Product managers are the source of truth for every project. But it takes hard work to arrive at that truth. PMs must account for different teams and user research and processes and prototypes, the list goes on. So product teams need a system to centralize all their cross-functional work — not just for them, but to connect and communicate with their many stakeholders.
Here, we'll show you, step-by-step, how to build a project management and roadmapping system in Notion tailored specifically to product managers. We've seen it work for dozens of teams that consistently ship high-quality products faster.
In this piece, you'll learn:
- To create a database for project management and roadmapping that unites all teams (engineering, design, sales, marketing, etc.) and makes work transparent.
- To organize and customize this database to meet your team's needs and surface relevant information.
- Best practices from the Notion product team for better project management.
By the end, you'll be able to build a project management system that looks like this:
Your product team needs a
better project management system
Whether it's adjusting timelines or gathering feedback from many sources, product managers face a unique set of problems when it comes to project management. If cracks in your system aren't sealed, you might ship something that doesn't meet your quality bar. The most common of these cracks include:
- Dispersed, inaccessible information — working cross-functionally, it's difficult to collect and share all drafts, feedback and context that's siloed in tools specific to different functions (think Figma for designers or Jira for engineers).
- Lack of transparency for your team (and org-wide) — top-level information, like who owns a project and who's working on it, isn't clearly communicated by your system because there isn't a single place to access it all. This also means those outside the team don't know where to go if they have questions.
- Rigid systems that inhibit your process — don't let software's limitations define your process. You should be able to mold software to your needs instead of shoehorning information into it.
In Notion, you can create a custom project management and roadmapping system that puts all the information from the teams you're working with front and center.
- One place for all project management & work — along with knowing the status of a project, everything from notes to design mockups to feedback is in one place, so your team doesn't miss a thing.
- See all important project info at a glance — metadata for every project, like owners, deadlines, and sprints can be viewed right in your database, so you get an instant download of where everything stands.
- Customize the system to meet your needs — establish a process all your PMs follow while giving them the flexibility to shape how they work individually, leading to more effective work instead of project management overhead.
This project management and roadmapping system can be the foundation for your product team's growth. Because Notion is both structured and malleable, the tools you build in it grow with you as you add more teammates or change the way you do things.
How to set up your product team's
project management & roadmapping system
No matter your team's size or the number of projects you're tackling, all your product work starts here. Here's how to set it up, with recommendations tailored to busy PMs.