Product Management Techniques

Gate 1: Idea Screening

The Idea Screening gate is the first opportunity to screen out product ideas that will not be worthwhile for an organization to pursue. This gate should consist of 5-10 questions that would be asked about the product idea. In order for an idea to pass through to Phase 1, the answer to all scoping questions needs to be “Yes”. These questions should be very general and take very little time and resources from the organization in order to answer.

The questions asked here should make certain that the product/service idea is an applicable market, is something that can be differentiated in the marketplace, has a reasonable potential market, has a reasonable potential profitability, and is reasonably possible to be developed within an acceptable development time period.

Please write your 5-10 idea screening questions below. (You do not need to answer the questions, only write the questions):

Sample questions

1. Will the product be different from previous designs and for the marketplace?

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Phase 1: Scoping the Concept

Phase 1: Provides 5—10 different techniques or activities that should take place to determine if a product can move on to the next phase, also indicating which stakeholders are required for each technique or activity.

The first phase in the Phase and Gate Map would be the process of scoping the concept. This is where you do a quick investigation of the feasibility of the project and perform an initial scoping of the business objectives of the project.

For this section, you need to determine the activities that will need to take place during this phase. Activities could include assessments or analyses that provide the necessary information to further evaluate the project. Consider necessary information needed in the areas of the market, technical specifications, financial objectives, and intellectual property (patent/trade secret considerations, especially).

To complement the list of necessary activities for this phase, identify the stakeholders (whether internal or external) that will need to be involved with each activity. Conclude your narrative for this phase with a discussion of the individuals/departments that will need to sign-off on each activity (the gatekeepers of the next gate).

Example of Activity/Technique, Stakeholders and Description in Table below:

More activities or techniques can be provided as determined.

After listing at least 5 different techniques or activities, there should be a concluding statement of who would need to sign off on the activities and approve the project to move to the next gate.

Example: The General Management Team would need to approve the assessments/activities proposed above in order to advance the project to Gate 2.

Gate 2

This is the first of four identical gates that will determine which product ideas are moved to the next phase. After completing the criteria for this gate, you will be able to replicate this content for Gates 3, 4, and 5. Each of these gates is an opportunity for the organization to reevaluate the idea to make sure it is still feasible and worthwhile, given the information gathered during the preceding phase.

A gate consists of questions that will be asked about the project in order to determine whether the project should be passed on to the next phase. These questions are similar to those asked in Gate 1, but are much more specific. The gate will consist of 8-15 questions which will, typically, have a way to rate each answer on a scale from 1-10. Quantitative questions can be easily scaled, but qualitative questions will need some narrative information to help make the rating less subjective.

Write 8-15 questions that will be asked in the gate. Provide information that will help somebody completing the gate rate an answer to each question on a scale of 1-10. Then provide the total aggregate score that a project will need to achieve to pass through the gate. For example, if there are 10 questions, a reasonable passing score might be 70.

After completing your questions, write a narrative section explaining why you chose the questions that you did.

It may be necessary to go back to Gate 1 or Phase 1 at this point to adjust and add to those sections, given what you’ve outlined in this gate.

Sample questions

1. How much of technical capabilities are available? ( 1- Very low technical capabilities, 10 – Very high technical capabilities)

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Sample explanation for the scoring and minimum of results for the questions.

From these ten (# of) questions, the sum of the scores for passing the project to the next phase is to be a minimum of “70” (to be proposed by student).

Sample explanation for reasons for the questions:

The above questions were selected to cover all technical capabilities, competitive advantages, financial, and (List other aspects of the project) to gain perspective on the overall success potential of the project.

The company would need to have technical capabilities to develop the product or consider to contract or outsource those services, which validates the technical capabilities question. (Author, A. , 2016.)

Further explain each additional question.

Phase 2: Business Case

Phase 2: Provides techniques and activities to prepare a business case for stakeholders, providing 5—10 techniques to do so. This phase is where the business case is built and prepared for the project. Some of the activities will be similar to those completed in Phase 1 but likely be more specific. It is likely that an activity from Phase 1 will be redone for Phase 2 in the form of two more specific activities.

This is the opportunity for an organization to complete a detailed work-up and do their homework leading to a full business case with a defined project/service, a business justification to move forward with the project, and a detailed plan of action for the next steps.

