HOW DO YOU KNOW IF YOU NEED TO BOLSTER YOUR PRODUCT MANAGEMENT ORGANIZATION?
Many organizations struggle with building and commercializing winning products, especially when drastic changes in market conditions occur. At the same time, product management is often viewed as inessential or unnecessary.
Over the years in oil and gas we have seen the many ways missing or inadequate product management practices precluded successful product launches, damaged team morale and otherwise derailed promising ideas.
Although most issues have complex causes, some symptoms are indicative of shortcomings in product management. If profitability has been dwindling, is it because of the market, the product, the sales force, or perhaps the marketing effort? If the answer is unclear, you need better product management.
Are product launches full of post-launch catch-up activities such as price-book updates, sales force training on how to sell what’s new, post-launch web site updates, etc.? If yes, product management can make it better.
Are developers wasting time redoing features multiple times because product requirements are unclear and nobody is available to clarify them at the time of implementation? This is one of the responsibilities of a product manager or a product owner.
Is it difficult for executive management to understand how various R&D initiatives stack up against one another at a high level? Is there discomfort during decision-making about priorities? The portfolio aspect of product management focuses on providing a framework that allows for a consistent assessment of ideas and products that are at different stages of the development and commercialization lifecycle.
"Product management can be like a three-ring circus where at any minute the lions might eat the clowns and the ring master may drop the ball. Although there is no magic recipe or one-size fits all approach to product management, best practices and experience can bring order to the chaos."
Richard Eperjesi
Learn More about Product management by 25|25:
Blog: First 3 Months on the Job as a Product Manager
You are just hired as product manager. Everything is new. People, processes, technology, market dynamics, and so on. What you do in the first 3 months on the job will have a huge impact on your personal brand in the new organization. Do these 10 things and you will be off to a good start!
Blog: What is a Product Manager (and what it's not)
By contrasting the PM role with other jobs that are frequently mistaken with product management, we can help clarify some of the confusion and can offer greater understanding of how their role is a benefit to the organization.
Animation: Product Management vs. Product Marketing
In this animated video, we describe the primary differences between the two roles and why more B2B companies are investing in both.
How we can help
Product Management Framework Implementation
A comprehensive framework increases clarity and alignment in the organization about how product teams create successful products. By identifying roles and responsibilities based on a best-practices driven framework, talent assessment and hiring becomes a more streamlined process.
Product Management Gap Analysis
A good place to start assessing the state of product management is to deep dive into how the current product development process works. It can be difficult to notice major issues when a certain process has been followed for years, or when an organization is going through massive changes. A review of current practices also highlights any misunderstanding and miscommunication in the organization that impacts product development and commercialization.
Mentoring and Coaching
Product management is a complex role and on-the-job training can significantly reduce the time it takes for inexperienced product managers to become effective and comfortable in their roles. Our experience in preparing for gate reviews, conducting core team meetings, preparing sales enablement material, organizing and executing sales training are some of the areas where coaching pays off.
Interim Product Management
Selecting the right candidate for a complex, high-impact role like product management takes time. While the talent search is ongoing we can bridge the gap by providing product management services, establishing new or streamlining existing processes and frameworks, and educate the organization about the role of product managers.
Identifying and Qualifying Candidates for Product Management Roles
Based on the assessed gaps across functions we can help identify internal and external talent for the role.