Product Management

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Product Management

• Shahar Gorodeisky
• shahar_at_mem-link.com
• October 2000, Jerusalem

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Outline

• PM mission
• The environment
• The activities
• The skills

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Mission

• To deliver a product that meets customer needs

• Full responsibility for
• Features/Performance
• Price
• Schedule
• Budget

• Features/Performance
• Price
• Timing
• (Known and unknown to the customer)

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External Environment
Competitors
Customers
Standard Bodies
Financial community
Partners
End Users
Regulators
Pricing
Standards
Services
Technology
Organization
Regulations
The PM must have a broad view of the market in
order to derive customer needs and deliver the
right product
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The Internal Front
Sales
RD
Product Management
Marketing
Management
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Product Life Cycle

• Product concept and business case
• Management
• Customers
• RD

• Product and Market development
• RD
• Customers
• Partners

• Beta Testing
• Customers
• RD

• Testing labs
• RD

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Outline

• PM mission
• The environment
• The activities
• The skills

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Product Management Activity Areas

• Business planning
• Internal product definition
• External product definition activities
• Business intelligence
• Marketing
• Marcom

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Business Planning

• Prepare and present business model and marketing
  strategy
• Product concept definition
• Target segments and applications
• Product positioning
• Product functionality and road map
• Pricing
• Marketing channels
• Financials
• Prepare a detailed business plan - if required

Management
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Internal Product Definition

• Publish an agreed MRD for product line
• Publish spec. for v.1, v.2, and v.3 of the
  product
• Approve RD specs, budget and work plan
• Participate in RD DRs
• Product documentation
• Define other applications for the technology

RD
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External Activities

• In-depth analysis of customer needs
• Define Integrated solutions with other technology
  vendors
• Coordinate, plan and manage testing at customers
  labs
• Analyze and define product pricing
• Participate in standard bodies and industry
  forums
• Pre-sale support

Customers
Partners
Standard Bodies
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Business Intelligence

• Industry market information, competition and
  business intelligence
• Per competitor detailed information and analysis
• Per customer detailed information and analysis
• New technologies analysis

Competitors
Customers
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Marketing

• Leads - Identify specific target customers for
  each application. Direct and support lead
  generation and sales efforts.
• Market development - prepare, control and execute
  market development strategy for promotion of the
  product
• Product naming
• Build marketing channels
• Analyze distribution/ OEM/ bundling alternatives
• Initiate and promote cooperation with OEM/
  bundling partners
• Sales support

Marketing
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Market Development Strategy
In-direct Press coverage Analyst reports Opinion
leaders

• Direct
• One-on-one sales meetings
• Speaking engagements
• Exhibitions
• Technology seminars
• Web site mktg. material
• Advertising (when necessary)

One-on-one meetings Road-shows Press conferences
Marketing
Sales
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Marcom

• Produce, deliver and update marketing material -
  brochures, demo CD, web site, newsletter, white
  papers, press releases, press articles, success
  stories...
• Manage exhibition in trade shows.
• Coordinate speaking engagements in conferences
• Control contacts with analysts and journalists -
  one-on-one meetings, road-shows,
  conferences.
• Organize sales training and kick-off meetings

Marketing
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The Skills

• Multi-discipline knowledge and understanding
• Wide angle view
• Inter personal relations
• Presentation and selling capabilities

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Thank You