The Product Manager's Desk Reference (Hardcover)

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Key Phrases: launch plan, new product planning, strategic product planning, Business Case, The Start of the Product's Journey, The New Product Development Process (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Whether a business sells tangible goods or services, product management holds a critical position in the organization's pursuit of profits. Because traditional departmental roles continually evolve, and because the business climate is so competitive, the job of product manager has become exceedingly critical—yet it remains very complex. The Product Manager's Desk Reference is the first book to lay down a comprehensive body of knowledge for this critical function, and it is the only book that can effectively guide product managers so that they can establish and build a successful career in product management.

Here, product management expert and practitioner Steven Haines clearly illustrates the entire product life cycle, from beginning to end. This outstanding work is packed with an array of best practices and helpful hints which are critical to the efficient management of products.

The Product Manager's Desk Reference is punctuated with useful diagrams, tables, and templates and will help you:

• Create a master plan of record for your product
• Formulate actionable strategies
• Incorporate market data into important decisions
• Set the stage for creating innovative products
• Optimize existing products and product portfolios
• Apply financial techniques to manage product profitability

The Product Manager's Desk Reference embodies everything “Product Management.” It is a comprehensive, versatile, must-have resource for anyone who works in any company, in any industry, who seeks to successfully and profitably market and manage products and services.

About the Author

Steven Haines is the founder and president of Sequent Learning Networks, a training and advisory services firm with an international clientele, based in New York City. He has over twenty-five years of corporate experience in finance, marketing, and product management. Haines honed his craft in industries as diverse as wholesale industrial products, intimate apparel, medical products, communications, and software & technology, holding leadership roles at AT&T and Oracle. Further, he spent twelve years as an adjunct professor at Rutgers University’s business school. He holds an undergraduate degree in Management Science with a minor in Organizational Behavior from Binghamton University and an MBA in Corporate Financial Management from the Lubin School of Business at Pace University.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 744 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill; 1 edition (August 26, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0071591346
• ISBN-13: 978-0071591348
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 7.7 x 2.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #17,840 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A thorough resource, October 7, 2008

By	Kathryn Welds (Redwood Shores, CA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The Product Manager's Desk Reference is a comprehensive reference for the product management process, useful for anyone who works in product management and product marketing.

The PMDR's The Product Master Plan is the 'plan of record', considered an anchor, an archive, and a point of reference for people who may come and go. The chapters on Leadership, Cross-Functional Teams, and Decision-Making are well-presented. Haines offers valuable guidance about finance for product managers who have no formal training in this discipline.

The second module, Making the Market Your Primary Focus, includes discussion of Industry & Competitive Analysis, Segmentation, Forecasting, and Strategic Planning, with clear explanation and practical tools such as The Customer Visit Plan Template in the segmentation chapter.

The third module's sections on The Start of the Product's Journey and the New Product Development Process are practical. The Business Case chapter and the Marketing Plan for the Product are well-organized and applicable.

The fourth module, Continuing the Product Journey: Post-Launch Product Management, considers what happens after the product is in the market. Haines offers auditing techniques after the launch, as well as a logical way to 'run the business of the product'. These tools enable re-strategizing, re-planning, and overall financial and market optimization. The chapter on Life Cycle Product Portfolio Management considers products as investments, and efficient ways to evaluate how products contribute to the business, across individual life cycles. Haines also offers practical guidance for product discontinuation.

The end of each chapter includes a section called Raise Your Product Management Experience Quotient, offering helpful tips and tools for product mangers. The book is easy-to-read, accessible, and well-organized. This is a worthwhile reference for anyone in product management or product marketing.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A valuable resource for PM's in technology, October 24, 2008

By	Michael J. Salerno - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Product managers, especially in technology, are asked to be all things to all stakeholders. Steven Haines captures practical experience from multiple sources and delivers a resource that is highly versatile for professionals working with complex products or services.

Product Management is about making decisions that are critical to driving product development and performance in the market. The Product Manager's Desk Reference is the most comprehensive professional guide product manager's have at their disposal to hone their skills and deliver results.

Michael J. Salerno
Co-founder, Boston Product Management Association

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Making sense of the the product lifecycle, October 16, 2008

By	Perry Cristiano (Catskill, NY) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Mr. Haines writes simply yet precisely. Product Management will make more sense after reading this. I really understand the product life cycle more clearly and how the different parts of the cycle can overlap. This is must reading for anyone in the field

Perry Cristiano
Senior Product Manager
Firecom, Inc.