Consider the activities that will take place, the stakeholders (both internal and external) that will be involved, the deliverables will be produced from these activities, and the individuals/departments that will need to sign-off on these activities. Consider marketing studies, technical studies, financial reviews, intellectual property steps, risk considerations, funding requests, and production assessments as you plan your activities for this phase.

Conclude with a narrative section, discussing why these activities were chosen, who the stakeholders involved are, and who should be the gatekeepers of the next gate.

Example of Activity/Technique, Stakeholders and Description in Table below:

More activities or techniques can be provided as determined.

After listing at least 5 different detailed techniques or activities, there should be a concluding statement of who would need to sign off on the activities and approve the project to move to the next gate.

Example: The Project Design Manager/General Management/Marketing Manager/Finance Manager would need to approve the assessments/activities proposed above in order to advance the project to Gate 3. These activities were chosen because… state reason(s).

Gate 3

Copy your 8-15 gate questions from Gate 2 here.

Sample questions

1. How much of technical capabilities are available? ( 1- Very low technical capabilities, 10 – Very high technical capabilities)

2.

3.

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5.

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10.

Phase 3: Design and Development

Phase 3: Provides techniques and activities that will help the design and development of a prototype, providing 5—10 techniques for stakeholders. During this phase, the actual design and development of a new product is done. This is also the step where the full business plan is developed and the first initial customer feedback is sought out and documented.

Consider the activities that will take place for the design and development of the product itself. Since the first prototype of the product will be produced here, what activities will support this step? What additional technical specifications should be outlined here?

Gate 4

Copy your 8-15 gate questions from Gate 2 here.

Sample questions

1. How much of technical capabilities are available? ( 1- Very low technical capabilities, 10 – Very high technical capabilities)

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

Phase 4: Testing & Validation

Phase 4: Provides techniques and activities to help test and validate the product, providing 5—10 techniques for stakeholders. During this stage, the verification and validation of all the work completed in the preceding gates is validated. The product goes through product testing. The final acquisitions for full production are made, and the business plan is finalized.

Consider the following questions as you determine the appropriate and necessary activities that will need to take place during this phase:

· What final product testing would be appropriate for this product?

· What product testing could be done that would be considered field testing?

· What final acquisitions and purchasing activities would need to be complete to be ready for full production?

· What trials would need to take place to ensure that the operations/production team is ready for full production?

· What sales activities could be complete that would not only provide feedback but also test how robust the sales and distribution plan is?

· What final market research would be appropriate at this stage?

· What sections of the business plan should be finalized at this stage?

· What activities could begin for post-launch and life-cycle planning?

Describe the activities necessary for this stage based on the information provided above. Summarize this information with a discussion of the appropriate stakeholders that should be involved in each of these activities, why these activities were chosen, and who should be the gatekeepers for the next gate.

Example of Activity/Technique, Stakeholders and Description in Table below:

More activities or techniques can be provided as determined.

After listing at least 5 different detailed techniques or activities, there should be a concluding statement of who would need to sign off on the activities and approve the project to move to the next gate.

Example: The Project Design Manager/Production Manager/General Management/Sales Manager/HR Manager/Engineering Manager would need to approve the assessments/activities proposed above in order to advance the project to Gate 5. These activities were chosen because… state reason(s).

Gate 5

Copy your 8-15 gate questions from Gate 2 here.

Sample questions

1. How much of technical capabilities are available? ( 1- Very low technical capabilities, 10 – Very high technical capabilities)

2.

3.

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5.

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8.

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10.

Phase 5: Product Launch

Phase 5: Provides techniques and activities to help launch the final product, providing 5—10 techniques for stakeholders. This is the final stage of the process where the product will be launched. The product will become fully commercialized, full production will begin, and selling will begin.

List out the appropriate techniques or activities that will take place in this stage. What activities will need to begin in this stage? Many of these will be simple but still necessary to be described for the process.

Describe appropriate activities for results monitoring and other post-launch activities. What process and techniques can be used to monitor and control product performance in a post-launch phase? Summarize this information with a discussion of the appropriate stakeholders that should be involved in each of these activities and why these activities were chosen.

Example of Activity/Technique, Stakeholders and Description in Table below:

More activities or techniques can be provided as determined.

After listing at least 5 different detailed techniques or activities, there should be a concluding statement of why these activities were chosen for the project.

Example: The General Management/Sales Manager/Finance Manager would need to conduct the assessments/activities proposed above. Activities selected in this phase were chosen to monitor product performance as well performance of the project. This ensures future project teams will learn lessons from this project and also the product performance in the long run.