/li>\n
- Seeking external feedback<\/li>\n
- Managing product backlog<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
What\u2019s Included in This Product Roadmap Template?<\/h2>\n
Once users download the product roadmap template, they will have a fully customizable document. They can add their company logo or add and subtract as necessary to match their process. The template outlines the basics for a product roadmap which we explain below.<\/p>\n
Timeline<\/h3>\n
The timeline<\/a> is divided into weeks, months and quarters to show task duration. It also helps with tracking progress and managing expectations.<\/p>\n
Tasks and Activities<\/h3>\n
The product development tasks are the actions that need to be executed to deliver the final product by the deadline.<\/p>\n
Deliverables<\/h3>\n
Deliverables are created to fulfill the product objective. They can be tangible or intangible items created en route to the final product.<\/p>\n
Team<\/h3>\n
There’s also a column to list the teams involved in the product development process. This shows the activities of each department and how they will work together in developing the product.<\/p>\n
Related Product Templates<\/h2>\n
Other free templates can help when building a product roadmap. Our site has over 100 free project management templates for Excel and Word that cover every aspect of managing projects across multiple industries. Here are just a few that help with product management.<\/p>\n
Strategic Plan Template<\/a><\/h3>\n
A strategic plan captures a company\u2019s future vision, goals and objectives. Often this includes introducing new products or revised products into the marketplace. Use this free strategic plan template for Word to create a target that is shared with everyone to help them work together and meet that goal.<\/p>\n
Strategy Map Template<\/a><\/h3>\n
Use this free strategy map for Excel to create a visual representation of the cause-and-effect of the company\u2019s strategic objectives. This allows everyone to slow down and consider the objectives from different perspectives to ensure the decisions are right for the whole company.<\/p>\n
Gantt Chart Template<\/a><\/h3>\n
The product roadmap is like a Gantt chart that can show multiple projects. To focus on one project, use this free Gantt chart template for Excel. It lists all the project tasks and their duration. As the data is entered on the left, it automatically populates a visual timeline to the right.<\/p>\n
ProjectManager Is Better Than a Product Roadmap Template<\/h2>\n
While a static template has some benefits, it is ultimately unfit to manage the development of a product from start to finish. It\u2019s simply inefficient to take time away from the job to manually add data to the template. It’s also a poor collaborative tool, especially when coordinating between departments. Instead, product development is better served by project management software. ProjectManager<\/a> is award-winning project and portfolio management software with powerful roadmaps that do everything a template can, but updating in real time and linking to other tools are essential in getting that product to market on time and within budget.<\/p>\n
Track Costs and Budgets in Real Time<\/strong><\/h3>\n
A product roadmap template isn\u2019t equipped to track costs and help the project stay within its budget. But product managers can get a high-level overview of costs by toggling over to the real-time project or portfolio dashboards. Live data is automatically collected and displayed on easy-to-read graphs and charts that show costs, but also time, workload and more. Customizable reports<\/a> go deeper into the data and secure timesheets streamline payroll while providing a window into labor costs.<\/p>\n
![\"Project](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Dashboard-IT-Light-2554x1372-1.png\")
<\/a>\nBalance Resources to Stay Productive<\/strong><\/h3>\n
One way to keep on schedule is by monitoring and adjusting resources as needed. The product roadmap<\/a> feature can schedule resources and when onboarding team members, managers can set their availability, including PTO, vacation and global holidays as well as skill sets. This helps make assigning easier. Then, managers can view the team page or color-coded workload chart to see who is overallocated or underutilized. From that page, they can balance the workload to keep everyone working at capacity without risking burnout.<\/p>\n
![\"Resource](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/workload-page-resource-management-lightmode.png\")
<\/a>\nRelated Product Content<\/h2>\n
There is more to product management than a product roadmap template. For those who want to read more about what product management is, get other free templates and more, follow the links below.<\/p>\n
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- What Is Product Management?<\/a><\/li>\n
- 15 Free Product Management Templates for Excel, Word and More<\/a><\/li>\n
- RICE Framework for Prioritization in Product Management<\/a><\/li>\n
- How to Create a Product Roadmap: Examples & Templates Included<\/a><\/li>\n
- Plantilla de hoja de ruta del producto para Excel (gratis)<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- 15 Free Product Management Templates for Excel, Word and More<\/a><\/li>\n