Tool Support for Product Management - Overview and Trends The most prominent tools in use by product managers today are Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint. Yet, there are specialized tools available in the market, which focus on specific aspects of product management and therefore enable product managers to do their work better and more efficient. For software product management the International Software Product Management Association ISPMA (http://ispma.org) has created a framework that describes the many interfaces and activities product managers have to deal with. Based those activities the presentation provides an overview about the tool landscape available for product managers. Attendees will see how product roadmaps can be created and updated by specialized tools for requirements management. The graphical roadmaps are connected to real planning data and therefore are more accurate and less time intensive to maintain. Other examples include scenario management for release planning, product feedback applications and agile product planning for which various useful tool solutions exist. The presentation puts specific focus on tools that support recent trends in IT such as the movement to cloud services, mobile devices, agile development and fast paced releases.

1. Tools for Product Management
Overview and Trends
Gerald Heller, Software.Process.Management
September 17, 2014, Product Management Festival, Zurich, Switzerland

2. Agenda
Activities which benefit from tool support
Feature areas
Idea management
Business planning
User experience
Roadmapping, release planning
Observations
Software.Process.Management 2

3. ISPMA SPM Reference Framework – V 1.2
Strategic
Management
Software.Process.Management
Product
Strategy
Product
Planning
Development Marketing Sales and
Distribution
Service and
Support
Corporate
Strategy
Positioning and
Product
Definition
Product
Life-Cycle
Management
Engineering
Management
Marketing
Planning
Sales
Planning
Service Planning
and Preparation
Portfolio
management
Delivery model
and Service
Strategy
Roadmapping Project
Management
Customer
Analysis
Channel
Preparation
Service
Provisioning
Innovation
Management
Sourcing Release
Planning
Project
Requirements
Engineering
Opportunity
Management
Customer
Relationship
Management
Technical
Support
Resource
Management
Business Case
and Costing
Product
Requirements
Engineering
User Experience
Design
Marketing Mix
Optimization
Operational
Sales
Marketing
Support
Market
Analysis
Pricing Quality
Management
Product
Launches
Operational
Distribution
Sales Support
Product
Analysis
Ecosystem
Management
Operational
Marketing
Legal and IPR
Management
Performance and
Risk
Management
Participation Core SPM Orchestration
3

4. Tool Examples within the SPM Framework
Strategic
Management
Software.Process.Management
Product
Strategy
Product
Planning
Development Marketing Sales and
Distribution
Service and
Support
Corporate
Strategy
Positioning and
Product
Definition
Product
Life-Cycle
Management
Engineering
Management
Marketing
Planning
Sales
Planning
Service Planning
and Preparation
Portfolio
management
Delivery model
and Service
Strategy
Roadmapping Project
Management
Customer
Analysis
Channel
Preparation
Service
Provisioning
Innovation
Management
Sourcing Release
Planning
Project
Requirements
Engineering
Opportunity
Management
Customer
Relationship
Management
Technical
Support
Resource
Management
Business Case
and Costing
Product
Requirements
Engineering
User Experience
Design
Marketing Mix
Optimization
Operational
Sales
Marketing
Support
Market
Analysis
Pricing Quality
Management
Product
Launches
Operational
Distribution
Sales Support
Product
Analysis
Ecosystem
Management
Operational
Marketing
Legal and IPR
Management
Performance and
Risk
Management
Participation Core SPM Orchestration
4

5. Major Activity Areas
Observe, Analyze, Understand
Capture customer needs and feedback
Innovate
Create business model, create and manage ideas
Transform input into product requirements
Plan
Create and manage roadmaps and releases
Communicate
Monitor progress, adapt plans
Software.Process.Management 5

6. Idea Management
Source: http://crowdicity.com/
Implements the
Open Innovation
process
Software.Process.Management 6

7. Listen to Customers – as Separate Service
Source: The Brain & UserVoice
Software.Process.Management 7

8. Listen to Customers – Integrated into App
Suggestions and
ideas from users
connected to app
Source: One Desk Product Management
Software.Process.Management 8

9. Communicate and Discuss Ideas
Source: Lucid Chart
Software.Process.Management 9

10. Business Planning: Business Model Canvas
Source: https://strategyzer.com
Software.Process.Management 10

11. Connect Vision, Goals and Initiatives
Source: Aha!, http://aha.io
Software.Process.Management 11

12. Stay Connected with Development Team
Answer questions
Provide input
Drive decisions
Source: Jama
Software.Process.Management 12

13. Support Effective Review Activities
Discuss
Review
Resolve
Software.Process.Management
Source: Jama
13

14. Product Planning Connected to Development
Source: Version One
Software.Process.Management 14

15. Integrated Roadmaps
Source: Version One
Software.Process.Management 15

16. Boards Visualize Status and Progress
Software.Process.Management
Configurable boards support
a variety of planning levels
epics, features, user stories
Source: HP Agile Manager
16

17. Portfolio View
Source: Aha!, http://aha!.io
Support of
cross-cutting
initiatives
Software.Process.Management 17

18. Summary
Increasing support for product management activities in
traditional tools for agile development and RM
New tools specifically made for product management
Roadmapping is a key theme
Software.Process.Management 18

19. Predictions
Boards will become predominant UI elements and
information schemes on all levels
Canvas tools will be used to visualize information
dependencies
Social media functionality will be mandatory for nearly
every tool
Cloud services and mobile support become standard
Software.Process.Management 19

20. Still Shortcomings
Adequate support for product variants lacking
In non-agile tools boards will appear late
Established powerful tools struggle with usability
Software.Process.Management 20

21. Thank You for Listening ...
Gerald Heller
Founding member of ISPMA
Currently member of the board
Software.Process.Management
gerald.heller@swpm.de
http://www.swpm.de
Blog & Resources (RM Tools List)
http://MakingOfSoftware.com
Software.Process.Management 21

22. Featured Tools
Tool name Scope Product page
Version One Agile development http://www.versionone.com/
Jama Requirements management http://www.jamasoftware.com/
HP Agile Manager Agile development https://www.pronq.com/software/agile-manager
One Desk Roadmapping, requirements management http://www.onedesk.com/
Aha! Roadmapping, requirements management http://www.aha.io/
UserVoice Requirements elicitation, prioritization https://www.uservoice.com/
Crowdicity Idea management http://crowdicity.com/en/
LucidChart UX, mock-up https://www.lucidchart.com/
Strategyzer Strategy, business modle canvas https://strategyzer.com/
Software.Process.Management 22