How do you ensure your product works with other products?

Identifying your product's dependencies involves recognizing the external elements or resources that your product relies on to function properly. Here are steps to help you identify these dependencies: Analyze Functionality Software Dependencies Hardware Dependencies Services and APIs Data Dependencies Environmental Dependencies Human Dependencies Documentation Review Testing and Usage Feedback and Monitoring Updating Dependencies By identifying your product's dependencies, you can manage potential risks, plan for updates, and ensure that your product remains functional and reliable throughout its lifecycle.

One of the first and foremost thing to be considered is the product is built on industry wide common frameworks and standards and has a flexible architecture design and can communicate with other products with industry standard protocols. This has to be incorporated in the very first phase of design. This will obviate all your later integrations worries

This is kind of easy. First have engineering test out from a technical standpoint Then test internally with sales and marketing Then give to users in the field who have other product lines. Let them use and provide feedback. Ethnographically follow user around

As other contributors have said, building to industry recognised standards is extremely important. But what if you are building something new/bespoke? If integrating into your current tech stack, you need to ensure that a proper dependency map is created. Ideally all interested parties (Product, Engineers, Architects, BAs etc from the relevant teams) should be brought together to discuss and brainstorm. Once a map has been created, a regular planning session such as PI* will ensure that all team's deliver any required elements or ensure integration at a predefined time as per the objective. *Quarterly planning sessions as per SAFe methodology

In order to focus your time on the things that matter most, start by defining the core capabilities of your product and what additional features you will be adding. Rate them based on the following: - Business value, - Needed effort to develop. Next, define an MVP for your product. Now you are ready to identify your products' dependencies and interactions and put them in perspective.

To ensure your product operates smoothly across various platforms and environments, conducting research on its compatibility is essential. Follow these steps to effectively research and address compatibility issues: Define Target Platforms List Technical Requirements Analyze Existing Data Check Industry Standards Use Virtual Environments Perform Compatibility Testing Prioritize Common Configurations Responsive Design for Web Browser Compatibility User Feedback Version Compatibility Monitor Emerging Technologies Document Findings Continuous Testing User-Focused Approach Iterative Improvement

The research part is essential to fix a solution approach. Defining the scope from the user-side can be achieved via questionnaires to collect premature expectations and feedback. When you evaluate the results try to find a narrow scope first and then a secondary stage of a wider scope that you want to implement. Structure results in a SWOT matrix to see the strength, weaknesses, opportunities and threats for each scope and create drafts of solution approaches for each (e.g. architecture diagrams using UML). Any decision you make can be kept in an ADR (architecture decision record), which outlines a single decision and its relationale. Store all ADRs in a decision log and keep it in an AKM Architectural Decision Management (ADM) system.

This is where you need to challenge your team to think generic, modular, and versatile. Research the available standards, who uses them, and how to apply them to your product. Avoid creating a proprietary product, as they work in the short term but are hard to maintain in the long term and slow down or even prohibit the introduction of new features. You are most likely not the first or only one with similar challenges. Look at how others have solved the compatibility challenges, or even better, use a third-party solution that solves them for you. Is your product communicating with other products? Then make sure you collect and store this communication natively to ensure backwards traceability and bug fixing.

An example I've seen is the rise of responsive web design. In the past, many websites were built for desktop first. But as mobile usage grew, these sites didn't look or function well on smaller screens. Forward-thinking developers began designing for mobile first, ensuring compatibility across devices. They used tools to test how their site appeared on various screen sizes. They also considered touch versus click interactions. By researching and adapting to these compatibility needs, they provided a seamless user experience regardless of the device. Always remember: a product that works everywhere has a wider reach and greater impact.

Die Zielapplikationen oder Zielbranchen haben einen starken Einfluss in die Auswahl der zu definierten Integrationstest. Eine tiefe Kenntnis der Umgebungsbedingungen unterstützen ma?geblich bei der Auswahl der Integrationstests

To ensure your product seamlessly integrates with other systems and technologies, conducting interoperability testing is crucial. Begin by identifying the external systems and services your product needs to interact with, establishing scenarios that mimic real-world interactions. Create testing environments that mirror actual configurations and prepare the necessary data formats and inputs. Thoroughly test interactions, especially through APIs, to validate data exchange, protocol compatibility, and security measures. Perform end-to-end scenario and user flow tests to ensure smooth interactions across platforms and devices. Regular regression testing and collaboration with stakeholders will help refine your product's interoperability.

