تويت
In a dynamic and competitive market, businesses have to work harder than ever to stay relevant and ahead when it comes to developing new products and services for consumers. As consumers, we also expect a lot more and simply providing a basic, bottom-of-the-line product will no longer suffice.
Product management software is a tool that many businesses now use in order to create the best products on the market. There are many benefits to using a product management software and in this article, we’ll share seven of those benefits that make it a worthwhile investment for any organization.
What is a product management software?
Product management is a method of organization that covers every step of the product’s lifecycle from conceiving the idea, to the development, positioning, pricing and ultimately its launch onto the market.
A product management software makes this process easier through the benefit of technology and centralizing it to make it easily accessible for all those involved. Every product management software offers its individual benefits and depending on your budget, you may find one to be better suited to you than others.
With 51% of customers never doing business with a company again after one poor customer experience, the odds are already stacked against you. It’s important that the delivery of your product and the quality of the product is the best it can be. A product management software can help ensure that outcome happens for every product you release to your consumers.
This software can also come in handy when you don’t have a product manager available or there are a lot of individuals working on the project both internally and externally. Product management software is also made up of many features that help conceptualize, plan and execute the product or service you have in mind.
Seven benefits of using a product management software
There are several benefits of using a product management software. These benefits can serve as a reference point when shopping for software so that you can find the one that best fits your needs.
1.Helps in outlining objectives and goals for the project
Project planning and scheduling are key when it comes to project management. The software you choose, can help outline any objectives or goals that need to be communicated amongst those involved.
Users can create a consistent management plan where tasks can be allocated easily and deadlines can be set up to ensure project deliverables are completed in a timely manner. When you have multiple departments like the designers, developers and marketers involved in the project, it’s important to have everyone on the same page.
The secret to success for any project is to lay the best foundations possible. With clear objectives set out from the beginning, it makes for a more seamless process. Having goals for a project can also help to keep everything organized. With 70% of organizations suffering at least one project failure, it’s a risk that you want to avoid.
Therefore, investing in a project management software can ensure you stand a better chance of having a successful product development and one that launches without too many issues.
2.Gives the customer more value for money on their purchases
It’s important that any product or service you put on the market impresses your customers. According to Emplifi, 63% of customers say the best brand exceeds expectations across the customer journey.
Whilst the product itself is important to get right, so is the value for money that it provides. As a business, you’re likely to face the pressure of securing revenue for any product or service you sell. However, price the product too high and your consumers won’t bite. Price it too low and you’ll fail to meet your financial KPIs.
Managing expectations is something that product management software can provide. By having good product management, it applies a more sustainable approach to the development that can help save money. It can also help with collaboration to ensure that the right customers are being targeted to maximize sales.
Saving money means you can price your product at a cheaper rate. The benefit of which, positively impacts your customers’ wallets. For any new business or one that’s looking to impress its customers, an affordable product or service can help the longevity and success of the business in general.
3.Reduces the risk of product failure on the market
No business wants to see their product fail. However, as we mentioned previously, it’s expected that your company faces one or two failures. Things will improve as you become more familiar with the market you’re in. However, your stakeholders are looking for results and too many failures can be risky for your organization.
With a project management software, any managers heading up your product development can avoid the pitfalls that could lead to product failure on the market. It can also be useful for future products that you develop, to have an awareness of what has failed or gone wrong in previous projects. That way, the right countermeasures can be deployed as a result. This software can also help with projecting any potential bottlenecks that might occur. Overall, it can improve efficiency and help ensure all resources are allocated accordingly to avoid any.
delays that could risk the project’s completion. A Gartner survey found that 45% of product launches end up being delayed by at least one month. That one month can end up being a make or break to the project’s success.
4.Maintains collaboration and communication amongst team members
The relationships between your team members are key when the project is compromised of individuals from different departments. You may also have a number of contributors to the project from an external point too so it’s good to have everyone communicating effectively.
A project management software maintains collaboration and communication between your team members. By having access to a centralized software, it can help keep everyone informed of day-to-day activities as well as allocating tasks to the right individuals.
It makes project team collaboration simple and can provide your managers with all of the insights needed to understand where the project is succeeding and where there may be room for improvements.
What can sometimes be difficult is assigning the tasks fairly to each member involved. With management software in place, your managers can see what tasks are being handled and the workload that each member of staff has. It can be helpful to know this information to avoid employee burnouts and everyone doing their fair share of the work required.
5.Aligns the needs of your market
Good product management will ensure the products you put out to your consumers will align with the market and where it’s at at the time of the launch. Typically, a project management software can help solve any market problems that align with the project’s goals and your business’ objectives.
Despite customers being important, it’s good to get the balance right between your customers and your business. Choosing a product management software ensures you meet both external and internal requirements.
It’s essential that your product meets the demands of the market but if it’s at the risk of your company’s objectives, then it’s worth exploring other options. Good product management should certainly be able to identify the bad project ideas with the good ones.
To help ensure your assumptions of the market are correct, market analysis and research are critical. With the addition of your product management software, you can rest a little easier knowing that you’re satisfying the right consumers.
6.Useful for accessing shared files and assets
A shared platform can be helpful for your team to not only collaborate but to share important files and digital assets. Along the timeline of the project, safely accessing and sharing documents is key because not everyone may be in the same place at the same time.
With online cyberattacks also at an all-time high, it’s essential to have a project management software that can safely and securely transfer documents and files. These project management solutions can provide storage options to cater to all sized projects.
It can also be a place where users can make necessary changes and leave feedback for other users when they’re back online.
7.Helps budget and makes everything more cost-efficient
A major benefit as discussed is that a product management software can help save money. When budgets are tight on certain projects, it’s important that you are making your funding count. At the same time, you still want to roll out the best product or service possible.
This type of software can help managers keep track of everything that’s been spent with project reporting tools that operate in real-time. That way, they can prevent costs from getting out of hand and find more cost-efficient methods to help save money.
Invest in a product management software
If your business is facing challenges in product development, then product management software is the ideal solution for your needs. Not only does it save money, but it can also help ensure your product development goes by without a hitch. With better management of your projects, it will ultimately lead to greater success.