Organizations have always been challenging software systems to solve newer and more complex problems by pushing the boundaries of the existing technologies. It has been a perpetual race to implement better ways for facilitating operational efficiency, productivity, and saving money through such competent software systems/products.
The ever-changing face of technology on businesses compels organizations to look at various business avenues for their growth and survival.
The importance of technological evolution is well summarized by Lehman’s laws of software evolution, which says:
- Software systems must adapt to changes continuously or they progressively become less desirable
- As a system evolves, its complexity increases unless work is done to maintain or reduce it
- The quality of a software system will appear to be declining unless it is adapted for the changing business and technology environments
To better prepare for the future, changes in technology and markets need to be assessed, not just in terms of potential threats but also as opportunities. For example, technological advancements such as Big Data and mobility have enabled organizations to process large data volumes or scale their systems to billions of users and provide services on mobile devices.
Technology Roadmapping is a process of technology planning to achieve short-term and long-term business goals while adhering to the business vision. It is a structured methodology for exploring and planning relationships between evolving markets, products, and emerging technologies over time.