Understand
The six-stage roadmap
Move forward only when the next stage has an owner and enough evidence.
| Stage | Question | Output |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Frame | Which business decision or delay matters? | Outcome, scope, exclusions |
| 2. Observe | How does work and information actually move? | Process and system map |
| 3. Baseline | What is happening now, under what conditions? | Metric definition and evidence |
| 4. Prioritize | Which opportunity balances value, effort, risk, readiness, and adoption? | Scored backlog |
| 5. Pilot | Can a bounded future state work with real exceptions? | Tested workflow and decision |
| 6. Roll out | What standards, training, support, and reviews are needed? | Owned release plan |
Understand
Ownership checklist
Name a person or role for each item; a department name alone may hide the decision.
| Reference | Input or decision to establish |
|---|---|
| 01 | Business outcome and funding |
| 02 | Process rule and exceptions |
| 03 | Source-data definition and quality |
| 04 | System access, security, and integration |
| 05 | User acceptance and training |
| 06 | Measurement and benefit validation |
| 07 | Post-launch incidents and changes |
Apply
Dependency map
For each opportunity, record dependencies under process, data, systems, people, security, commercial, and continuity. Mark whether each must be resolved before pilot, before rollout, or can be monitored after release.
Review
Pilot selection example
Suppose three candidates are shift reporting, maintenance requests, and invoice extraction. Shift reporting may have strong process consistency and available data; maintenance may first need asset cleanup; invoice extraction may have high volume but variable documents. Score with evidence, then choose the candidate that tests important assumptions without putting critical operations at undue risk.
Review
Roadmap review questions
01Did the baseline use representative periods?
Record the decision, responsible owner, supporting evidence, and follow-up action.
02Are capacity and cash benefits separated?
Record the decision, responsible owner, supporting evidence, and follow-up action.
03Can the current systems support the proposed boundary?
Record the decision, responsible owner, supporting evidence, and follow-up action.
04Are failure, fallback, and rollback explicit?
Record the decision, responsible owner, supporting evidence, and follow-up action.
05Who accepts the workflow and who operates it?
Record the decision, responsible owner, supporting evidence, and follow-up action.
06Which assumptions will the pilot test?
Record the decision, responsible owner, supporting evidence, and follow-up action.