Delivering a product on time and on target is one of the most important skills for a product engineer. It requires planning, communication, collaboration, and adaptation. In this article, you will learn some practical tips and best practices to help you achieve this goal and impress your clients and stakeholders.
The first step to deliver a product on time and on target is to define the scope clearly and realistically. This means understanding the problem, the user needs, the business objectives, and the technical constraints. You should also identify the key features, the success criteria, and the risks. A good way to document the scope is to use a product requirements document (PRD) that outlines the vision, goals, assumptions, and specifications of the product.
In my experience, Defining In Scope and Out Scope of item to be delivered is very imp.As some time we need to cut down the item from in scope in order to deliver the product on time. Understand Product feature's is very important to achive this.
I keep it simple (1) What purpose will the product serve (2) What will the customer expect from the product in terms of usability, features, support post purchase, serviceability, upgrades, end of life (3) boundary conditions known from safety, legal, production side With the above you can design ….
If the product is of new concept, firstly understand the scope and objective clearly spend more time with the customer and do not rush into assumptions. Form a dedicated team with right skillsets, delegate the workflow appropriately, breakdown the milestones and do review every single milestone with the target. Try to minimise the experimentations with help of experts and deliver the product on time!!
To deliver a product on time and target: 1- Define clear objectives and scope. 2- Create a detailed project plan with realistic timelines. 3- Allocate resources wisely and manage risks. 4- Communicate transparently with stakeholders. 5- Monitor progress and adapt as needed. 6- Control scope changes and ensure quality. 8- Test, validate, and gather feedback. Document everything and learn from the experience.
Project scope involves outlining the goals, deliverables, features, functions, tasks, deadlines, and costs associated with a project. It's a comprehensive document that sets the boundaries and expectations, answering questions like what will be done, what won't be done, and how success will be measured. This clarity helps in effective project management, preventing unnecessary changes and ensuring everyone involved understands the project's parameters.
The next step is to estimate the time required to complete the product. This can be challenging, as there are many factors that can affect the duration and complexity of the project. You should use a method that suits your team and context, such as agile, waterfall, or hybrid. You should also break down the product into smaller and manageable tasks, assign them to team members, and track their progress. A useful tool to help you with this is a Gantt chart that shows the dependencies, milestones, and deadlines of the project.
Before estimating the time, there could be couple of steps: 1. If it is a known product, what is the newness level and complexity level 2. Once the above is known, define the actual route to realise the product. eg. If it is physical product, do we need an A, B, C and D samples and if it is a virtual product accordingly. Further we could go in for the time plan with the estimated work content, remember we have to refer the frozen specification while doing this step. If there is a change in specification en route the journey, we may need to revise the time plan or the same could be achieved through change management. A specification change means redo the first step, hence it is essential to revisit the time plan
Time Estimation: The subsequent vital phase in the journey to successful project delivery. Complexity and Duration Factors: Recognizing the multitude of variables affecting project complexity and duration. Appropriate Methodology: Selecting a methodology that suits your team and project context, such as Agile, Waterfall, or a hybrid approach. Task Breakdown: Dividing the project into smaller, manageable tasks. Team Allocation: Assigning tasks to team members based on their skills and expertise. Progress Tracking: Monitoring and tracking task progress throughout the project lifecycle. Gantt Chart Utilization: Leveraging tools like Gantt charts to visualize task dependencies Dependencies and Milestones: Identifying task dependencies
Once you have defined the scope and estimated the time, you should communicate the plan to your clients and stakeholders. This will help you align their expectations, get their feedback, and resolve any issues or conflicts. You should also update them regularly on the status, achievements, and challenges of the project. A good way to communicate the plan is to use a product roadmap that shows the vision, strategy, and timeline of the product.
A plan created needs to be communicated properly with the whole perspective together. We could define level 1 with customer mile stones, level 2 with internal departments mile stones and level 3 with individual departments milestones. Now often we miss to see the bigger picture. It is essential to see this plan in one sheet, I would prefer it in an A0 sheet the old fashioned way but which is the most effective way of communicating it. This should also be displayed in a war room where the project team meets. There needs to be a buy in from each stake holder for the plan.
