{"id":1432,"date":"2022-01-26T13:47:50","date_gmt":"2022-01-26T13:47:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/quantiv.com\/?p=1432"},"modified":"2023-02-02T11:03:11","modified_gmt":"2023-02-02T11:03:11","slug":"how-road-maps-can-help-your-business","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/quantiv.com\/how-road-maps-can-help-your-business\/","title":{"rendered":"How &#8216;road maps&#8217; can help your business"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"fusion-fullwidth fullwidth-box fusion-builder-row-1 fusion-flex-container nonhundred-percent-fullwidth non-hundred-percent-height-scrolling\" style=\"--awb-border-radius-top-left:0px;--awb-border-radius-top-right:0px;--awb-border-radius-bottom-right:0px;--awb-border-radius-bottom-left:0px;--awb-flex-wrap:wrap;\" ><div class=\"fusion-builder-row fusion-row fusion-flex-align-items-flex-start fusion-flex-content-wrap\" style=\"max-width:1248px;margin-left: calc(-4% \/ 2 );margin-right: calc(-4% \/ 2 );\"><div class=\"fusion-layout-column fusion_builder_column fusion-builder-column-0 fusion_builder_column_1_1 1_1 fusion-flex-column\" style=\"--awb-bg-size:cover;--awb-width-large:100%;--awb-margin-top-large:0px;--awb-spacing-right-large:1.92%;--awb-margin-bottom-large:0px;--awb-spacing-left-large:1.92%;--awb-width-medium:100%;--awb-spacing-right-medium:1.92%;--awb-spacing-left-medium:1.92%;--awb-width-small:100%;--awb-spacing-right-small:1.92%;--awb-spacing-left-small:1.92%;\"><div class=\"fusion-column-wrapper fusion-flex-justify-content-flex-start fusion-content-layout-column\"><div class=\"fusion-image-element \" style=\"--awb-margin-bottom:30px;--awb-caption-title-font-family:var(--h2_typography-font-family);--awb-caption-title-font-weight:var(--h2_typography-font-weight);--awb-caption-title-font-style:var(--h2_typography-font-style);--awb-caption-title-size:var(--h2_typography-font-size);--awb-caption-title-transform:var(--h2_typography-text-transform);--awb-caption-title-line-height:var(--h2_typography-line-height);--awb-caption-title-letter-spacing:var(--h2_typography-letter-spacing);\"><span class=\" fusion-imageframe imageframe-none imageframe-1 hover-type-none\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" alt=\"How road maps can help your business \" title=\"How road maps can help your business\" src=\"https:\/\/quantiv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/How-road-maps-can-help-your-business.jpg\" class=\"img-responsive wp-image-1433\" srcset=\"https:\/\/quantiv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/How-road-maps-can-help-your-business-200x113.jpg 200w, https:\/\/quantiv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/How-road-maps-can-help-your-business-400x225.jpg 400w, https:\/\/quantiv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/How-road-maps-can-help-your-business-600x338.jpg 600w, https:\/\/quantiv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/How-road-maps-can-help-your-business-800x450.jpg 800w, https:\/\/quantiv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/How-road-maps-can-help-your-business-1200x675.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/quantiv.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/How-road-maps-can-help-your-business.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/span><\/div><div class=\"fusion-text fusion-text-1\" style=\"--awb-font-size:12px;\"><p>Chris Conway<br \/>\nChief Architect, Quantiv<\/p>\n<\/div><div class=\"fusion-text fusion-text-2\"><p>You\u2019ll have heard the term \u201croad map\u201d a lot last year. After all, the Government\u2019s strategy to relax England\u2019s Covid-19 restrictions was known as the \u201croad map out of lockdown\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>But is it the \u201croad\u201d or the \u201cmap\u201d that is the key to finding a solution to a problem?<\/p>\n<h3>How do you solve a problem?<\/h3>\n<p>To resolve an issue, you\u2019ll need to decide on specific steps (i.e. your route), so you can plot your course of action.<br \/>\nHowever, you must also have access to <a href=\"https:\/\/quantiv.com\/from-big-data-to-good-information\/\">information<\/a> about possible options and what to do if, or when, circumstances change. What happens if you stray, or get blown, off course?