Path to Production Mapping
Overview
In my past experience of delivery or consultation, Path to Production Mapping has been one of the most commonly used techniques used for software projects, no matter it is a new project in the inception stage, or a long-running project pending a major release. It is an efficient and powerful method to for helping the entire team — especially leadership and stakeholders — understand the journey of a product from code preparation to deployment. It's also a common and recommended practice for Agile development teams.
Typically, it's best to conduct this activity with a cross-functional team, including all necessary participants, to gather information from all dimensions and produce a comprehensive path to production mapping at the end. The team could start refining the process flow, creating a process map or value stream map that details each step from the developer's workstation to production. Throughout this procedure, all roles provide insights from their perspectives, offering a great opportunity to align information. For each step, we may note dimensions such as People Involved, Tools Used, Artifacts Produced, Time Taken, and Pain Points. Once all steps are detailed with these dimensions, the result is a clear and comprehensive path to production mapping diagram. This diagram visualizes the product lifecycle with necessary information for each process, ensuring that the entire team is aligned on the path to production and understands how it looks and how it might be improved in the next stage.
Example
Practical Tips
I have facilitated these activities many times, and here are some takeaways that may help if you are new to this approach:
- Don't Get Stuck on One Step: Sometimes, the team may get stuck on a single step due to a significant gap in understanding or the absence of a relevant stakeholder to provide input. It's helpful to prepare a "parking lot" to place these topics that require longer discussion, allowing the team to move on and maintain efficiency. Once all steps have been reviewed, the team can revisit the parking lot and decide the next steps, such as arranging another meeting and inviting knowledgeable stakeholders to clarify unclear processes.
- Iteratively Review: While you may develop a well-structured mapping at the start of the project, changes in architecture or strategy can make it inaccurate or even misleading over time. Regular reviews and updates are crucial, especially in projects practicing Continuous Delivery, to ensure the mapping remains accurate and useful.
- Use Appropriate Tools: If participants can meet in person, using physical tools like stickers on a whiteboard is highly effective for engagement and efficiency. For remote collaboration, consider online platforms like Mural or Miro to facilitate the process.