Organizations that adhere to best project management practices can deliver results that support their business goals. Project management allows teams to add value to the business by avoiding delays and high cost while maintaining quality. Business leaders have suggested that the focus shift from project-based thinking to product based thinking in recent years. This leads to the product manager vs. project manger issue. Will the product manager now manage the project team? Will the project manager now transition into a product management role
Table of Contents
What is the difference between a product manager and a project manager?
Who is a product manager
Responsibilities for the product manager
Who is a project manager and why?
Responsibilities for the project manager
Software and tools for project managers vs product managers
What is the difference between a product manager and a project manager?
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It is important to clearly define a product or project in order to understand the product manager vs. manager issue.
Product – Anything that meets a consumer’s needs. It could be a finished product, an object, system, merchandise or service that is made readily available to a market. Companies create, maintain, or support a product in order to provide benefits to specific customers or businesses.
Project – A unique undertaking that has a start and an end in order to achieve a goal. It is a temporary arrangement in which a group of non-permanent people work together for a specified period. Companies plan, manage, monitor, control, monitor and close projects to deliver effective and efficient change.
Who is a product manager
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Product managers are business professionals whose job it is to find a product that is useful, usable, and practical. Product managers are able to understand the business environment and focus on maximising the product’s business value. They are experts in technology and can estimate the effort required to produce the product. They are able to represent the customers’ needs and provide a great experience.
Responsibilities for the product manager
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The product manager is responsible for setting the long-term vision for a product and communicating this vision to all parties. Product managers are responsible to manage the entire product lifecycle, from its conception stage through its final stage. Product managers have the following key responsibilities:
Research – To solve market problems
To set the product vision – to create the strategy and define the product vision
Communicate with stakeholders – To communicate the product vision across the organization, and to defend the need to develop the new product
Develop the strategic plan – to create the business case that identifies, prioritizes, and recommends pricing
To create and maintain a product plan, you need to break down plans into actionable tasks, work closely with key resources to ensure products meet users’ needs, supervise testing, and develop a marketing strategy.
Also read: Best Product Management Software & Tools 2021
Who is a project manager and why?
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A project manager is a business professional who inspires and leads a team to complete tasks on time and within budget. This results in the achievement of business goals. Project managers are able to see the big picture and track progress of projects. They can also monitor details and breakdown them to ensure task quality. Project managers have interpersonal skills that enable them to build trust and communicate with all stakeholders.
Responsibilities for the project manager
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The project manager is responsible for identifying a set activities and then plans, executes, monitors and closes them.
