Like in any other work, in Digital Product Management, the right tools will help you to work more efficiently and optimise the work you do. Using a suitable set of tools will save you time and repetition. The tools needed are also tied to the stage of the product growth stage: on every step of the way you will need a different set of tools to tackle the challenges you face.
Product manager’s thinking focuses a lot on saving time by avoiding repetitive actions, thus freeing up time from mundane tasks to doing what they do best - finding the right solutions for their users.
More often than not, the company you are working for already has a set of tools for you to use. In this case, it is all about making the tools work for you and combining them in a way that makes your work more productive.
However, if you are the one in charge of choosing the tool set, googling your options and reading reviews is a good place to start. Most of the time you can get trial software and use it for free for a short period of time, before deciding about a purchase. It is important to remember that different tools work for different people and occasions.
The product life cycle is usually separated into four stages: introduction, growth, maturity, and decline. Depending on the stage, there can be more or less need for different tools. However, we will give you a brief overview of a common tool set that can be useful throughout the product journey.
Tools for competitor analysis
When you are getting ready for the market launch, you have to get to know the existing players and to thoroughly understand the current market. This can include primary and secondary research. In primary research you could shortlist competitors, speak to customers that are using competitors’ products, and also try the products yourself. On the other hand, you will also have to stay updated about what is happening on the market. Tools needed in this stage are industry reports and search engines for finding up to date market news.
Tools for understanding the target audience
In the beginning of the product journey, it is important to get to know the target audience and its challenges. Interviewing potential customers helps in understanding their needs. Tools needed: Digital tools such as high quality video conferencing for interviews (for example Zoom or Microsoft Teams), and calendar (for example Google calendar or Calendly) for booking time for the interviews, will come in handy.
To help with gathering information from the interviews, a mind mapping tool is a great option. You can also consider using a recorder to make sure that you get all the insights saved, but remember to ask for permission from the interviewee. A white space tool, such as Miro board, will assist in grouping information.
Tools for laying out ideas & picking the right ones
Based on the interviews, you should now have a wide but unorganised list of ideas for further development. Set out a time for brainstorming to go even broader, and think outside the box. The more ideas you come up with, the more possibilities you have to go back for a evisit later on. In this stage, let ideas flow without criticising them.
To choose the ideas to work on, a prioritisation criteria is needed. Ranking ideas against a set of criteria will ensure that the final product is the answer to the customers’ needs.
If a visual presentation is helpful to you, create a graph where you place the prioritisation criteria on x and y axes . Then you can position your ideas to the graph to easily see which ideas correspond to your criteria based on where they are located on the graph.
Tools for onboarding stakeholders
The next step is to get the stakeholders on board with your plan. Organise an alignment meeting, and make sure that everyone’s voice gets heard. The most valuable insights come from your team. To visualise the development plan, you can use an organising tool such as Trello or Microsoft Planner, where the stakeholders can easily see your plan and the next steps.
Tools for checking in with your plan & collecting customer feedback
To make sure that you stay on track in your product management process, use a road map tool such as Jira. It can help you manage budgets, stakeholders and more. With an all-round project management tool it is easier to recognise any blocks on the road and respond to them accordingly.
When checking for customer feedback, use analytics and A/B testing. Save the data and analytics for long-term monitoring. The most common analytics tools include Google Analytics and Google Data Studio. Adjusting the product based on feedback will get you further. Product management is an on-going process that never truly ends.
Bell Rock can help you in your Digital Product Management journey from start to finish. Our experience in finding the right tools and working through any road blocks will guarantee a smooth process.
