{"id":6756,"date":"2023-09-13T17:57:17","date_gmt":"2023-09-13T09:57:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/slash.bravefactor.com\/?post_type=resources&#038;p=6756"},"modified":"2024-01-24T11:07:57","modified_gmt":"2024-01-24T03:07:57","slug":"6-stages-of-product-development-workflow-you-must-follow-in-2023","status":"publish","type":"resources","link":"https:\/\/slash.co\/articles\/6-stages-of-product-development-workflow-you-must-follow-in-2024","title":{"rendered":"6 Stages of Product Development Workflow You Must Follow in 2024"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Product development is a multifaceted and effectual process that ensures business growth. It comprises a journey from the concept and <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/medium.com\/agileinsider\/market-research-a-vital-spice-in-product-development-124fe1816250\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">market research<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to the finished products, where each stage requires careful planning and execution. So, in this article, we will show you the 6 important stages of product development workflow you should not avoid to make your company bigger and more successful in 2024. You will also learn what to consider before choosing a particular workflow.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What is Product Development Workflow?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A product development workflow is a well-structured process that helps you create and refine a new digital product or service. This systematic procedure encompasses different stages, including ideation, conceptualization, designing, prototyping, testing, and repetition for improvement.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-8111 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/slash.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/01-product-developement-workflow-385x331.png\" alt=\"Product Developement Workflow\" width=\"385\" height=\"331\" title=\"\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Moreover, this process helps product teams cooperate, prioritize tasks, and make the right decisions during the entire development phase. This ultimately brings you closer to successfully delivering competitive and winning solutions to the market faster.<br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Effective product development workflows are essential for any business that aims to remain responsive and <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/slash.co\/articles\/agile-development-at-slash\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">agile<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to satisfy customers\u2019 needs while mitigating risks and increasing productivity.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How to Choose the Best Product Development Workflow?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Selecting an ideal product development workflow depends on several factors, including your team\u2019s expertise, size, and project\u2019s nature. These steps will help you choose the most suitable and new product development process.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-8109 aligncenter lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/slash.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/02-product-developement-workflow-385x254.jpg\" alt=\"New Product Concept. Start Up Business Development Idea.\" width=\"385\" height=\"254\" title=\"\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 385px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 385\/254;\"><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Know Your Goals . <\/strong><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The first thing you need for the development process is to know your business goals. Start by defining the scope, objectives, and outcomes of your project. Also, determine the complexity and size of your project and any obligatory industry requirements that are necessary to fulfill.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Analyze Your Team. <\/strong><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ask yourself whether you have the team with the right skills and experience to fill all product development workflow requirements. Moreover, write down all your resources to help you complete the product development cycle, such as IT infrastructure and technology stack.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Decide Workflow Methodology. <\/strong><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some of the most common product development workflows are based on Agile principles. However, depending on your goals and team size, you can use approaches like Waterfall, DevOps, and Lean. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ideally, Agile is considered the best approach as it permits iterative development. This helps your team adapt to changing timelines and refine products through customer feedback. Besides, the Agile methodology offers more ways to diminish risks than the Waterfall approach, which is also less user-centric.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Do Experiments with Your Chosen Methodology. <\/strong><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When it comes to choosing a product development workflow, you may find yourself puzzled by different methodologies. For example, by looking at your team size and the nature of the product, you may find Agile as the best approach to follow. But, due to the strict timeline, you may think again about opting for the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/advisor\/business\/what-is-waterfall-methodology\/\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Waterfall<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> approach. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In such situations, the wise act is to consider running a pilot project with two different methodologies to know which one suits your company in the best way possible.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Seek Guidance from a Reliable Tech Vendor. <\/strong><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Instead of wasting resources, it is better to consult a reliable <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/slash.co\/articles\/how-to-find-a-reliable-tech-partner-for-your-startup-5-keys-to-follow\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">tech partner<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> with an in-depth understanding of product development methodologies. You can ask for their partial or complete services related to product development workflow. Doing so will save you time and money, and your expert will also guide you in choosing the best strategies for new product development.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">6 Stages of Product Development Workflow<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here are the 6 stages of product development used in the entire process.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-8110 aligncenter lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/slash.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/03-product-developement-workflow-1-385x385.jpg\" alt=\" Product Developement Workflow (1)\" width=\"385\" height=\"385\" title=\"\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 385px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 385\/385;\"><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Conceptualization Stage<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">New product development begins with new ideas. This phase of product development workflow involves deep brainstorming based on your target audiences\u2019 needs, market research, and testing concepts. To start this process, you must identify your potential customers and check whether or not similar products exist. Also, evaluate the uniqueness of your idea. Think of your product&#8217;s features and their impact on the users\u2019 lives.<br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You can apply the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/forbesbusinesscouncil\/2022\/02\/24\/swot-analysis-the-most-overlooked-business-tool-and-how-to-use-it\/?sh=32772bc5612a\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">SWOT Analysis<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> tool to assess the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of your digital product. Likewise, you can opt for the SCAMPER method to refine your idea by making changes to it, such as offering a product with multiple features. It is also important to outline the product\u2019s attributes and time-to-market it for the team so they know what tasks they will have to perform in the coming days.