There has been plenty written over the last year about the need to shift from the world of projects to product-based development. These people – some of whom I provide links to in the further reading below – give compelling reasons for teams and businesses to begin to think about structuring work and engagements in terms of products that are managed rather than projects that are delivered. Here’s my perspective on this topic as it relates to the work I have done with large organizations as a coach and consultant. Let’s start by defining the difference between a project and a product.
So what is the difference between a project and a product?
Here is the definition of a project provided by the Project Management Institute (PMI):
A project has a defined beginning and end in time and is unique in that it is not a routine operation, but a specific set of operations designed to accomplish a singular goal and often includes people who don’t usually work together. At the end of a project, the team is usually disbanded and assigned to new projects with new team members.
On the other hand, a product is a good, service, platform, application, system, etc. that is created, maintained and supported by solving problems and providing benefits to specific customer and business needs. Products tend to be maintained by a stable group of individuals who do work together regularly and who bring in others as needed.
Major shifts in mindset are needed to move to from projects to products that support a Lean and Agile way of thinking.