A well-structured Jira roadmap is essential for product managers and teams looking to align priorities, track progress, and communicate strategies effectively. Whether you're planning a new feature release or managing multiple initiatives, Jira's built-in roadmap features provide a clear, visual way to stay on track.
In this guide, we'll cover how to set up a Jira roadmap, best practices for keeping it updated, and how Scoper can help automate roadmap adjustments based on changing requirements.
What Is a Jira Roadmap?
A Jira roadmap is a high-level overview of a product's goals, initiatives, and upcoming releases. It helps teams and stakeholders visualize work over time, ensuring alignment across departments.
Jira offers two types of roadmaps:
- Basic Roadmaps – Available in Jira Software, ideal for small teams tracking short-term goals.
- Advanced Roadmaps – Part of Jira Premium, designed for larger teams handling cross-project dependencies.
For a detailed breakdown, refer to Atlassian’s official roadmap documentation.
How to Create a Jira Roadmap
1. Set Up a Roadmap in Jira
Jira makes it easy to build a roadmap directly within your project:
- Navigate to your Jira project.
- Click on "Roadmap" in the left sidebar.
- Add epics to represent major features or initiatives.
- Break epics into stories and tasks for execution.
- Assign timelines and dependencies to visualize progress.
2. Organize Roadmap Items by Priority
A roadmap should clearly communicate what matters most. Use Jira's drag-and-drop interface to adjust priorities, and color-code epics for better visibility.
3. Track Dependencies and Risks
Managing dependencies is crucial for roadmap success. Jira allows you to:
- Link related tasks and epics.
- Use Advanced Roadmaps to visualize cross-team dependencies.
- Identify risks and blockers early.
4. Keep Your Roadmap Updated
A roadmap is a living document, not a one-time plan. Teams should regularly update it based on:
- Sprint reviews and retrospectives.
- Stakeholder feedback.
- New priorities or unexpected delays.
How Scoper Enhances Jira Roadmaps
While Jira provides powerful roadmap features, keeping roadmaps updated manually can be time-consuming. Scoper simplifies this by:
- Automating roadmap updates based on real-time Jira changes.
- Detecting new risks and dependencies, so teams stay informed.
- Delivering AI-powered insights in Slack, ensuring PMs get relevant updates without constantly checking Jira.
Start Building Smarter Roadmaps Today
A well-maintained Jira roadmap is key to product success. By leveraging Jira's roadmap tools and enhancing automation with Scoper, teams can ensure their plans stay aligned and actionable.
Try Scoper for free and see how it streamlines roadmap management.
