Roadmaps within Lifecycle Manager provide a structured platform for mapping out both short-term actions and long-term strategies, ensuring that IT initiatives are not only planned but also financially viable and aligned with the business's fiscal calendar.
Roadmaps are essential for visualizing and organizing IT initiatives across different time frames as they facilitate realistic budgeting and actionable plans that address identified IT concerns and align with business objectives.
Key Features of Roadmaps
Fiscal year alignment
Alignment with Fiscal Year alignment
Customization to Client’s Fiscal Settings:
- You can align the Roadmap to match the start date of your client's fiscal year, ensuring that all planning and budgeting activities are synchronized with their financial calendar.
- By default, all new Initiatives on the Roadmap align with the current quarter as determined by the fiscal settings.
Navigating the Roadmap:
Quarterly Navigation:
- The Roadmap interface includes a calendar toggle that allows you to view past or future quarters. This feature is crucial for planning or reviewing past activities.
- A quick return option, labeled Current Quarter, resets the view to the current fiscal quarter, simplifying navigation.
Managing Roadmap Budgets
Quarterly and Annual Budget Planning: Quarterly budget summaries
Roadmaps facilitate financial oversight by automatically calculating budget requirements for both scheduled and unscheduled initiatives.
- The Roadmap summarizes budget line items at the top of each quarterly column. This includes one-time and recurring fees, providing a clear overview of financial commitments.
Budget Line Item Details:
Automatic Calculations:
- As initiatives are added to the Roadmap, associated costs are calculated and displayed. This automatic feature ensures that all financial data remains updated and accurate, reflecting any changes or additions to the initiatives.
Annual Budget Overview:
The Roadmap aggregates quarterly budgets for broader financial planning to give a snapshot of annual financial commitments. This overview is instrumental for strategic fiscal alignment and helps communicate budget needs and constraints to clients effectively.
Practical Applications
Scenario Application:
Suppose you are planning IT initiatives that span several quarters. You can set the Roadmap to align with the client’s fiscal year, input initiatives as planned or arise, and then adjust the dates as necessary to reflect changes in scheduling or prioritization. The Roadmap will update financial summaries accordingly, providing continuous insight into budget impacts.
Streamlining Client Reviews:
During quarterly business reviews (QBRs), the Roadmap can be used to present a clear and concise view of past actions and plans. This demonstrates proactive management and aligns ongoing IT initiatives with the client’s broader business goals and fiscal considerations.