Product Management During Product Development Phase
From Product Management School
Product Managers' role during the Product Development Phase is primarily about providing leadership - their management and people skills come into play.
In most projects, it seems nothing ever goes as planned! Issues arise and the Product Manager needs to notice any issues quickly and then ensure that they get resolved.
The development stage is not about just handing the project over to the development team and/or project managers, and hoping for the best. The project will not keep itself on track.
The Product Manager has to manage the process stepping in to help wherever it is needed, often working closely with the Project Manager. It is a case of leading by example and getting your hands dirty as and when required. This means leaving the office and visiting all of the functional areas regularly.
Tips for Product Managers
There are certain things that the Product Manager must do during this phase to ensure that the product development moves forwards as smoothly as possible. This list is in no particular order. They all need to be done.
- At every stage the project must be managed and the management of it must ensure that the project gets from point-A to point-B in the most efficient way - having regard to quality, costs, and time.
- Conflict must be well managed. Conflicts will happen because of misunderstandings, differing agendas or even due to rising stress levels. Whatever the cause it has to be nipped in the bud and resolved. If Functional Support Plans were properly negotiated and agreed in advance with and between each functional area then this should mitigate a lot of potential conflict areas.
- Progress of the project needs to be monitored and tracked against all plans including project plans, the business case, the PRD and so on. Any budget and scope creep can then be stopped early. It is important to make sure that every functional area provides proof of the progress being made.
- Regular cross-functional and executive board status meetings/updates should be held. Each of the functional areas has its own project plan based on their deliverables. These are intertwined with other functional areas where there are dependencies. This is why it is so important that the whole team understands the rate of progress for each individual project as well as the whole.
- Nothing can be taken for granted. The product Manager needs to make sure that they get to the bottom of every issue that arises. They also need to make sure that they fully understand the implications of any solutions suggested. This means that they have to ask tough questions whilst being diplomatic and empathetic. This balance act can be very hard the Product Managers people skills will be tested over and over during this phase.
- A watching brief has to be kept on the market at all times to monitor it for any changes that may impact the product. If any relevant changes are perceived then they must be acted upon immediately.
Other Activities
In addition to these the Product Manager will also get involved in:
- updating of existing customer related documentation or the producing of new documentation;
- monitoring the change control process;
- making sure that the product is tested and complies with all requirements;
- developing of customer training and/or internal training programs for the product and so on.
