Modern product and portfolio management
A strategically aligned product portfolio is a central component of successful companies. A successful product strategy is the result of a detailed analysis of customer needs and the market, as well as the key product features. These components must be in line with the company’s objectives. Product and portfolio management also focuses on efficient and customer-centered requirements management, an optimal product and technology roadmap and optimal portfolio complexity, as well as variant management. According to the VDMA, German machine and plant manufacturers in particular are among the world leaders in terms of the number of variants they offer. The wealth of products and components results in individual customer solutions or country-specific versions that have a significant influence on purchasing decisions, but the internal number of variants must be reduced in order to avoid unnecessary costs.
With the help of our holistic analysis of the current situation and objectives, we work with you to develop the right product strategy. In doing so, we use our methodological toolbox to provide the right tools for analyzing the existing product portfolio, the target portfolio and the implementation of the strategy ideally tailored to your products.
Customer-centric requirement management is an essential part of the product development process. We support you in using your customer feedback effectively and incorporating it into your idea management.
Optimal portfolio complexity
Reduce your portfolio complexity with our multi-level variant management to secure your competitive advantage in the long term. We develop potential for variant deletion, reduce the variants of ongoing innovation projects and identify opportunities for variant monitoring.
Product strategy in line with the product development process
These three main influencing factors should be taken into account when creating the product strategy:
- Company goals
- Market and demand
- Key characteristics of the product
The corporate goals can be derived from the company’s vision; with regard to the product, the question of how the product contributes to the company’s success should be clarified. Every product should generate a profit; other objectives can be cost reduction, increasing market share or promoting the sale of other products, etc. Typical approaches to analyzing market potential and evaluating customer needs are trend analysis, competitive analysis, market size estimation, customer interviews and expert surveys. The list of unique selling points reflects the advantages and decision criteria of the users and shows how the product stands out from the competition. These three pillars are mutually dependent and must always be considered in the overall context. The product strategy should be clearly communicated to employees, for example through a product vision board.
As soon as the product strategy and framework conditions have been defined, the product development process (PDP) can begin. The PDP includes all steps and milestones from the idea for a new product, through design planning, to production and sales. The PDP is therefore a highly integrative, interdisciplinary business process. Product creation deals with product planning and concept development, as well as validation Once this phase has been completed, production planning follows; in this phase, the focus is placed on start-up control, with the product characteristics influencing the production requirements. Production includes the creation of pilot products, production ramp-up, series development and series ramp-up. Optimization potential can be identified with the help of a maturity model or an interface analysis. By efficiently feeding back customer feedback through sales and after sales, products can be improved in the long term and new product requirements can be incorporated into the innovation process.
Nowadays, the variety of products and variants on the market is constantly increasing and customized products have become standard for customers in both the B2C and B2B sectors. Shorter product lifecycles contribute to product diversity with the development of new versions. This development can present companies with the challenge of increasing portfolio complexity. Increased administrative effort and high product costs can be the result. The regular evaluation of products and their profitability, costs and sales volumes is therefore essential in order to remain competitive in the market. A dependency analysis and a business case analysis can identify opportunities to delete, reduce and avoid variants in order to streamline the portfolio efficiently.
We provide support in the design of product and portfolio management, from product strategy to operational variant management. As experienced consultants in the field of product development, we provide you with holistic support on all topics relating to your portfolio. We work with you to design the optimum solution for your specific company situation and help you to implement the right product architecture.
Get in touch with us! Our aim is to design and further develop your product portfolio in such a way that today’s value chains are better represented and you are prepared for the changes of the future in the long term – in collaboration with you and in cooperation with customers, suppliers and network partners.
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Questions regarding product & portfolio management
How do I reduce complexity in my portfolio?
Deleting variants and avoiding product and component variants can be difficult, especially in large portfolios with high dependencies. Therefore, a holistic view of the product architecture and the business processes, such as the quotation, order processing and value creation process, should always be sought. With regard to complex products, it may be that a part number alone is not used, but the deletion of this component leads to problems in the documentation or development of new products.
How does a product and portfolio management project work?
There is no one-size-fits-all answer to this; every company is different. We attach great importance to tailoring our project structure and process to the individual needs of our customers. As a starting point, however, we recommend a project clarification, as well as an analysis of the current situation and objectives to clarify requirements.