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How ProdPad Fits In: Turning Ideas to Product Specs

June 11, 2014

2 minute read

When done right, product management is probably the business function that integrates with more people and processes than any other. So it’s essential that a product management system fits into this complex intersection between customers, colleagues and technology—and without too much disruption.

This week, we take you through how ProdPad fits in when taking basic ideas through complete product specs.

Prompts for best practice product specs

A ProdPad idea canvas comes complete with cues for all the information you need to determine whether a new idea is viable, and to transfer it to development for implementation. This helps to guide your team through idea management, to ensure that nothing is either missing or misleading. But building up complete product specs takes time and can’t be put together in one swoop. Automated prompts to revisit ideas that are missing detail help product managers to stay on top of triage without repeatedly trawling the backlog.

ProdPad prompts you when your product backlog needs attention
ProdPad prompts you when your product backlog needs attention

Open communication in one place

The diverse information needed to prepare a new idea for development often requires the input of several different people. ProdPad keeps your team updated on ideas that are in the works, allows them to comment directly onto an idea canvas, and to pull in others for help with @mentions. And communication via ProdPad comments can be done right from the email inbox, without even having to log in. All collaborative changes to an idea are logged in the ProdPad system, so product managers can stay on top.  No more lost documentation, forgotten conversations or untracked edits.

Submitting new ideas by email

Centralization without disruption

Centralizing as much as possible into your product management system is the best way to coordinate the diverse information that goes into a good product spec. But not all processes can or should be readapted. ProdPad allows you to attach any external files to an idea canvas, from documents to design mockups, so that you can keep everything together without sacrificing the quality of information you collect.

Collaboration wireframe mockup

If you’d like to find out more about how ProdPad fits in for building product specs, you can sign up for a free trial today.

If you missed it last week, catch up on How ProdPad Fits In: Capturing Ideas. And next week, read about how ProdPad works alongside your existing processes to share product ideas with colleagues and customers.

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