I have recently joined a new company as Project Manager. They also have Product Managers. The roles / responsibilities between the two seem a bit blurred and I feel I am used as a Project Administrator rather then Project Manager. Previously I worked in the IT services industry and in the companies I worked for there was no Product Manager role so I have no point of reference. Can anyone share what he or she thinks the responsibilities / accountabilities for each are?
In my present company, there are 3 project managers, a product manager and a software development manager.
The product manager works with senior management to define what should go into the products and defines the roadmap and priorities on releasing these to market. The software development manager oversees a team of 20 developers on core product development. Project managers manage client consultancy projects, for non-core products. If you are to manage the development of the products, then I see the differenciation as - the product manager should be defininig the product and you should be running the day to day development and concentrating on deliverying to timescales, to specification and to budget. Hope this helps. Saving Changes...
Isabelle BadinandAgile Delivery Manager| AvivaLondon, United Kingdom
Thanks for your input. I have some more questions?
When would you say a Project Manager should get involved in the project? We currently get involved from "initial product idea" and push the product through Concept / Business Case - Specification - Development - Deployment. We are not involved in post project review though (to check if the product is meeting the objectives set in the business case). I should also have specified that for each project we have a Business Owner who acts as the leader of the project. Issues I have are for example should I be forcing resolutions of conflicts on product features or is this the Product Manager role? Do I just concentrate on deadline and not bother myself with the detail? Originally I had defined responsibilities through product deliverables. But I don't think it was a good idea as there was still a lot of arguing about decisions. The product manager was responsible for the Product Spec and the Business Owner for the Business Case. However the Business Owner still thought they could overrule the Product Manager on product functionality relating to payment and revenue.... Any idea on how to clarify all that?
Thanks in advance. Saving Changes...
Anonymous
Thanks for your input. I have some more questions?
When would you say a Project Manager should get involved in the project? We currently get involved from "initial product idea" and push the product through Concept / Business Case - Specification - Development - Deployment. We are not involved in post project review though (to check if the product is meeting the objectives set in the business case). I should also have specified that for each project we have a Business Owner who acts as the leader of the project. Issues I have are for example should I be forcing resolutions of conflicts on product features or is this the Product Manager role? Do I just concentrate on deadline and not bother myself with the detail? Originally I had defined responsibilities through product deliverables. But I don't think it was a good idea as there was still a lot of arguing about decisions. The product manager was responsible for the Product Spec and the Business Owner for the Business Case. However the Business Owner still thought they could overrule the Product Manager on product functionality relating to payment and revenue.... Any idea on how to clarify all that?
Thanks in advance. Saving Changes...
Mike Cooper PMPPrincipal Project Manager (retired, sort of)| New England Project ServicesWestford, Ma, United States
I wrote an article that you may find helpful, titled "Conflicting Priorities Between Product and Project Management in a Combined Product / Services Organization".
Hi, I find an interesting perspective to view this situation is to look at the life cycle of things. The product manager manages the life cycle of a product which can last for years (think about coke). The project manager manages the projets life cycle. A product and a project is not the same thing and will not be managed the same way as you probably know. To have a new product to the market, or evolve to a new version, or come to an end it will require projects to be accomplished. Overall, it will probably require many projects for a product to go through its life cycle. Saving Changes...
I believe the project manager should be involved throughout the ENTIRE product development life cycle, since he or she has a duty to assess risks. Certainly, choosing the right functions and features to be included a product is one of the CRUCIAL marketing decisions your team (product manager and business owner) need to make. This decision should be based on thoughtful marketing and competitor analysis, therefore, whoever, is responsible for conducting such an analysis should be the main driver here. Saving Changes...
Usually, the Product Manager is in charge of: - Gathering the product requirements - Analyzing those requirements in order to do a "triage" - Communicating those requirements (usually in a product specs document) - Managing change requests.
The Project Manager's role is to deliver the product on time, according to specs, and within budget.
If the project constraint is time, then the project manager should be involved from day 1, since the requirements will need to adapt to the project schedule. If the project constraint is functionality, then the project manager only needs to be involved after the requirements are ready for implementation.
In all cases, the project manager does not need to be involved until the business case is approved. As long as the business case is not approve, there is no project. Saving Changes...
Sally BuckwalterVP Project Manager | The Bancorp Garnet Valley, Pa, United States
thank you. This discussion is helpful to clarify roles/ responsibilities between Product Manager and Project manager. Saving Changes...
