Mapping the Road to Future Projects: Roadmapping as a Balancing and Transformation Process

Based on a longitudinal case study in a large technology-based firm, this article shows how roadmapping can bring about an increased focus on explorative activity and a stronger future orientation in an organization. The case study shows how a radical technology vision, presented in the first roadmapping attempt, contributed to creating an awareness of the value of looking long into the future. This was, however, far from sufficient, and a second attempt with a stronger focus on collaboration and new knowledge generation was initiated to further the desired changeover. Interestingly, the case study points to the significance of visualizations as a means to support knowledge generation, as well as to protect exploration. More generally, we propose how roadmapping can be developed into a balancing and transformation tool associated with mapping as well as the creation of roads.