Communication links teams and is the driving force of productivity and understanding. Product management relies on effective communication and collaboration across all involved teams. However, product teams are often challenged with frequent communication breakdowns or improper information circulation, which may cause poor collaboration and even product failure.
The effect of communication breakdown among product teams can spell doom for a business. Using tools like product information management (PIM) systems that can address and fix this challenge no longer becomes a luxury but a necessity and an investment in business success.
Common communication challenges in product management
- Data silos: One of the major causes of data silos in any team is poor communication. Poor communication can throw a wrench in the works faster than you think. Data or information silos typically occur when teams within the organization do not communicate openly with one another or when systems are not integrated. Siloed teams usually work more slowly and have low productivity.
- Misalignment: One of the major challenges when collaborating on a product is misalignment. Many projects have seen people unclear about their roles, the product, its value proposition, and goals. This can lead to confusion and demotivation. On a larger scale, it can cause inconsistent output, launch delays, and an overall unhappy team.
- Decentralized information: Managing fragmented information sources is a major challenge for growing teams. Imagine team members going down an email rabbit hole to find project information. This can result in wasted manhours, working with incomplete or outdated information, and communication breakdowns. This is where the PIM system becomes important, serving as a central repository to avoid confusion and miscommunication.
- Misaligned priorities: When there is no alignment on common product goals, friction occurs. While the engineering team may push for product functionality, the marketing team may push for customer appeal over others. While each team’s perspective is valuable, failure to reach a consensus on priority can cause barriers that hinder efficient collaboration.
- Lack of defined processes: Processes guide the different stages of product management. A lack of defined processes means teams cannot align on workflow, which can result in confusion, multiple bottlenecks, and underperformance within the team. Businesses can adopt a product value management (PVM) approach, which drives process efficiencies and boosts collaboration.
How PIM can facilitate collaboration
While PVM provides the framework for end-to-end product management, the PIM system makes the necessary information available to all parties. However, even with the technology, businesses must also promote a culture of transparency, collaboration, and open communication between teams as tools only enhance existing efficiency.
- Data repository: Consolidating all data into one platform that stands as a single source of truth for all team members can prevent the formation of data silos and lead to better communication between product teams. A PIM system manages product information needed by all involved teams. Thus, teams can save unnecessary time digging for data and channel it into strategic activities.
- Transparency: Transparency into the product life cycle is crucial for teams to stay aligned with the project status, meet deadlines, and understand priority. A PIM system eliminates the challenge of data silos and lack of transparency. When all teams have access to information, it promotes accountability and communication.
- Simplified workflow: Most PIM systems have tools that automate workflow and provide real-time insights. Team members could spend less time on manual and repetitive tasks while focusing on more productive tasks.
- Improved coordination: For product companies that run multichannel strategies, product, sales, marketing teams, and customers rely on accurate, updated, and consistent information across channels. The PIM system ensures that information is available to all involved parties. From product images to specifications and prices, the PIM can continuously deliver that information and make necessary updates across channels. For businesses that want to scale internationally, the PIM system can also curb the challenge of currency and language barriers by making information available to international customers in their currency and language.
Conclusion
Collaboration is the backbone of any successful product management. It requires teamwork, commitment, coordination, and organization. Failure of teams to align and communicate could spell doom for a product. Product teams are constantly faced with communication issues that could be costly. Implementing the right communication tools could mean the difference between product success and failure. Using a strategic approach like PVM and a system like PIM, businesses can get ahead of communication breakdowns, foster teamwork, and push out incredible products.
