It's not a secret that effective, timely communication is one of the greatest assets in a corporation, especially manufacturing. Some individuals seem gifted with a natural talent for communicating well with everyone. But even the best communicators will struggle when they don't have the right tools to use. By contrast, less skilled communicators can become more effective with communication when they have the right tools at their fingertips and established processes that make it easy.
In product development, there is a lack of tools on the market that help facilitate timely, collaborative, and insightful communication between product teams. Sending files over email has significant limitations when each recipient views their own separate document, makes notes, then sends it back. This system results in the creation of multiple files with inconsistent titles and comments that require consolidation. Separate file-sharing apps can help avoid version control, but they disconnect the information from the data source, which can lead to missing details.
What Does a Product Management Tool Look Like?
Now imagine having a place to keep reports, data, feedback, and discussion top of mind that was integrated into your primary platform for your product roadmaps. A centralized location that all stakeholders are regularly checking and that provides automatic alerts when new information is added or updates are submitted. Product roadmap management software is designed to improve transparency and create a single source of truth for all users.
Here are a few more examples of how the right tool can make your communication frustrations disappear.
Creates One Source of Truth for All Your Teams
If you've ever sat in a meeting and heard different colleagues quoting mismatched sources of data, you'll understand how important it is to have one source of truth for your product teams. Having all stakeholders refer to the same source of information and trusting that it is always up-to-date makes a significant difference in meetings. Planning becomes more efficient, feedback is more relevant, and you know that decisions about the products are informed.
Never having to worry about version control or teams in different locations reading different reports lifts a weight off the product manager's shoulders. Most platforms provide your teams with access to view the same information as everyone else in the organization, regardless of their physical location, as long as they have the internet.
Effective communication is vital when collaborating on products with multiple teams. This is where having transparent, equal access to all pieces of the puzzle can save you and your product team time and energy while delivering consistent results. When all team members see the same reports, statistics, milestones, and goals, it becomes easier to align everyone involved and create a better space for product development.
Helps You Achieve More in Meetings
Cross-functional meetings can be one of the most important and difficult tasks for your teams. To achieve the best results in the least amount of time, stakeholders need to start out with the same information, which is where one source of truth can help. Next, getting stakeholders to share feedback, discuss options, and make decisions is a time-consuming process. When teams can provide feedback and ask questions ahead of time, they'll be better prepared for meetings. Sorting out more minor issues and details beforehand allows for more space during the team meeting to find solutions and make decisions.
Helps You Know Your Market Thoroughly
Knowing the market for your products helps you gain clarity when deciding on features and components for future models. Product managers who work closely with customer research teams better understand what customers are looking for in their product lines. This knowledge helps them work with design and engineering teams to create product proposals that align both with customer demand and the company's vision.
It's also important to share market research with relevant stakeholders. Your sales and marketing teams will know which brands and models perform better in one market compared to others. Having collaborative tools makes it easy to share information for other teams to review.
Enables You to Build Better Products
Product decisions should be based on knowledge and metrics. Product management tools help you know how your products rank against each other and the competition, which helps you spot opportunities to build better products rather than rely on your gut instincts.
Knowing your consumer expectations is also important. Using tools that help you connect to your consumer research teams makes it easier to communicate valuable research. Insights and feedback directly from your ideal customer also make it easier to make product decisions.
Working and collaborating with your team to meet milestones and goals is easier when you have the right teams and systems in place. Product roadmap management software is a tool that can help you build the best product for your target consumer.
Makes It Easier to Manage All Your Product Lines
Managing multiple roadmaps for your entire product portfolio can become confusing quickly the more team members get involved. Using software that helps you visually sort your products into brands and markets makes it easier to get a quick overview of everything. It's also imperative that you choose software that allows you to get a detailed view of each product to monitor and analyze progress and performance. No matter how big your product teams are, the right tools allow you to align your teams in a way that ordinary spreadsheets and communication platforms cannot.
Create One Source of Truth With PRM Software
Creating one source of truth amongst team members has never been easier than with Gocious. Our product roadmap management software is your go-to for all your product roadmap management needs. You can share data and collaborate efficiently with extensive customizations. From sharing reports to updating metrics to communicating with team members anywhere in the world through collaborative tools, Gocious makes sharing information easy and straightforward. Book your demo to see Gocious PRM software in action.