Plan Communication: A critical phase post-scope definition and time estimation. Stakeholder Alignment: Ensuring clients and stakeholders have a clear grasp of the project plan. Feedback and Issue Resolution: Providing an avenue for stakeholders to offer feedback and address any arising issues or conflicts. Regular Updates: Consistently updating stakeholders on project status, milestones achieved, and challenges encountered. Enhanced Understanding: Utilizing tools like product roadmaps to convey the project's vision, strategy, and timeline. Product Roadmap Function: A visual representation of the project plan that aids in articulating the project's direction. Vision and Strategy Communication: Demonstrating the long-term vision of theproject
Delivering a product on time and on target is not a solo effort. You need to collaborate with your team and other departments, such as design, development, testing, and marketing. You should establish clear roles and responsibilities, share information and resources, and coordinate your efforts. You should also foster a culture of trust, respect, and feedback among your team members. A good way to collaborate with the team is to use a project management tool that allows you to create, assign, and monitor tasks, as well as communicate and share files.
Often I get to see an excuse in the end, my counterpart didn’t deliver the input to me on time and that is the reason that one is delayed. The reasoning helps nobody. Getting the input from your project team member is your responsibility too. Raise the flag right when you know that an input for you to perform your task is getting delayed. This will help the team to define countermeasures. Even if you deliver your part on time if your team. Member fails, the whole project fails too. So it is extremely important for you to help your team member to get things right. Regular structured meetings can improve the collaboration and avoid silos. Stand up meetings to discuss the progress and road blocks with countermeasures can go a long way
Team Collaboration: A fundamental component of delivering projects punctually and with precision. Interdepartmental Synergy: Recognizing that product delivery involves various departments like design, development, testing, and marketing. Clear Roles and Responsibilities: Establishing unambiguous roles and responsibilities for team members. Information and Resource Sharing: Encouraging the sharing of information and resources across teams. Effort Coordination: Ensuring the harmonious coordination of efforts among team members and departments. Cultivating a Positive Culture: Nurturing a culture of trust, respect, and constructive feedback within the team. Tools for Collaboration: Leveraging project management tools
Delivering a product on time and on target does not mean sticking to the plan rigidly. You need to be flexible and adaptable to changes that may arise during the project, such as new requirements, feedback, issues, or opportunities. You should be able to prioritize, negotiate, and adjust your scope, time, and resources accordingly. You should also be able to learn from your mistakes, failures, and successes. A good way to adapt to changes is to use a iterative and incremental approach that allows you to test, validate, and improve your product continuously.
Change management process is the mantra. Change is inevitable during the execution of the project. Be cautious on the type and extend of change. While being accommodative on minor changes, be realistic on changes which actually changes the specification by itself. If the specification changes revisit your plan.
Embrace the fact that changes are part of the program, don't be annoyed by it. Manage it, be ready with mitigation plan for any possible hickup. "Give face" by taking resposability for other's mistakes
Adaptation: A critical skill in the quest for on-time and precise project delivery. Flexibility Amidst Change: Recognizing the inevitability of changes during the project, including new requirements, feedback, issues, or opportunities. Scope, Time, and Resource Adjustment: The capability to recalibrate project elements, including scope, time, and resources, in response to changing circumstances. Prioritization and Negotiation: The art of prioritizing tasks, negotiating changes with stakeholders, and maintaining project alignment. Learning from Experience: Gleaning insights from both mistakes and successes, ensuring continuous improvement.
The final step to deliver a product on time and on target is to deliver the value to your clients and users. This means ensuring that your product meets the quality standards, fulfills the user needs, and achieves the business objectives. You should also provide documentation, training, and support to help them use and maintain your product. A good way to deliver the value is to use a product launch checklist that covers the pre-launch, launch, and post-launch activities of the product.
Get a good, experienced project manager and respect his recommendations and decision. Keep politics out of the project space.
On time delivery is a final output of a well designed process with adequate investment in process flow supported by achievable quality goals.
If you are able to identify the risks at early stage, mitigate and steer to time and cost will be easier. It is also important how strong PE with processes.
Cultural differences in time perception significantly influence product delivery. Polychronic cultures perceive time as fluid, often multitasking and valuing relational depth over punctuality. In contrast, monochronic cultures view time linearly, prioritizing schedules and promptness. To harmonize these divergent perspectives, implement culturally intelligent strategies. For global teams, consider a hybrid schedule that respects both orientations. For example, allow for fluid brainstorming sessions, but enforce more rigid review points. Cultural synchrony ensures timely and target-aligned product delivery, showcasing respect for diverse time perceptions and enhancing cross-cultural cooperation.