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Product Defining Stage<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The second phase is also known as concept development or scoping, where you define your product and create strategies. This stage demands four sub-stages, which are:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Product Roadmap Creation : <\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This involves penning down all the possible eCommerce and distribution strategies alongside competitor analysis. As a result, it allows you to develop a clear product roadmap.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><strong>Problem-Solving Traits : <\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Discover what problems your product can solve and how it will have a competitive edge.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><strong>Key Metrics : <\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Identify if there are any key metrics you should be paying attention to. These can be simple KPIs, including the average order value.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><strong>Marketing Strategy : <\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Once you have discovered the value proposition (the problem-solving features) and key metrics, the next step is to plan your marketing phase. This includes sources you will utilize, such as SMM, blogs, traditional marketing, etc., to market your product. However, keep these strategies flexible so you can adjust them later if needed.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Prototyping Stage<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Let your team examine the product and create prototypes. It is suggested to have a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/slash.co\/articles\/4-key-strategies-for-successful-clickable-prototype-development\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">clickable prototype<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for your digital product to rule out potential problems before entering the main product development phase.<br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, when prototyping, it is important to work on essential elements like:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Feasibility analysis<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Evaluation of market risks<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Planning development strategies and task assignments<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Once you have crafted the development plan, assigned the tasks, and shared the timeline with your team, you should start building the Minimum Viable Product (MVP). The MVP of your solution must include core features first so you can check for the bottlenecks and rectify the errors.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Design Stage<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">After passing the prototyping phase, the next thing you need to work on is the initial product design process. For that, you must collaborate with the stakeholders to build a product mockup based on the MVP and consider your customers in mind.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><i>Also Read<\/i><\/b><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: <\/span><\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/slash.co\/articles\/7-steps-on-building-a-great-mvp\/\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">7 Steps on Building a Great MVP<\/span><\/i><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The design must align with the core functionalities of your product, and you may need to make several attempts to achieve that.<br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To make the initial design, you will need to:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hire expert software engineers and designers either an in-house team or by contacting <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/slash.co\/articles\/5-tips-to-maximize-productivity-through-staff-augmentation-services\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">staff augmentation services<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (the more affordable way)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Maintain effective communication with your stakeholders<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ask project development management and stakeholders for their feedback<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Redo the design until it is finalized<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Market Acceptance and Testing Stages<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In this phase, you need to test your product from different aspects to ensure it will be a market fit. This involves checking all the activities you performed for and on the product in the previous stages to make sure everything is working smoothly.<br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is what this phase looks like:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Testing MVP and solving problems that show up<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Using beta testers to ensure the high quality of the product<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Examining front-end functionalities to find coding issues\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Rectifying errors in the marketing plan and setting up all campaigns correctly before the final production<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Launch Stage<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The last stage of product development workflow is commercialization. In this phase, you launch the product to the market using the marketing strategies to attract potential customers. Although it&#8217;s a final step, you should always be willing to modify your product based on the user experience and feedback.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Conclusion<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Product development workflow demands full attention. From conceptualization to launch, all six stages are the backbone of a victorious product development process. It is crucial to know that process development involves regular refining of methodologies to achieve great product quality. Understanding the importance of product development and picking the right workflow enables you to pass all the product development stages successfully.<br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At Slash, we are always ready to shape your idea into a successful digital product. Our expert software developers and designers specialize in Agile methodology and the latest IT frameworks to build thriving solutions. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/slash.co\/product-development\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Contact us<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to let our squad guide you throughout the product development workflow adventure.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>FAQ &#8211; Product Development Workflow<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>What is product development? <\/strong><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Product development definition means the process of designing, developing, and launching a digital product in the market.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>How to create a product? <\/strong><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To create a digital product, you must follow the six stages of product development workflow: conceptualization, product definition, prototyping, designing, testing, and launch.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>What is the product development lifecycle? <\/strong><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The product development life cycle consists of all workflow stages, from ideation to commercialization.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":10687,"parent":0,"template":"","resource-topic":[58],"resource-type":[43],"class_list":["post-6756","resources","type-resources","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","resource-topic-product-market-fit","resource-type-articles"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/slash.co\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/resources\/6756","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/slash.co\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/resources"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/slash.co\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/resources"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/slash.co\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10687"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/slash.co\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6756"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"resource-topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/slash.co\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/resource-topic?post=6756"},{"taxonomy":"resource-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/slash.co\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/resource-type?post=6756"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}