7. Tools and Processes - Examples 2 and 3

Example 2: Annual and Quarterly Planning Process (Roadmap)

The second example focuses on the annual and quarterly planning process, commonly referred to as the roadmap. While there is an entire course on product vision and roadmaps, here we’ll discuss the role that Product Operations plays in facilitating this process.

Challenges at VTEX

At VTEX, we previously didn’t have a formal roadmap definition process. The product culture was still relatively new, and there was no clear way to track the execution of plans. On top of that, we recently underwent a significant change in how we approach company goals. We transitioned from using OKRs to a new framework based on the 3 Laws of Performance, which was introduced through consulting and a book guiding our entire planning process.

Redesigning the Process

Given these changes, we needed to redesign the planning process from scratch. Of course, this wasn’t done solely by Product Operations—we worked closely with Product Leadership and Product Marketing to develop the process. However, Product Operations played a crucial role in documenting everything, communicating with all stakeholders, scheduling necessary meetings, collecting feedback, and ensuring that the process was as efficient as possible.

Product Operations is responsible for ensuring that the roadmap process is useful for all stakeholders, including not only the product team but also Sales and customers. The process we designed is still evolving, but it now includes everything from the templates used to define goals to how we communicate with external stakeholders, especially customers. A key part of our role is also tracking execution, ensuring that the plans made during the roadmap process are actually carried out.

Tools and Rituals

At VTEX, we’re currently using Aha! to manage our roadmap. In our roadmap, we have themes or large initiatives for the year. These themes are linked to the efforts of various product teams, and sometimes a single theme is worked on by multiple squads. With the dashboard in Aha!, we can track which squads are involved, how they’re progressing, and whether or not they’re on track. This tool has become invaluable for both Product Leaders and Growth Teams.

We’ve also established a monthly ritual around the roadmap, where we present to the entire company not just the latest product launches, but also updates on key KPIs, progress on the roadmap, and any significant changes to the product strategy. This ritual, done in partnership with Product Marketing, has been critical for reinforcing the product execution rhythm within the company.

Example 3: Product Structure Tool

The third example is about a product structure tool, which is more common in larger organizations. While you might implement roadmaps at any company size, having a tool to visualize the structure of the product teams is something that becomes more valuable as the company grows.

The Challenge

As VTEX grew, it became difficult to track who was part of which squad. With over 300 people in the product organization, it wasn’t always clear where each engineer or PM was allocated. This presented challenges not only on a micro level—for example, if someone needed to know who was responsible for a specific part of the checkout team—but also on a macro level. Product leaders needed to know whether squads were balanced in terms of skills, and if adjustments or new hires were necessary.

The Solution

We created two parallel solutions. The first was to use Pingboard, a tool that was already in use for organizational hierarchy. We expanded its use to track where each person was assigned at the squad level, along with their role (e.g., Back-end Engineer, Front-end Engineer, Product Manager).

Second, we built an actionable dashboard using the data from Pingboard’s API. The dashboard allowed users to quickly see which teams were over- or under-staffed, the ratios of PMs to engineers, and the balance of engineering managers to engineers. This tool was used by product leadership to make decisions about hiring and team restructuring.

Validating the MVP

The current version of this tool is more sophisticated, but we initially built it using a simple Excel sheet and Data Studio to test the concept. In less than a month, we set up Pingboard, generated the dashboard, and validated the value of the tool. This MVP allowed us to quickly see the benefits, such as identifying teams that might have been overlooked during a large company-wide restructuring.

The tool has since evolved, and we used it extensively during our recent reorganization, where all squads and tribes were renamed and restructured. The dashboard provided a clear overview, ensuring that no teams were missed and that the restructuring decisions were well-informed.

Practical Tips for Tools and Processes

Here are a few practical tips that have helped us in the tools and processes pillar:

• Create a Slack channel for each main tool: This centralizes discussions and allows interested parties to suggest improvements or ask questions about the tool.
• Automate user creation: For tools like Jira or Figma, we’ve created Slack bots that automate the onboarding process, ensuring that new users have access to the right tools from day one without needing to request it manually.
• Consider tools like Productiv: Productiv helps manage user access across all tools, from Salesforce to Jira. It tracks when users become inactive and suggests removing access to save costs. This type of tool becomes valuable as your tool management grows more complex.
• Document everything: Every tool we implement gets its own page on Notion, including reference guides, best practices, and designated points of contact. These pages are part of the standardized onboarding process for new employees, ensuring that everyone knows how to use the tools effectively.

Conclusion

Both the annual planning process and the product structure tool demonstrate how Product Operations can streamline and scale product management through tools and processes. Whether it’s ensuring that roadmaps are aligned across the organization or making sure that teams are properly staffed, the tools and processes pillar is essential for driving efficiency and ensuring that the product management machine runs smoothly.