Management within different product management units

The roles of Olle and Antony:

Managerial roles for different product management units.

The challenge:

Build and manage new units with Product Leaders globally responsible for the full product lifecycle (incl. consolidated profitability) in new product areas.

Introduce the packaging of 'solutions' with products and services, complementing the traditional product focus.

Ensure competence for business requirements for product/service development and collaboration with R&D units.

Balanced governance between line and project.

The solution:

External recruitment of senior expertise in new areas.

Active participation in company-wide development of new project models and decision support for financial planning and monitoring of product lifecycle performance.

Close global dialogue with local sales organization and external customer reference groups.

Results (examples):

• Enhanced competitiveness in business communication system solutions through new development of complete suite of system support applications for lower TCO of customers.

• Development of mobile sensor-based patient monitoring systems, with associated certification of medical devices.

• Development and delivery of consulting and operational services for Contact Centers and mobile business communication solutions in Germany.

Insights:

Changing traditional roles and relationships between Product Management and R&D is a cultural change that requires commitment and drive from senior management.

It is teams with complementary competences (where technology area and market understanding competences are central) that enable commercially driven product management.

Engagement in external innovation ecosystems is crucial for early understanding of market needs of both future customers and ecosystem partners.