One of the most important tests to be carried out before a product launch. I had the opportunity to carry out these tests for the launch of the 100% electric Mustang Mach-e on the SA market and found minor adjustments needed to be made to the EV chargers. It was necessary to assure the end customer that the cars would be able to charge perfectly on SA's streets and roads. It's important to have an execution plan, data analysis, a post-test action plan and a final report. Having all the tests documented and creating a history is essential for the development of any product.

Please note interoperability is none "done". You always need to check and see if there have been API updates or code changes which have broken what was previously working perfectly. So, in your test plan, make sure you include a step to keep check the connections on a recurring basis.

Many times it would be difficult to get the similar hardware device to test the integration with. One of the ways companies navigate to this challenge is to test the system with cloud hardware which is exact simulation of the hardware behaviour. This is cost effective as one need not have to purchase the costly hardware just for testing with challenge of dependent testing hardware getting updated in near future.

It depends on which product domain it's applied to. In terms of Hardware, most organizations keep their technology and spare parts to be used along with their own product, but in the case of software, yes, they need to check the ability of systems or software to exchange and use information.

It's essential to actively seek and analyze feedback from your users about how they use your product in combination with other products. This involves understanding their experiences with your product's compatibility and using this information to make necessary improvements. Focus on how your product integrates, syncs, or enhances other software tools or workflows, and be vigilant in addressing any bugs, crashes, or conflicts that arise.

The friendly customers who helped you with your interoperability testing are often your best brand ambassadors and provide valuable feedback. Keeping them engaged will provide valuable input for your roadmap. They understand that nothing is perfect and love (and demand) that their input improves the product you are building.

Engage users early. Implement beta testing or early access programs. This way, you get real-world feedback before full release. Users can highlight unforeseen compatibility issues. For instance, a software tool might work well in isolation but conflict with another popular tool in a specific workflow. Early feedback helps address such issues proactively, ensuring a smoother launch and a product that truly meets user needs. Always remember: your users are your best testers. Their insights are invaluable.

Make sure to get a direct connection to the end users. Implement several layers of peer group feedback collection. Invite them to frequently done presentations of the current development state remote (e.g. do public reviews in Scrum via Zoom Scrum) or on-site to customer summits. Offer rewards for contributions (e.g. money, codes, media coverage) to keep the users engaged in giving feedback and testing. Do A/B testing for a broader customer basis and offer a feature for certain days to a small group of representative users before you roll it out to everyone. Consider field tests with people who are not users yet. Take events in usability labs with cameras and eye-tracking in consideration to observe all behaviours (recorded footage).

When dealing with products that can't be tested exhaustively, prioritizing which environments and flows to test is essential. However, equally crucial is creating a streamlined feedback loop with your customers. By simplifying the process for customers to report issues and providing mechanisms for rapid response and resolution, you can catch unforeseen problems early and address them efficiently. This proactive approach not only enhances the product's reliability but also builds customer trust, as they feel valued and confident that their concerns will be addressed swiftly.

The user experience of integrators is crucial to the success of integration endeavors. Here are some best practices to achieve seamless integration: Utilize Existing Interfaces: Research and reuse well-known interfaces instead of creating your own whenever possible. This leverages familiar standards and reduces learning curves. Intuitive Design: Make interfaces intuitive by adhering to common industry conventions. This ensures that users can easily understand and interact with your product. Provide Tools: Offer tools like Swagger UI to your integrators, allowing them to experiment with the interfaces with minimal effort. Following these practices can significantly reduce integration errors and save on support costs.

More and more commonly we see "API as a product" approach, where user interface is secondary. The role of the product is to intake some information, modifyty and process it, and then send it to appropiate places. I'd challange PMs to use this thinking for more products! Even if UI is a huge components of your app / service, building a strong API first will make your internal development efforts faster.

The missing subject in this article is the feedback loop to your product's initial design. You defined your product's architecture based on assumptions and goals. What if your interoperability research provides new insights that lead you to rethink your product design? Make sure that this continuous feedback loop is part of your product development process. It is in people's nature to move forward, but sometimes you need to take a step back to move forward.

Foster a culture of collaboration. Encourage your team to use and explore other products. Their personal experiences can provide insights that formal testing might miss. The more diverse your team's tech usage, the broader your product's compatibility perspective.

No matter what approach you choose to implement any product things will always fall short in meeting all expectations. Be prepared for that. To reduce the gap between expectations and actual implementation of product early feedback is crucial so you can align your next steps of development. This way you follow an effective path to solve the problem. Don't be surprised when you find out along the way if the customers/users expect sth completely different than what has been given out as product vision. Be happy about this feedback and use it to find the actual problem that you want to solve with your product. This way you will make sure sales will work and that no budget is spent on unnecessary tracks that lead into dead ends.