<\/p>\n<p>In any journey, you\u2019ll typically:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Know the start and end points<\/li>\n<li>Look at a map to get possible routes<\/li>\n<li>Identify milestones along the way<\/li>\n<li>Use a map to consider alternative routes if conditions change<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div><\/div>\n<p>So, the \u201cmap\u201d is more important than the \u201croad\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>And the same can be said for <a href=\"https:\/\/quantiv.com\/about\/why-use-quantiv\/\">IT projects<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h3>Why IT teams need maps<\/h3>\n<p>In IT, the immediate priority is often to decide what to do, i.e. decide on a &#8220;road&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p>But to do that \u2013 and decide what to do later \u2013 it\u2019s important to understand what could be done.<\/p>\n<p>In other words, a map is needed.<\/p>\n<p>IT system designers and architects must interpret the interactions between the operational and IT functions of your organisation, and then manage those interactions.<\/p>\n<p>To do this, an understanding of the technical capabilities (and constraints) of IT is needed. And it\u2019s also essential to understand how your <a href=\"https:\/\/quantiv.com\/\">business<\/a> runs.<\/p>\n<h3>Understanding your business processes<\/h3>\n<p>Often, the IT capability is the easiest issue to understand (at least for anyone &#8220;techy&#8221;).<\/p>\n<p>The \u201cwhat is possible\u201d aspect is usually clearly defined, and changes follow a linear path. Meanwhile, capabilities increase over time as new technologies replace earlier methods of working.<\/p>\n<p>But your <a href=\"https:\/\/quantiv.com\/the-ghost-of-changes-past\/\">operational processes<\/a> are much less clear. And if they are defined, this will often be through ad hoc descriptions that vary from process to process.<\/p>\n<p>At worst, definitions are simply suggested for current practices. Equally, processes vary almost randomly, following business opportunities as they arise.<\/p>\n<h3>What is your business model?<\/h3>\n<p>But even within apparently chaotic operational processes, there\u2019s always an underlying theme. This fundamental thread is your business model, i.e. the characteristics of your organisation that persist over time.<\/p>\n<p>Defining your business model in a simple, consistent way is essential for guiding early and future developments.<\/p>\n<p>Here, the purpose of this model isn\u2019t to support a single decision. Instead, it\u2019s to give your organisation a <a href=\"https:\/\/quantiv.com\/services\/\">tool<\/a> to consistently answer the IT team\u2019s questions, and those of other teams. Without this tool, answers are usually ad hoc and only relevant for the short and medium term. But with it, answers are both consistent and reflect the continuing theme of your business.<\/p>\n<p>To sum up, the model aids understanding and provides a critical link in a system development process.<\/p>\n<h3>How NumberWorks can help<\/h3>\n<p>You can use our <a href=\"https:\/\/quantiv.com\/services\/numberworks\/\">NumberWorks<\/a> method to help create a definition of the major activities within your organisation and the changes they bring about.<\/p>\n<p>This useful tool is your \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/dictionary.cambridge.org\/dictionary\/english\/road-map\">road map<\/a>\u201d for identifying your critical data and turning it into meaningful information.<\/p>\n<p>To find out more, call the Quantiv team on 0161 927 4000 or\u00a0email:\u00a0<a href=\"mailto:info@quantiv.com\">info@quantiv.com<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>You\u2019ll have heard the term \u201croad map\u201d a lot last year. After all, the Government\u2019s strategy to relax England\u2019s Covid-19 restrictions was known as the \u201croad map out of lockdown\u201d. <\/p>\n<p>But is it the \u201croad\u201d or the \u201cmap\u201d that is the key to finding a solution to a problem?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1433,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v22.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>How &#039;road maps&#039; can help your business - Quantiv<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"You\u2019ll have heard the term &quot;road map&quot; a lot last year. 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