Conducting qualitative research on behalf of technology customers over the past 20 years, it has been interesting to see the shift in expectations among their clients, when it comes to sharing their product roadmap. Gone are the days when clients were asking to see product roadmaps out of curiosity. Nowadays, they’re an essential tool in helping CIO’s, to plan and deliver on their IT strategy – with an increased emphasis on digital transformation, digital workflows, platform consolidation, and AI; and a desire to use software out of the box, over customization.
I’m thrilled to be working with one of our most progressive clients to move away from the traditional route of sharing their tech-focused roadmap as a part of quarterly business reviews (QBRs) to more of a dedicated presentation – with emphasis on how customers have helped drive the roadmap, overlayed with a strong focus on innovation, and on customer outcomes and business goals. They’re also integrating their Chief Innovation Officer into the process, to help support delivery, and training on how to best present the roadmap – with a strong focus on helping clients realize the maximum potential value from their software investment.
It’s really refreshing and invigorating to see a global enterprise software company shift the model, and to constantly innovate around known customer needs and desired business outcomes. A lot of companies seek to do this. Very few do so successfully.
If you’re finding new and innovative ways to share your roadmap, I’d love to hear from you… or if you’re looking for your vendors to do a better job, drop me a line too. It would be great to hear from you.
Thank you!
David Sly, President (davids@idebamarketing.com)
