Project management vs. product management
When you’re deciding between hiring a product vs. project manager, understanding the difference between the two roles may make all the difference in your business’s success. Simply put, a project manager provides completed projects, and a product manager provides completed products. These two professionals usually work together, but they have very distinct skills and responsibilities.
What is a project manager?
Project managers handle projects from the planning phase through to completion, and those projects have a clearly defined ending date. These professionals define a project’s scope so the staff they bring in to help know their exact role in the process. They also create schedules for each step of the project’s logistics and ensure their team follows through. In larger companies, project managers often work in support roles to product managers, who usually supervise several project managers handling various aspects of larger projects. Likewise, project managers generally handle the smaller details rather than control the big picture.
What is a product manager?
Product managers create a strategy for the development of a product with the aim of bringing a creative vision to life while ensuring the effectiveness of the product. In place throughout the entire lifecycle of a product, these professionals provide guidelines for project planning and keep tabs on the progress of each team working on the product. In smaller companies, product managers may wear dual hats, performing both the duties of a product and project manager simultaneously. In larger companies, however, these professionals typically oversee a larger staff comprising project managers and other support staff.
Product vs. project manager qualifications
Though product and project managers have similar backgrounds and career trajectories, differences in skills and qualifications exist that aren’t necessarily transferable. The two positions do have some important things in common, though, like good leadership, communication and interpersonal skills. When you’re an HR professional or small business owner deciding between hiring a project manager vs. a product manager, it’s important to understand the crucial distinctions.
Desirable project manager qualifications
Project managers usually, at minimum, have a bachelor’s degree in management or business. Many also hold additional professional certifications, such as Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM) or Project Management Professional (PMP)—both granted by the Project Management Institute. The CAPM is considered an entry-level certification, while the PMP is more advanced. Both certifications require experience in project management, as well as passing extensive tests.
For some advanced projects that require more in-depth knowledge, you may want to consider hiring a candidate who specializes in your business’s core field. Some specialized areas of project management include:
Desirable product manager qualifications
Most product managers have a bachelor’s degree in business, but some hold a degree in industry-specific fields like technology, advertising, engineering or agriculture. These professionals usually don’t start their lives in product management, instead working their way up to the position through proven performance in positions such as project management. Experience with working on the other side of things typically makes a product manager effective at supervising others and completing individual tasks alike, keeping staff motivated through the product development process.
Product manager vs. project manager duties
The right professional to hire when deciding between a product manager vs. a project manager depends on whether you need a broad or focused approach to reach your goal. Knowing what each position entails helps you determine the best choice for your business or organization.
Product manager duties
Product managers, in contrast to the hands-on duties of a project manager, take more of a 40,000-foot view over the entire product development process. As such, these professionals have their own singular set of responsibilities, such as:
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Figuring out what consumers want and need, then deciding how to provide that in an effective way
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Laying out guidelines for performance and manufacturing expectations
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Supervising individual project managers who handle specific elements of the production process
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Keeping overarching plans on track by looking out for pitfalls and solving problems as they arise
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Identifying and analyzing market trends and surveying potential customers to see how test products perform
Project manager duties
Due to their work on projects from beginning to end, project managers have a unique set of roles and responsibilities. These duties include:
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Setting guidelines for every project component, including logistical planning and resource allocation.
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Tracking every aspect of the project in steps while watching out for and warding off possible hiccups in the process
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Keeping projects on budget, including identifying issues and moving available resources to areas where they’re most needed
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Ensuring everyone working on the project stays well informed about the scope, progress and expectations
When you need a product vs. project manager
Both product managers and project managers can play a key role in your business or organization’s success. But you may only need one or the other, depending on the staff you have on hand.
Instances when you need a project manager
A defining difference between a project manager vs. a product manager is that projects managed by project managers have tight schedules with firm ending dates. These professionals handle the collection of tasks that comprise a project, including the initiation, planning, execution, tracking and conclusion. If you have a clear-cut outcome in mind and know when you need it delivered, you want a project manager on the case.
Examples of when you might need a project manager include:
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Website construction
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Advertising campaigns
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Commercial construction
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Residential renovations
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Interior design projects
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App programming
Instances when you need a product manager
Since product managers nurture products from their infancy through the ends of their life cycles, their tasks are more involved and open-ended. Focused entirely on ensuring the success of their products, these professionals are who you should seek when you need a comprehensive approach to team collaboration. Product managers bridge the gap between project management and other components of product development, including sales, marketing and overall management, to keep everyone focused on the same overarching goals.
Hiring a product manager may make sense for your business or organization when you need the following:
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Guidance and control for project managers, staff and other stakeholders
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Improved strategy for product development, innovation and sales
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Better communication between involved departments
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In-depth understanding of products during every part of their life cycles
Hiring the right person for your company can ensure success, whether you’re building a website, launching a new energy drink or expanding operations into a new arena. Knowing whether you need a product manager vs. a project manager helps you better shape the future of your company and ensures you hire the correct professional for the task at hand.
