There are many applications on the market today designed to help make product management easier. I recently took a look at 3 of these, and due to reader feedback, wanted to take a look at 3 more.
With so many to choose from, and so many options to consider, it can be hard to know which to invest in. Let’s take a look at three more software applications that aid in the product management process in different ways.
Kelley Johnson the leader of Lockheed Martin’s skunk works once famously said “Protect the product team.” That is exactly what these services aim to do.
Lucidchart: Diagrams Done Right
Lucidchart, is flowchart software designed to improve and facilitate visual communication. It allows you to create and share flowcharts in a variety of styles and with a variety of functions. You can collaborate with others online while building your flowchart and save it as a PDF or a web page when finished.
Its ease of use makes Lucidchart a popular choice for many large companies, including Starbucks, Groupon, and Harvard University. Lucidchart allows users to create and edit mockups customizable to Android, iOS, and other mobile devices – and because all the elements are available online, no downloading is necessary.
Gartner analysts offer this bit of advice: “To maximize the often large investment and minimize the risk, organizations must perform the following steps: define scope, use cases and requirements; select the right product to fit these criteria.”
ProductPlan: Share the Ultimate Product Roadmap
ProductPlan, helps you create product roadmaps – easily understandable step-by-step guides toward the completion of a project. Using ProductPlan enables a company to present a clear and concise strategy to executives for how best to achieve the desired results.
With its numerous charts, graphs, and visual graphics, all of which can be merged with each other, ProductPlan is a tool that enables full visualization of the implementation of any project, no matter how complex. Like Lucidchart, ProductPlan is also fully and securely interactive, allowing you to build and share your roadmap with whomever you please.
Apptivo: Grow your business with Apptivo
Apptivo’s software was created to give small businesses the same creative and analytical resources previously only available to larger companies. While Apptivo offers a range of software options, its project management application is particularly extensive, allowing users to select and update timesheets, milestones, sub projects, and other services within the same project. Product management is about organization, and Apptivo cultivates organization. Its visual elements and tools help to simplify even the most complex projects.
Both employees and customers can be included in Apptivo’s application, so that the whole team as well as the client can be made aware of which steps need to be taken and when to take them. Apptivo enhances communication at all levels of product management, ensuring that everyone involved in the project is on the same page.
These software applications work in slightly different ways, but they all provide a tangible means of overseeing a product from its inception to its completion. These programs emphasize the importance of visual, not just verbal, communication.
Gartner Analysts advise on making the best of big moments: “whether it’s a new product launch, a shift in direction, a seasonal special or even an attempt to answer for a disaster, there will always be moments in the life of a brand that call for “campaign thinking”.
By mapping out your product and your plan to develop it ahead of time, you avoid the pitfalls that come with insufficient planning. These applications encourage product management as a thought-out, collaborative process, in which all aspects of a layout are fully compatible with every major digital and mobile platform. Using any of the above apps will allow for the kind of communication that ensures that everyone, from employee to client, is informed about the scope and extent of the project, and excited to be a part of its success.