High Tech Item Management
Copyright 2006 PJM Consulting
Item Management–what does this imply in a High Tech organization What is the function, and where does it belong I’ve held permanent positions in a quantity of high tech concerns, as with PJM Consulting I’ve worked with many more in a consulting capacity.
Item Management is all over the map in High Tech. Most typically it resides in the marketing and advertising department. Occasionally, it’s in the engineering/product development division. Sometimes you may see it as it really is personal function. And once again, what does the term imply within a High Tech business At times it’s utilised interchangeably together with the term “Product Marketing”. Within this situation, it means responsibility from cradle to grave in the product planning and marketing and advertising functions for any particular item or item line. In other words, working using the developers to define the item (item organizing), also as driving the other “3Ps” for the product–setting pricing, distribution approach and promotional technique.
In larger firms you are going to typically locate this function separated into two distinct jobs: Item Management as the Item Arranging portion, and Item Marketing as the function that manages the item after it’s released into the market–driving pricing, promotion and distribution. In this case each functions may nonetheless reside in the advertising division, or the Item Preparing portion is occasionally inside the engineering department.
The last variance on this theme which is occasionally seen is that the Product Management resides in the engineering department, nevertheless it only vaguely resembles the classic definition with the term. Within this situation it truly is “Product Planning”, but the job and skill set more closely fit the definition of an engineering project manager, with very small weight place on exploring the industry to match marketplace requirements with engineering capabilities.
In High Tech, the Product Management function is most typically a “matrix” position: plenty of responsibility for a product’s success, with extremely little actual authority to make sure that achievement. Typically an Item Manager’s achievement will probably be decided based upon his/her capacity to convince other stakeholders in the organization that the path laid out may be the best issue for the company (as well as the individual stakeholders as well!) People abilities are therefore as crucial as getting a technical grasp from the job inside an Item Manager’s ultimate good results.
In consumer markets, the Product Manager usually holds a lot more direct power–often significantly like a mini-GM for his product line. Often item development will even perform for him. The term Brand Manager is frequently utilized in customer corporations as opposed to Product Manager. (In a large High Tech company, a Brand Manager will fulfill much more of a Marcom role).
So what’s the very best approach to structure the Product Management role inside your business Nicely there really is not one finest way. It depends upon your company, culture and personnel. But I do have my biases. I believe strongly that most high tech businesses would advantage by structuring the Product Management function to be powerful. Tthere is significantly to gain by putting a strong, experienced Marketer having a sturdy technical background within an Item Manager function exactly where they may be graded and compensated by the outcomes in the P&L of their product line. I wouldn’t go so far as to suggest that Product Development should report to the Product Manager inside a High Tech business, but I would give them discretionary budgetary authority on at least a portion with the marketing and advertising budget for the item line. I would also make sure they have management backing to deal together with the developers from at least an equal position of strength. This lack of item management strength is a huge problem in many High Tech businesses, particularly those founded by product developers.
The Item Manager’s mentality should be that of a “mini-CEO” with his item line analogous to the overall company to get a real CEO. Too often in technologies firms the Item Management/Marketing functions do not have the capacity to stand up to Engineering. This leads to a culture of building what suits someone’s fancy, not building what the market will buy–a very dangerous thing within the long term. A robust Item Management function will lead to an advocate for that item line whose sole enterprise “purpose in life” is for his product to succeed. This outlook ensures that the big picture will always been looked out for, eliminating the potential to get an item line’s performance to be reduced by turf wars– or sub-optimal tactical moves due to poor inter-department communication. The Product Manager is there to rationalize and orchestrate to ensure the item line has the most effective chance of achievement.
That’s my take–what’s yours
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