The Power of Product Lifecycle Management: Steering Product Roadmaps to Success

“All businesses need to be young forever. If your customer base ages with you, you’re Woolworth’s.” — Jeff Bezos

Ever question the value of a product development lifecycle? You are not alone. Never the hero; it exists in the shadows and is often forgotten until a crisis.

Queue the time travel music….

“Why should I care about this lifecycle sh*t? I’ve already got too much to do. And how is it even relevant to what we are discussing…. roadmaps?”

If you haven’t gathered from my past posts on product topics, I’ve worked with ‘interesting yet easily annoyed’ colleagues many times.

Maybe I attract them, perhaps they feel more comfortable being honest with me, possibly it’s just luck or timing, who knows.

However, one thing is for sure: each snippy colleague has made me a better product leader, as their questions always cut to the heart of an important issue. This case was no different.

“Lifecycle sh*t!? Do you even know what a product lifecycle is?” I said. “I love how you call product frameworks sh*t, but your stuff is always amazing!”.

Okay, I am over-dramatizing a bit, but that’s how it plays back in my memory. And yes, I can get short in return, giving it right back.

Unfortunately, when it comes to product lifecycle management, it puts many off. Others it irritates. And to those of us involved in it, it’s pure gold. Yes, all we want to do is build, not follow frameworks, but I assure you, this is worth your time.

Getting to an unknown destination requires a plan.

Executing a product roadmap requires more. It involves significant orchestration well beyond the boundaries of the product.

Just as a well-drafted blueprint, an experienced contractor, and a solid foundation provide the ingredients required to build a house, a consistent, well-thought-through product lifecycle enables product strategy through execution.

What the heck is a Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) anyway?

When it comes to product lifecycle management, there is no shortage of frameworks. And here I am, coming along with another.

Why?

A product lifecycle describes the stages a product goes through, beginning when the product is a twinkle in a product manager’s eye to its eventual retirement from the market and the continuous evolution between.

Think of your product like the life of a butterfly: it starts as an idea that is nurtured (egg). It is then launched and made available to customers, growing and changing (larva/caterpillar) until it’s ready to scale (pupa/chrysalis). The product then reaches its peak popularity (butterfly). Then, it might slowly decline as interest wanes, newer products take over (the next generation of butterflies), and finally, it is retired or replaced.

Each stage has challenges and opportunities, and understanding this cycle helps businesses make better product decisions and guide the evolution of the product.

I’ll admit that a product lifecycle is a lot to digest, especially the first time. So, let’s focus on a few key concepts first.

First, the concept of strategy through execution. No successful product makes it to market without both. In product lifecycle management, strategy through execution is iterative, reoccurring in part or whole as the product evolves and adapts to the market. Changes that you must reflect in the roadmap.

Second, let’s look at the process of iteration.

The steps don’t happen from start to finish once, and then it’s game over. The lifecycle is evolutionary, repeating over and over until you decide to sunset the product. The evolutionary nature is why it’s called product lifecycle management and not simply a process. Management implies active engagement and shaping.

Third, let’s talk about adaptation. You must adjust the lifecycle to fit specific product types (e.g., software vs. hardware), industries, and companies. It is not a universal, off-the-shelf, always the same framework.

Rather than think of the lifecycle as fully formed, think of it as something to mold and shape. As discussed in previous posts on context [link], you must understand the situation and your company — and then adapt the framework to fit the context of the environment. Note: Be sure to implement the framework across your company, not at the product level. Customizing it for each product will not lead to chaos.

Fourth, while the lifecycle is product-led, it’s a team sport. You need your engineering, design, and marketing partners to succeed (if it’s a software company). You may need others as well. Think about those who will help make your product a success, get them involved in the implementation, and recognize their contribution in the lifecycle.

Finally, there are minimum expectations. Engaging your partners, decide the required deliverables at each step for success. A word of caution: don’t overdo the outputs. You should focus on using as few outputs and steps as necessary to make the product successful.

Again, remember that the framework above is but one example.

You can find different flavors of the framework targeted at different scenarios and situations. What’s essential regardless is that you have to make it your own — you should never adopt without modification. The framework needs to be yours and work for your company.

Why is product lifecycle management important to product roadmaps?

As a framework, product lifecycle management guides the creation of the product roadmap and ensures it is executed with excellence — as you will see in the Airbus example below.

To illustrate the point, let’s look at two examples of where PLM and roadmaps intersect.

• Example One- The objectives and outcomes created during the ‘conceive’ step in the diagram above of the PLM are critical inputs to your roadmap.
• Example Two — The outputs of ‘conceive’ in the diagram above lay the groundwork to create the context necessary for an outcomes-oriented roadmap.

Let’s dive a bit deeper.

