A project management roadmap is meant to guide your team, not gather dust. Yet in many cases, that’s exactly what
happens. The roadmap gets buried under spreadsheets, forgotten in outdated tools, or left untouched because it's too
hard to maintain or update.
This is more common than most teams realize. In
fact, 42% of project managers don’t follow a defined project management methodology.
These teams are 15% less likely to meet their goals and 16% less likely to finish on time. That’s a lot of wasted time
and effort. But it doesn’t have to be this way.
In this blog, we’ll show you how to create a roadmap document template inside AppFlowy that’s built for real-world use.
With AppFlowy, your roadmap becomes more than a plan—it becomes a living tool your team actually wants to use.
Why Most Project Management Roadmaps Go Unused
Many teams set out to create a project management roadmap, but somewhere along the way, it stops being helpful. To build
a plan that works, you first need to understand what usually causes them to fail.
From being too static to lacking real-time visibility, several common issues can make a roadmap more of a burden than a
tool. Let’s explore the main reasons why roadmaps often go unused and how to avoid those pitfalls.
1. They’re Hard to Maintain
When teams have to jump between tools or search through outdated files just to update a plan, it quickly becomes more
work than it’s worth. If updates aren’t simple and accessible, the plan is likely to be ignored.
2. They’re Too Static
Many guidelines are designed once and rarely updated. But task timelines shift, resources change, and new tasks emerge.
A static document can’t keep up with agile team needs, making it unreliable over time.
3. They Don’t Reflect Task Status
If the framework doesn’t clearly show what’s completed, what’s in progress, and what’s falling behind, it loses its
purpose. Teams need quick insights at a glance to make decisions and stay aligned.
4. They Lack Visibility in Task Dependencies and Stakeholder Expectations
Without clarity on how tasks impact one another—or how decisions affect stakeholder needs—the plan can lead to
confusion, missed handoffs, and miscommunication.
5. They Feel Disconnected from Day-to-Day Work
If the plan exists in a silo, away from where teams collaborate, it starts to feel like a formality instead of a tool. A
plan should live alongside the team’s daily workflow to stay relevant and actionable.
When a roadmap isn't part of your team's daily habits, it loses its value fast. To make it stick, it has to be easy to
update and visible during regular check-ins or planning sessions. When it lives in the same tool your team already uses,
it becomes more natural to maintain and more likely to shape the way your team works.
Build It Fast with a Flexible Roadmap Document Template
AppFlowy makes it easy to get your roadmap up and running. Instead of spending hours building a layout from scratch, you
can use a pre-built roadmap document template. With flexible blocks, drag-and-drop options, and customizable properties,
the setup process is smooth. You can start quickly, personalize your content, and make updates whenever needed.
AppFlowy’s approach starts with flexibility. Here’s how to get started using a step-by-step setup based on agile best
practices:
Step 1: Open AppFlowy and Choose The Roadmap Document Template
This template gives you a head start by providing a flexible, customizable structure. You can start building your plan
right away without having to design from scratch.
Step 2: Arrange Your Layout Using Drag-and-Drop Blocks
Once inside the template, begin adding your content. AppFlowy’s drag-and-drop blocks let you organize your layout based
on your task outline, so it’s easy to visualize key elements at a glance.
Step 3: Customize The Blocks to Match Your Initiative
Each workflow has different goals. Use titles for key milestones, write short notes or deadlines, and add checklists to
break work into actionable tasks tailored to your specific initiative.
Step 4: Restructure Freely to Reflect Changes and Dependencies
As your project evolves, you can shift the order of tasks or sections with ease. Group related tasks together and
clarify task dependencies so your team can manage changes without confusion.
Step 5: Add Key Properties to Stay Aligned
Assign due dates, tag responsible team members, and use color-coding to highlight priorities. These features help ensure
clarity and alignment with stakeholder expectations throughout the lifecycle of the plan.
Your roadmap doesn’t need to be complex. With a flexible roadmap document template, your team can get organized and stay
on track, no matter what stage of the project you're in.
Adapt Your Roadmap to Match the Stages of a Project
A good project management roadmap isn’t one-size-fits-all. Tasks move through different stages—from planning to
execution to review—and your roadmap should reflect those changes.
AppFlowy allows you to customize each section to match the current phase. That means you’re not stuck with outdated
information. Instead, your roadmap becomes a living tool that changes with your work.
The table below breaks down what to include at the different stages of the project and how AppFlowy can support you
along the way.
| Stage | What to Include | How AppFlowy Helps |
|---|---|---|
| Planning | Goals, resources, timelines | Add text blocks, attach files |
| Execution | Tasks, owners, deliverables | Use checklists, assign team members |
| Review | Feedback, changes, next steps | Add comment blocks or sync notes |
| Wrap-up | Final reports, results | Link to summaries, archive content |
Your project management roadmap should grow as your project grows. AppFlowy allows you to adapt quickly without needing
a redesign. Each part of your roadmap can reflect the real stages of a project, whether you're planning, executing, or
wrapping up. Recognizing the stages of a project ensures your strategy aligns with the work at hand and keeps your team
focused on what matters most.
Keep It Useful with Clear Project Status Updates
The best roadmaps are the ones that show where things stand right now. With AppFlowy, it’s easy to keep your roadmap
updated with real project status updates. Checklists show progress, status tags add clarity, and synced views ensure
consistency across your documents.
These simple tools help your guidelines stay useful, even as your project evolves through different stages of a project.
That way, your team always has a clear view of what’s happening throughout every stage of a project.
A roadmap document template only stays useful if it’s kept current. Use these methods to make your roadmap live and
actionable, and ensure you're always providing up-to-date project status updates:
- Use checklists to mark off completed tasks so everyone can see what’s been done and what’s left.
- Apply status tags to clearly label tasks as "Not Started," "In Progress," or "Completed."
- Create synced views so updates made in one place appear across all linked views, saving time and reducing confusion.
When teams see real project status updates every time they check the roadmap, it becomes part of the workflow. It’s no
longer just a document—it’s a single source of truth that gives your team clarity through timely project status updates
and supports regular reviews and updates.
Bring Your Roadmap to Life
We understand how frustrating it can be to build a roadmap that no one ends up using. That’s
why AppFlowy is built to support plans that stay relevant, flexible, and easy to update as your
project changes.
With AppFlowy, you can build a clear and flexible project management roadmap using a ready-to-go roadmap document
template. You can map out real stages of a project, track progress with simple tools, and keep your team aligned with
project status updates.
Download AppFlowy to learn how to create a project roadmap that supports your
initiative, aligns with stakeholder expectations, and helps you create a plan your team will actually follow.