The product manager is concerned with the development and launch of products, whereas the project manager coordinates, manages and supervises the projects. In this article as well as in the PROJECT IT podcast, we will introduce you to the main differences between these two roles in order to clarify these two crucial roles in a successful organization.
The podcast on project management | ( Yohan Pagnoux )
Wondering what differentiates a project manager from a product manager? Although similar, these two functions entail very different responsibilities.
The product manager is interested in the features and functions of the products. He ensures that new products or new product features meet customer needs and business objectives. The project manager, on the other hand, is interested in the monitoring and chronology of projects. It is responsible for the coordination, management and supervision of these.
Although very different, the roles of product manager and project manager often come together to ensure project success.
To understand the difference between a project manager and a product manager, let's start by distinguishing between a product and a project.
Portrait of a company professional in a meeting room
Project and product : what are the differences ?
A product is a good that meets the needs of a given group (also called “target market”). This product can be software as well as jewelry, or even a service (consulting service, for example). All products follow the same lifecycle, from development to market testing to commercialization.
A project is a set of tasks to be accomplished in order to achieve a specific objective. Projects are associated with results and deliverables, which can be very varied: redesigning a website or creating a new internal process, for example.
As you can see, there are notable differences between a product and a project. Now let's learn the difference between product management and project management.
What is Product Management ?
Product management is the oversight of product development within an organization. Product management encompasses every aspect of the product lifecycle, from the analysis phase to managing release.
The team of a manual worker.
What is Project Management ?
Project management refers to the organization, monitoring and execution of work within a project. It involves managing stakeholders, tasks and progress of the project, monitoring it until its completion and putting in place the tools necessary for success. Project management requires the collaboration of teams, favored by the use of tools and the organization of cohesion activities.
Product Manager vs Project Manager
As you can see, a product and a project are two very different concepts, just like a product manager and a project manager.
Typically, a product manager spends their time overseeing product needs: coordinating with the product development team, prioritizing various product launches, and creating a product strategy.
The project manager spends his time overseeing project needs. He assigns tasks, organizes kick-off meetings, solves problems to achieve business objectives and completes his work in order to achieve project objectives on time.
