DEV Community

Cover image for How Is a Project Roadmap Different from a Detailed Project Plan?
Writegenic AI
Writegenic AI

Posted on

How Is a Project Roadmap Different from a Detailed Project Plan?

Level of Detail

A project roadmap provides a high-level overview of the project, while a project plan offers a task-level breakdown. In the plan, each task might include start and end dates, task owners, and resources. In the roadmap, the focus is on the big picture and strategic direction.

Audience and Purpose

Roadmaps are primarily communication tools meant for stakeholders, sponsors, and executives. They help align everyone around the long-term vision. The detailed plan is a management tool used by the project team to organize and execute the day-to-day work.

Flexibility vs Precision

Because roadmaps operate at a higher level, they offer more flexibility and can be adjusted when priorities shift. Project plans are usually more precise and therefore more time consuming—and costly—to adjust.

Top comments (0)