Engineering Product Manager

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Engineers are in a category of their own that breaks off into industry categories. For example, there are electrical engineers who deal only with electrical productions in some way or shape. There are communications engineers who have their own industry niche.

No matter what area of engineering an individual is involved in, he will be involved in producing some type of product. As time goes on many engineers decide to swing over more towards the product management sector of the projects. It is always a joint effort between the architects, engineers, designers and product manager that produces a successful end result.

Engineers who have become exposed to the inception of the product and get to participate by inputting of ideas at some early stage begin to find it a more interesting position. When the engineer gets to be involved at this stage he is using his influence and not just participating in building something that has already been decided.



When an individual has spent a great deal of his career in the engineering field, switching over to becoming an engineering product manager is a big step. There are no doubt advantages and disadvantages to such a move, and it should be well thought out before doing so.

Product engineering is a fulfilling job and most engineers will take great pride in a completed project that they have played a part in building. On the other hand it can be very frustrating as well. There is a time they are given a product to build that just has no merit. It is at times like these that if were they in the product manager position instead, they would have much more input.

Many skill combinations make an excellent engineer product manager. They have the ability to know what is and is not possible. They must thoroughly know what the user of it requires, and then combine this with some new skills development, and then you have the best of all worlds when it comes to product production.

A good product manager must be able to put himself into the shoes of the user. Just because the engineer likes the product and finds it simple to use does not make it a success. It must be remembered that the user most often does not have the knowledge of the builder, and therefore has to trust the builder to make it useable and understandable.

A good plan is to spend time with the product users and really get to know not only their needs but their wants too. For example, perhaps the end user wants a machine that is going to remove grease from concrete. This is great but he does not want an item that he has to move around with a truck because it is so big. Therefore, the end user here needs a machine, but wants something manageable weight wise.

Often figuring out what an end user wants and needs is like placing pieces of a puzzle together for an engineer product manager. He almost has to be a mind reader. In the scenario above, for example, the user knows he wants a grease remover, but from that point on is not sure what way to go about it. In his mind a machine would be the best route, however as a product manager you may be able to come up with some much simpler forms of application.

The role of engineer and product manager differs. It is sometimes difficult for the engineer who has switched over to product manager to make the transition. In the engineer role, the job you did was getting the best developer productivity. In the product manager role you main concern now is the end user not the engineers. Your priority before was what was the fastest and most effective way to build the item. In your new position it's how to come up with what your clients want and need and how can you get it for them. It's going to take some time before you put off the old ways and put on the new. At least it will take some time until you feel comfortable and it comes naturally to you.

In the beginning as an engineer product manager you are going to present product ideas and find that they are more often than not rejected. This is going to come as a shock to you, at least until you do not take it personally. Once you have reached that point and learn to listen to what the user is saying, you will soon get past this hurdle.

The days of the intense arguments at the meetings of the minds are long over. This seems to be an acceptable practice behind the scenes and is an active method of brainstorming. These techniques will not go very far with the end user. You have to learn to be more patient, subtle and persuasive with these individuals. It will be a ''prove it'' situation and not just a ''right because I say so'' sort of attitude.

If your new engineering product manager's position takes place in the same firm as the engineer's position you held, then you have a few more adjustments to make. You need to remember that you are now the product manager, not the product engineer. In other words, let the engineering department do their job. You are not part of that team anymore, and must act according to the position you are filling. This type of attitude will also help your co-workers adjust to your new position as well.

For the Companies that are in the decision making process of putting a trusted engineer into the product management position, it would usually be a beneficial move for the company. The areas of expertise that the candidate has could be invaluable.
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