Product development process

There is a process for a product from scratch, from an idea to a prototype to an online product. Whether it is products, operations, development, testing, etc., they have their own responsibilities and tasks. Many companies hope to streamline and standardize their products, hoping to follow a certain process, thinking about which position will be vacant, and find a suitable person to replace it. It also provides a template for future product work or project progress. Especially for small and medium-sized companies, when there is no UED or product-related process, whether the product can be completed on time and whether it can be completed in high quality has become a concern for many product managers and BOSS.

Combining my own product experience and experience in different companies, the product process planning is divided into 8 phases: project approval phase, design phase, development phase, testing phase, online phase, running-in phase, operation phase, and summary phase.

1. Project approval stage

The stage that reflects the core functions of the product manager, confirms product requirements and refines the core functions. Product discussion, output MRD, availability of technology, business, and resources, and determine product participants. Communication is a function of the product manager. How to gather all participants to work together, how to communicate more effectively, and clarify their respective Responsibility. I hope to focus our products on solutions that can meet 80% of users’ needs instead of 20%.

2. Design phase

The first task in the design phase is to confirm the product cycle, which is determined by the product manager in cooperation with the personnel of various departments. Product, interaction, UI, vision, development, testing and other personnel are more of a fusion process in the design phase, the integration of information, the clear purpose, and the clearness of their respective tasks. After the product manager makes the PRD, it is more to communicate and communicate with other personnel. At the same time, it is the iteration of the document. This stage is to let all personnel know the core and functions of the product. The interaction is based on the document to produce a high-fidelity prototype. The document finds the manifestation of the product, the development knows where the core strength of the product is embodied, the technical difficulties and the implementation methods, etc., the test is not only to understand the product, and the key and difficult points of the product are mastered. The operation knows the product highlights and product features, etc. “Good products come from operation”, the earlier the operation is involved, the product will only benefit.

3. Development stage

“Workers must first sharpen their tools if they want to do well.” From the start of server deployment to the final code archive iteration, developers will be the leading stage, and the product development cycle will be determined. Product managers are more helpful to develop and understand product functions. Testing needs to cooperate with development for unit testing and stress testing. Operation is more to coordinate the provision of content data.

4. Testing phase

When the product has gone through the preliminary review, the next work is handed over to testing, black box and white box testing, and three rounds of product testing. Product bugs were found in the first round of testing. The second round of testing revolved around bugs and optimization. After the third round of testing, the product has been classified as a more stable version. In the three rounds of testing, testers need to maintain communication and collaboration with technology, products, UI, etc. This is a process of running-in and quality control.

5. On-line stage

This is also the beta stage, which is also the stage of opening the product market. However, the product code, system interface monitoring, system maintenance plan, data cleaning, etc. are required before going online. The online evaluation stage requires an overall evaluation of the market, product, operation, development, and testing before it can be officially launched. At the same time, for post-launch tracking, log analysis, server monitoring, etc., product adjustments are made from log analysis and product operation schedules are formulated.

6. Running-in stage

After online data analysis, data log analysis, program adjustments, etc., the product is optimized, and the user’s common problems and feedback are adjusted. At this stage, it is more about the product and the user’s running-in to achieve better User experience.

7. Operation stage

Soft article? advertising? After the product is launched, the work will be around the user. How to let the user use the product for the first time, how to let the user know the product, how to seize the user… Provide an excellent user experience, make the user love the product and fall in love Products are inseparable from products. This is the ability of operations and the trust of operators in the products. At the same time, it is necessary to prove that a good product comes from operation. To provide users with product help, software products are more product manuals, and the web is more FAQs, reducing user “why”.

8. Summary stage

Learn to summarize, learn to analyze, and learn to criticize. After the product is launched, it is necessary to make a stage summary of the product. Whether it is on the product or the cooperation of personnel, friction and different opinions are common in the product process. But the starting point must be around the product, putting forward opinions, product improvement and planning for the second phase, which can be used as the focus of the discussion in the summary phase, how to strengthen communication and collaboration, and how to do a good job in product operation.

The product process is not static, and different products have different requirements. Such a process is also applicable to projects. When many companies do not have organizations such as UED, how to make products or complete projects efficiently and quickly, reducing unnecessary work, has become the basis for process simplification and standardization. The relevant personnel in the eight stages have relevant focuses, and perhaps different personnel will intervene during the period, such as the market, such as BOSS. Any process may be affected. At this time, cooperation and collaboration are needed. A successful product will encounter many difficulties and obstacles, but I believe that my product is only a solution that meets 80% of users’ needs. Don’t think about 100% pressure. No one will pay for this 100%.

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