From cell phones to cars and smart fridges to pet feeders, software is increasingly finding its way into hardware products. As a result of this growing trend, manufacturers need to integrate software features into their products to provide more user-friendly, customizable options to satisfy the needs of their customers.
The advancement of software technology has fueled a change across the product manufacturing industry by integrating software into traditional hardware products. Consider thermostats, ovens, lights, garage doors, cars, machines, and even pet feeders.
Your product roadmap is an essential part of the manufacturing process. It guides production while defining the product vision from conception to development. Product manufacturing can be a complex process. If you consider the design and engineering of a vehicle, many components come into play. There is a product team in place for each feature of a vehicle, from the engine, tires, frame, and brakes to the axles, gears, seating, electrical, and lighting to the product software. The only way to manage all these moving pieces is to have a roadmap and a strategy to manage it.
Have you ever found yourself cursing your phone when the functions become increasingly sluggish after every new model launch? This is because companies like Apple and Samsung make sure their products are designed to best align with the brand-new software update. While it might seem like a simple market strategy to get people talking about the newest updates, the reality of launching products that require software and hardware elements is that it is a very intricate process.
Global markets are huge drivers of economic growth, contributing to GDP and promoting economic stability within countries across the globe. The ability for corporations to operate in diverse locations allows for better access to resources, opens up new labor markets, and secures new consumer markets in which to sell their goods. In addition, local businesses often rely on trade with foreign suppliers for raw materials and components from which to produce their finished products.
Manufacturing is a complex, time-consuming operation involving many people, systems, and tools to keep operations running smoothly. The right software can help keep those operations running smoothly. Product roadmaps that maximize efficiency while keeping customer needs and market trends top-of-mind give a competitive advantage against the competition, but what about ongoing management of those roadmaps? Manufacturers that invest in the right systems will be better equipped to build agility into their product management strategy.
Product Management plays a key role inside companies driven by their products; it’s instrumental for organizational growth and strategic market advantages.
Gocious recently held a webinar to discuss why integrating product planning with PLM is essential. The webinar, available to watch on-demand, presented the benefits of integration for PLM and product planning. We discussed how Gocious can help with that integration and also digitally transforming the product planning process.
Gocious recently held a webinar to discuss the results and insights of a recent industry market research study that we conducted. The webinar, available to watch on-demand, presented some of the key insights that we uncovered. We ultimately discussed the ways manufacturers can optimize their product launch cycle times.
