1. Product Book Template Set of slides produced by the Product Manager
Regularly kept up to date e.g. monthly
Benefits
Product Manager is prepared at short notice to contribute as ‘subject matter expert’ on their product in strategic/senior-level meetings
If product manager is ill or suddenly leaves the business – the Product Book acts as an emergency handover document
Forces a discipline on the product manager to maintain an overview of their whole product
N.b. some of the Product Book contents may be standardised across a department but to be useful it should contain slides that a Product Manager needs to use day-to-day when talking about their product

2. Product Book Contents Dashboard (one-page status) Product Description
Availability
Propositions
The numbers
Who does what, team structure, reporting line
Roadmap
Key issues
Strategy/vision

3. Product Dashboard
Used as a tool by senior management to check on product performance
Needs to be adapted to the company and product e.g. international businesses may split some or all of the info by country
Opportunity for product managers to communicate up the chain – however often not much space to explain what’s going on
Good discipline to keep track of what’s happening
KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) often used as a way of tracking important metrics
RAG (Red, Amber, Green) system used to flag status – also known as traffic lights
What would you use as KPIs for your product?

4. Product Description
Words, charts, diagrams - over a number of slides that describe the product e.g.
What it does
Pricing
How is it sold

5. Product Availability
Where is the product available (geography), any plans to expand etc.
Restrictions?
Variations?
TIP – Excel / G Sheets both now have Mapping capabilities

6. Product propositions
Words, charts, diagrams - over a number of slides that describe the propositions
You may need different propositions for
Each market segment targeted
The different types of customer buyer in each segment
They should answer the customer question ”Why should I buy your product / service”

7. Competitive status Who are the key competitors?
Words, charts, diagrams - over a number of slides that describe the competitive landscape
Who are the key competitors?
What are their strength and weaknesses etc.?

8. Product Financials Words, charts, diagrams e.g.
Sales figures to date and against forecast
Revenue for year to date

9. Who does what?
Business Analyst
Cathy Young
Support Team
Brian Jones
Project Manager
Ali Sofa
Change Request Mgmt
Andy Williams
Project X
Development
Project Office
John Noakes
Development Director
Rob Green
Product Manager
You
Commission
Janice Joplin
Development Team
Ian Brown/Lisa Burroughs
Commercial
Pricing Team
Sales Director
Shaun Lewis
Sales
Customer Support
Legal
Tom Brown (Lead) – also Jane Townsend
Professional
Services
Tim Riceman/Theo Linn
Saves Team
Peter May
Jo Smith
Contact Centre
Jill Sinclair/Paul Jones
Your company may have a launch process which should include all the elements you need to consider … but remember every launch project is different so you need to check that everything is covered
We provide a check list which you can use
A good tool to set up the initial plan is a bubble chart like the one above
How is launching done in your business?

10. Contacts Name Title Email Number Cathy Young Business Analyst
Ali Sofa
Project Manager
Janice Joplin
Commissions Mgr
etc.

11. Team Structure
Person X
Head of Prod Mgmt
Person A
Team Leader
Team Leader E
Team Leader
Person H
Title
Person I
Title
Person B
Title
Person F
Title
You
Title
Person G
Title
Person J
Title
Person D
Title
Your company may have a launch process which should include all the elements you need to consider … but remember every launch project is different so you need to check that everything is covered
We provide a check list which you can use
A good tool to set up the initial plan is a bubble chart like the one above
How is launching done in your business?

12. Reporting line
Biggest boss
Chairman and CEO
Bigger boss
Director of …..
Big boss
Head of …
Team Leader
Team Leader
Team Leader
Your company may have a launch process which should include all the elements you need to consider … but remember every launch project is different so you need to check that everything is covered
We provide a check list which you can use
A good tool to set up the initial plan is a bubble chart like the one above
How is launching done in your business?

13. Roadmap
Example showing platform updates, major features and maintenance releases

14. Key issues
List of key issues for the product (with suggested mitigations/actions) e.g.
Customer Service training required
Now funded & scheduled for Q1
Review pricing levels
To be presented for sign off at next pricing meeting
Project X delay
Technical work around being investigated, proposals to be reviewed by end of month
No reporting available on costs
Finance to have resolved by Q2

15. Strategy/vision
One page description/elevator pitch