A product development project can be an unpredictable marathon or a well-managed sprint

Compliance & Safety

Is it possible to develop an industrial product efficiently and in a controlled manner, without unnecessary risk? Yes, if the team includes a commercial product management professional from the start. A good commercial product manager brings quality in a way that gives a significant competitive edge.

Product development is often done around past experiences and existing technologies, and this is the case also in the manufacturing industry. The seed of a project is often the result of technical insight, but sales and marketing experts get involved only in the final stages. However, a new product is good only if it has both commercial and technical justification. A winning product is created when commercial experts are involved already in the requirement specification phase.

A smart product developer calculates first and builds second

Requirement specification is one of the most challenging stages of a product development project, and the product manager in charge plays a key role in the process. Sometimes the product manager can master not only the technology but also commercial thinking. This is not always the case, but the lack of commercial insight doesn’t necessarily pose a problem. In situations like these, it is worth strengthening the team by acquiring the necessary expertise from a product development partner. Help is available as a device creation service for both requirement specification and commercial product management.

A commercial product manager brings quality

A commercial product management professional will show his or her value to the team early on in the project. A good commercial product manager knows the market and its needs and can challenge the team to also think about market-driven requirements. He or she understands the role of competitors in the market, is able to carry out competitor comparisons in a way that adds value to product development, and is skilled in segmenting and finding unique selling arguments. All of this should be reflected also in the technical specification, done already at the beginning of the project.

By handling both technical and commercial product management in a controlled manner and utilizing diverse expertise, high quality is achieved. Right things are done, in the right order, and at the right time. Project risks are reduced and as a result, products that truly meet needs get created.