The Flow Roadmap is a living artifact that helps you sequence the changes needed to improve flow, guided by real signals,not guesses or top-down plans.

Flow Roadmap

Unlike traditional project roadmaps, the Flow Roadmap:

  • Focuses on decisions, not deliverables
  • Prioritizes systemic change, not reactive fixes
  • Evolves through learning loops, not static plans

🧩 What makes a good flow decision?

Before adding a decision to the roadmap, ask:

  • What triggered it?
  • What flow outcome are we aiming to improve?
  • What kind of intervention is it?
  • How will we know it worked?

Then,and only then,ask:

📌 Where should it go on the roadmap?

Use the Now / Next / Later framework to place each FDR:

Position Description Use it for…
Now In progress or ready to implement High-impact, high-feasibility decisions with low risk
Next Planned or being shaped Medium-risk decisions that need prep, alignment, or dependency resolution
Later Valid options, not yet feasible or urgent Exploratory decisions or ideas with unresolved constraints

🧭 How to prioritize flow decisions

Balance these three prioritization lenses:

1. Impact

  • How many people or teams will this decision affect?
  • Will it meaningfully improve delivery speed, clarity, or autonomy?
  • Is it likely to shift systemic flow outcomes, not just local pain?

✅ Focus on high-impact decisions that address persistent blockers or affect key capabilities.

2. Feasibility

  • Is the decision achievable with current capacity or constraints?
  • Can it be piloted safely?
  • Are stakeholders aligned enough to proceed?

✅ Move forward with decisions that are within reach,and don’t require a 12-month reorg to get started.

3. Root Cause vs. Symptom

  • Are we solving the underlying flow issue, or just treating side effects?
  • What other decisions depend on this one being made first?

✅ Prioritize decisions that unlock progress on other flow struggles.
❗Avoid applying fixes to symptoms without first addressing upstream causes.

🔄 Flow roadmapping is iterative

  1. Apply a decision
  2. Reflect after implementation
  3. Adjust or add follow-on decisions based on what you’ve learned

Each decision feeds the next:

“Now that we’ve split this team and reduced handoffs, we can simplify the platform interface they use.”

🔗 Understand dependencies between decisions

  • Some decisions are standalone. Others are sequenced.
  • Use arrows or swimlanes to show dependencies.
  • A platform change might depend on a team structure shift.
  • Reducing cognitive load might require clarifying ownership first.

💡 Tips for facilitating roadmap discussions

  • Use sticky notes or cards per FDR
  • Group by theme (e.g., platform, ownership, coordination)
  • Ask: “What’s blocking the next level of improvement?”
  • Revisit the roadmap monthly or after major FDRs are implemented
  • Keep decisions visible,even if they’re in “Later”

If you are interested in implementing Flow Decision Records in your organization, we have a sample playbook.

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