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Software Architecture Guide

Capability Heat Map

Explanation

Section titled “Explanation”

A business capability map lists what an organization can do, arranged in a hierarchy (see the article Business Capability Map). A capability heat map adds assessment values to that hierarchy. Each capability gets a color that reflects its score.

What it is for

The heat map supports decisions. It is not decoration. It also works as a starting point for strategic planning and for roadmap requirements.

What you can assess

Common aspects include:

  • strategic importance
  • adaptability
  • maturity, covering people, process, information and technology

The same map view works for each aspect. You only change the scores behind it.

Scoring examples

  • Maturity can use the five levels of CMMI. These levels rest on process efficiency, IT support level and staffing.
  • Strategic importance can use VRIO criteria.

What each heat map needs

Define these four things before you publish:

  1. A clear purpose.
  2. A scoring method.
  3. An audience.
  4. A guide to reading the map.

If you use color, state what each color means. Keep the underlying scores available, so readers can check them.

Keeping scores trustworthy

Record dates, reviewers and sources for each assessment. This protects against stale and subjective scores.

Example

Section titled “Example”

A company maps its capabilities and scores each one for maturity. Its map uses three colors, and each color has a written meaning. The score table sits next to the map. The team shows the map to the planning board. The board sees which capabilities score lowest and discusses them first. Each score carries a review date and a named reviewer. Next quarter, the team can see which scores are old.

Trade-offs

Section titled “Trade-offs”
  • Subjectivity: Ratings based only on expert opinion are personal and hard to defend. Use a defined scoring method and record sources.
  • Effort: A broad, detailed assessment across the whole enterprise often costs too much effort. Limit the number of statements you assess per aspect to keep the work manageable.
  • Stale data: Scores without dates and reviewers can age unnoticed.

Checks

Section titled “Checks”
  • Each heat map states its purpose, scoring method, audience and how to interpret it.
  • The meaning of each color is explicit, and the underlying scores are available.
  • Assessment data records dates, reviewers and sources.
  • Ratings do not rely only on expert opinion.
Section titled “Related”

Sources

Section titled “Sources”