To understand PLM’s importance to product roadmaps can be understood in several key areas:

• Alignment with Strategy: PLM emphasizes alignment with the broader business strategy. As a result, product roadmaps developed within a PLM framework will be better aligned with the company’s strategic objectives.
• Holistic Perspective: PLM provides a comprehensive view of a product’s lifecycle, which ensures that the roadmap considers every phase of the product’s life, from ideation to retirement. This view helps plan outcomes, features, and enhancements in sync with the product’s current lifecycle stage.
• Collaboration and Communication: PLM tools and methodologies often promote collaboration across departments. This collaboration ensures that product roadmaps are built with inputs from various stakeholders like marketing, sales, engineering, and support.
• Feedback Loops: PLM emphasizes gathering feedback throughout the product’s life. This continuous feedback can be incorporated into the roadmap to make iterative improvements.
• Regulatory and Compliance Management: PLM ensures that products are developed and maintained in compliance with guidelines within heavily regulated industries. A roadmap incorporating these considerations will be better poised to adapt to changing regulatory landscapes.
• Resource Optimization: By understanding the entire lifecycle, organizations can allocate resources to roadmap objectives more effectively. For instance, a mature product might need fewer innovation resources but more maintenance and support. This holistic prioritization supports decisions on how many new outcome-oriented features can be added to the roadmap for completion (vs. the backlog)
• Historical Data Utilization: PLM systems often store historical data about product performance, failures, and successes. This data can be invaluable in making decisions about future product development and in shaping the product roadmap.

Again, these are just a few examples of how a solid product lifecycle enables the creation of an outcomes-oriented roadmap.

Airbus — A tale of successful product lifecycle management

In the heart of Europe, a dream was taking shape at Airbus — to create an aircraft that would redefine the benchmarks of efficiency, comfort, and environmental responsibility. The Airbus A350 XWB, a marvel of modern aerospace technology, was born from this vision. However, the journey from concept to reality was a story of challenges, collaboration, and innovation throughout the product lifecycle.

Simply getting started was a colossal undertaking.

Designing and building an aircraft with over a million parts sourced from numerous suppliers across different nations was akin to conducting an orchestra of immense complexity — a tall order for any product team. Each component on the roadmap, from the smallest screw to the massive wings, had to be meticulously designed, tested, and integrated. The sheer volume of data and the need for seamless collaboration made traditional methods seem like trying to cross an ocean in a rowboat.

Enter the hero of our story — Product Lifecycle Management (PLM). Airbus realized early on that to bring the A350 XWB to life, they needed more than just a tool; they required a transformation in how they managed the entire product lifecycle, including the roadmap. Adopting a sophisticated PLM system, they embarked on a journey to centralize and harmonize the myriad of processes, data, and collaborations essential for the A350’s development and commercial delivery.

The PLM system acted like the central nervous system of the A350 project. It allowed design teams in France, manufacturing units in Germany, suppliers in Spain, and engineers in the UK to work synchronized across the product, enabling delivery of the product vision and roadmap.

Yet the journey to bring the A350 XWB was not without its hurdles. Integrating different systems, aligning various teams, and managing the enormous data were daunting tasks. However, the robustness and flexibility of the PLM platform proved to be critical. It streamlined operations, drastically reduced errors, and ensured that product development stayed on track, on time, and within budget.

Finally, after years of relentless effort, the Airbus A350 XWB took its first flight. More than just a test; it was a testament to human ingenuity and the power of collaboration. The A350 met its design goals and set new standards in passenger comfort, fuel efficiency, and environmental friendliness.

The success of the Airbus A350 XWB is a legacy that goes beyond its technological achievements. It is a shining example of how effective PLM can transform how complex products are developed and manufactured. For Airbus, PLM was not just a tool but the catalyst that turned an ambitious dream into reality, enabling the execution of a revolutionary and complex product roadmap.

How to get it right in software

Does PLM only apply to large, complex physical products like planes or cars? No.

It’s equally useful in software.

Let’s now look at another successful company using PLM — Adobe.

Adobe, known for its suite of creative and multimedia software like Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Premiere Pro, and Adobe Creative Cloud, implemented and successfully leverages PLM to ensure products are delivered with quality and aligned with the roadmap.

Here are a few ways PLM helps Adobe deliver their roadmap:

Version Control

Software products are continuously updated to add new features, fix bugs, and improve performance. PLM helps Adobe manage these different versions effectively, ensuring that customers can always access the latest and most stable releases. I’ve experienced situations where PLM and version control have gone wrong, and I can assure you it’s not pretty.

Collaboration

Adobe has a global team of developers, designers, and product managers. PLM systems facilitate seamless collaboration among these teams, ensuring everyone is on the same page and can access the most current data and project status. Getting everybody on board and getting value from PLM — including roadmap development and execution- is critical to success.

Customer Feedback Loops

Adobe places a strong emphasis on customer feedback for product improvement. PLM systems can help manage and analyze this feedback, integrating it into the product development process to create solutions that better meet customer needs, leading to a well-defined, prioritized backlog.

Time-to-Market

In the fast-paced software industry, quickly getting a product to market can be a significant competitive advantage. PLM helps Adobe streamline their development processes, reducing time-to-market for new products and updates, enabling faster delivery of the product roadmap.

Lifecycle Profitability

PLM helps Adobe track the profitability of a product throughout its lifecycle, providing valuable data that can inform decisions about when to update, retire, or replace a product and how to modify its roadmap.

Wrapping it up

In the world of product development and management, we all know the journey from an idea to a market-ready product is complex and risky.

The stories of Airbus and Adobe underscore this point yet also highlight the indispensable role of Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) in the creation and successful execution of the roadmap and core product.

Product lifecycle management ensures the roadmap is created, iterated upon, and executed consistently, delivering outcomes and quality throughout. Using PLM, product roadmaps can be created and continuously managed as dynamic plans, driving the success of the product and the company.

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