# Technology roadmap — editable template

Prepared by: [name]
Business sponsor: [name]
Decision authority: [name or role]
Planning horizon: [period]
Last reviewed: [date]
Next review: [date or event]
Status: Draft / Approved for stated scope / Superseded

Use this original template for your own organization. Replace bracketed fields. The planning labels below are conventions for this template, not forecasts or certification. Retain a copy of each approved version so changes are explainable.

## 1. Business outcome and boundaries

- Outcome: [what should change for customers or the business]
- Baseline: [current observation, source and date; write unknown if not established]
- Desired result: [measure or observable outcome and evaluation period]
- Scope: [products, systems and teams included]
- Exclusions: [what this plan does not cover]
- Sponsor decision needed: [specific approval or tradeoff]

## 2. Planning conventions

- **Now:** work authorized within the stated scope and capacity. Record any remaining conditions.
- **Next:** work being prepared; not a delivery commitment. State the gate that would authorize it.
- **Later:** an option requiring more evidence or capacity. Avoid invented completion dates.
- **Evidence confirmed:** relevant facts checked, with source and date. This is not a probability of success.
- **Evidence partial:** material assumptions remain. Name them.
- **Evidence not established:** investigation required before a commitment.

## 3. Portfolio view

| ID | Business outcome | Initiative | Horizon | Accountable owner | Dependency | Next decision |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| R1 | [outcome] | [bounded change] | [Now/Next/Later] | [name] | [ID or external dependency] | [approval, evidence or review] |
| R2 | [outcome] | [bounded change] | [Now/Next/Later] | [name] | [ID or external dependency] | [approval, evidence or review] |
| R3 | [outcome] | [bounded change] | [Now/Next/Later] | [name] | [ID or external dependency] | [approval, evidence or review] |

## 4. Initiative record — duplicate for each initiative

### [ID] — [initiative name]

- Business reason:
- Baseline and source:
- Desired outcome and evaluation period:
- Accountable owner:
- Delivery owner:
- Required contributors:
- Scope and exclusions:
- Alternatives considered, including defer/do nothing:
- Evidence status and unresolved assumptions:
- Dependencies and their owners:
- Capacity needed, unit and period:
- Capacity actually reserved:
- Budget range, currency and basis:
- Funding status and approver:
- Timing classification: committed date / forecast window / decision checkpoint / no estimate yet
- Timing assumptions:
- Acceptance evidence:
- Outcome review after delivery:
- Stop or reconsider condition:
- Next decision, owner and date/event:

## 5. Capacity and dependency check

- Are the same people allocated to overlapping initiatives?
- Is capacity expressed in the same unit and period?
- Have support, leave, maintenance and existing commitments been considered?
- Has each external dependency been confirmed by its owner?
- What moves if the highest-priority initiative takes more capacity?
- Which work is explicitly deferred?

## 6. Board or sponsor decision summary

1. Business outcome and why action is needed now:
2. Options and material tradeoffs:
3. Recommended bounded commitment:
4. Resources requested and funding status:
5. Principal uncertainty and how it will be reduced:
6. Decision required from the sponsor:
7. Next review and evidence expected:

## 7. Review and change log

| Review date | New evidence | Decision made | Owner | Effect on scope/capacity/timing | Next review |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [date] | [source or observation] | [keep/change/stop] | [name] | [specific consequence] | [date/event] |

Source guide: https://fractionalctoexperts.com/templates/technology-roadmap
Template version: 2026-09-09
Publisher: Fractional CTO Experts