"Turn" to do the product vs do the project

Related definitions

According to gb/t19000-2008 "Quality Management System Foundation and terminology", there are the following definitions

Process Processes

A set of interrelated or interacting activities that convert input into output

Note: The input of one procedure is usually the output of other processes.

Product Products

Results of the process

Note: Products can be type, such as automobiles, can also be intangible, such as training, consulting services.

Projects Project

A unique process consisting of a set of date-ending, coordinated, and controlled activities that meet the required objectives, including time, cost and resource constraints

Note:

1, a single project can be part of a larger project.

2, the result of a project can be a single or several products

In short, the product is the result of the process, and the project is a unique process. The results of a project can produce a single or a number of products, so they are not reciprocal and are two concepts at different stages.

(i) difference

1, the target is not the same

The goal of the project is to make use of limited resources, high-quality to complete one or several specific customer's needs in the stipulated time, have particularity, individuation, the demand is generally put forward by the customer, relative clear, the goal is also relatively clear.

The goal of the product is to meet the needs of a certain class of users. For the general public or industry, it is universal and popular. Before development, there are no clear customers, only potential customers, so the demand is relatively vague, requiring a long period of demand research.

Example:

A small software company received a hotel order, within 6 months to make a set of management software, a typical project, and a large software company found the market, inspired by the project to do a set of general software, can sell more hotels, more like a product ...

2, the life cycle is not the same

The goal is different, it determines the life cycle is different.

The product's life cycle is relatively long, focusing on the entire product from planning to manufacturing, to the final maintenance and extinction process. Similar to human growth, from birth (product idea) >> growth (Product version update) >> Death (product exit Market). Product does not exist "complete" argument, because we can not specify when this product "end", generally with the passage of time, the market changes, the company's strategic adjustment and other factors, gradually towards the "end of life cycle."

The project life cycle is relatively short, including project start-up, planning, implementation monitoring and acceptance. Usually there is a definite start time and end time before the project starts. The acceptance indicates the end of the project life cycle, so the project is one-time.

Example:

Microsoft's Windows, experienced 95, 98, 2000, ME, XP, 7, 8, 10, etc., the entire product is Windows, know when to start, but do not know when the end.

3, the risk is not the same

The goals are different and the risks are different.

Products do not have a clear customer, only potential customers, and customers usually do not understand the product, the development after the completion of the need to advertise, so that potential customers to buy products. Because the demand is relatively vague, if the relevant needs research work is not done in place, then the product development may not be what the customer wants, if not the customer wants, that will not sell, there may be market competition, so product risk is relatively large.

At the beginning of the project has a clear customer, the demand is relatively clear, as required to complete the task, so the risk of doing the project is relatively small.

4, the process complexity is not the same

Product needs a long-term planning, continuous business accumulation and promotion, and constantly explore new business to meet customer needs, the entire life cycle of products need to maintain, all-round consideration, need to always grasp its balance point, and do the product process, there will be more exploration, with a variety of internal and external information changes, Product owners need to constantly revise their judgments, to give appropriate innovation, so the process of the wrong product is relatively complex

The process of the project is more like performing a new task, it is possible that the task is only a part of the whole process, the task can be completed within the specified time, so the project is more focused on planning and control, the process is relatively simple.

5, the output is not the same

The production of the product should be a usable product

The production of the project, not necessarily the product, may be just some functional modules completed, a phase of the completion of the task

6, the team is not the same

The project team is a "temporary and open" organization, that is, when a project is completed, the team may be disbanded to do the next new project, so the project department is often a temporary organization

Product team is relatively durable, generally for the company's core product development and the establishment of a specialized product department

(ii) Contact

A, products and projects are mutually reinforcing relations, product development is through a project to complete, but not the simple accumulation of the project. The product needs, through the project to achieve, complete the product of a online version. Continuously iterative, which in turn drives product version updates.

In other words, the overall product development process is a product of a specific phase (version), the specific stage of the product is composed of each specific project, and the completion of the project can be done by a small version of the iteration.

Of course, a project may also be a service for multiple product development, such as platform and technical projects.

The project is the smallest constituent unit in the whole product development process (can be the development of a functional component, a version, etc.)

Product overall development process determines the product manager's work perspective, product specific stage determines the product manager's work content, the specific project decides the product manager's work focus

B. Should there be a product first or a project first?

There is no correct answer to this question.

1) first project, after product

First by the specific project import, by the implementation of a number of similar projects gradually consider the formation of products. This idea is very good, there is not too much upfront capital investment, but according to a specific project to do something but it is difficult to form a product line, especially into the actual project before there is no corresponding market analysis and product planning, the following things are more likely to be in the product function, the structure of congenital deficiencies.

The reality of most companies is: first sales to win a project, the company after the completion of the project, found that there are many other users have similar needs, so organize a team of people, to make the product. Because of the project objectives driven by the project's technical structure, product features are often congenital defects, in this case, want to product, you need to re-product planning and technical architecture design, so the cost is very high.

2) First product, after the project

There is a product first, then there is a project (usually a custom development on the basis of the product), and then in the project continuously obtain the demand, perfect the product.

The actual situation is as follows:

For the immature products, generally in its form a certain version, to the user, and then according to the personalized needs of users, to develop custom (or say two times development). This creates a product-related project, which means that the project was developed based on this product.

For mature products, the user's personalized information is usually encapsulated, providing customized functions to meet the different requirements of different users. For example, process customization, form customization, function menu customization and some other business functions of the configuration function. In this case, the product-related project is a one-to-one implementation of the project, only to implement personnel to the site to a certain degree of customization to users can be delivered to users.

3) in comprehensive

These two situations have pros and cons, the first is more secure, even if the product is not successful, there are projects to do. The second situation first requires a good research and prediction of the future development trend of the product, otherwise it is likely to appear naught results.

(iii) worth thinking about the actual

The problem we may face is that the product and the project are one to the other, seemingly simple, resulting in a huge waste of a large number of components and modules that cannot be reused, while the bigger problem is doing the project as a product, ignoring the project's own rigorous project goals and boundaries, resulting in projects and products not being

"Turn" to do the product vs do the project