Building a Planning Model from the Ground Up

When I joined the company, product development operated without a roadmap. There was no intake process, no defined prioritization, and no shared framework for deciding what to build. Feature requests from clients were routed directly to engineering — often informally, and without cross-functional input.

If a request was feasible, it was typically approved. There was no evaluation of tradeoffs, no alignment across departments, and no way to surface competing priorities.

As a result:

• The platform experience became fragmented and inconsistent
• Engineering was frequently pulled into ad-hoc work
• Clients learned to expect custom features as a default
• Internal teams lacked visibility into what was being built — or why

Approach

System Mapping & Process Design

I led a comprehensive review of how development work was sourced, requested, and delivered. Through cross-functional interviews and analysis, I mapped existing workflows and identified friction points across intake, evaluation, and prioritization.

I then designed and introduced:

• A centralized intake model for client requests
• A collaborative scoring system to assess value and feasibility
• A biannual prioritization process aligned to company goals and product strategy

Cross-Functional Implementation

To ensure successful adoption:

• I developed documentation, visual scoring tools, and request flow diagrams
• Facilitated working sessions across teams to evaluate requests collaboratively
• Partnered with engineering leadership to integrate effort estimates into scoring

Change Management & Stakeholder Alignment

Shifting away from a reactive model required structural and cultural change. I worked closely with client-facing teams to communicate the new model, retrain expectations, and position the shift as a strategic improvement.

Internally, I led sessions to build alignment around how the process worked — and why it mattered — so teams could participate consistently and with clarity.

Outcomes

Within the first two prioritization cycles:

• Ad-hoc development requests decreased by over 80%
• Engineering gained sustained focus on roadmap and technical priorities
• Internal teams shared a common language for product value and feasibility
• Clients began offering more thoughtful and actionable feedback

Reflection

This initiative reshaped how product decisions were made across the company. It wasn’t about saying “no” more often — it was about building a clear, scalable way to say “yes” to the right work.

It also reinforced the value of durable systems — ones that support alignment, reduce chaos, and build trust over time.