To undertake the project-to-product transition, “IT leaders can assess software organizations not by the lines of code written or microservices produced, but by how much business value their products deliver to customers,” Kersten says. Timelines. Projects typically have a defined end date, with little focus on the performance of the software after the initiative ends. A product-oriented approach emphasizes the software’s multiyear lifecycle, including ongoing maintenance and health activities. For an in-depth understanding of what each question means and how to evaluate your responses to ensure your transformation is moving in the right direction, watch the on-demand webinar, The 7 Dimensions of a Project to Product Transformation. Product Focus is the Future As tech giants and startups disrupt every market, those who master large-scale software delivery will define the economic landscape of the 21st century, just as the masters of mass production defined the landscape in the 20th. Unfortunately, business and technology leaders are woefully ill-equipped to solve the problems posed by digital transformation. At the current rate of disruption, half of S&P 500 companies will be replaced in the next ten years. A new approach is needed. Below is a breakdown of the five stages in the project to product journey. The assessment takes you through each stage in greater depth. Stage 1: Starting Out

Digital transformation brings numerous changes, but among the most important is transitioning to a product-focused model. When it comes to increasing productivity, creating value, developing agility, and driving customer-centricity, there’s simply no better approach than the product-oriented model. Moving from project to product is a fundamental shift in how teams are organized and how work gets done.

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Under the old model, teams are organized around projects and responsible for specific sections of the company’s initiatives. Teams are regularly rearranged to meet changing needs. Changing long-held assumptions about how work gets done isn’t easy but could be key to competing effectively in today’s market. By transitioning from an IT project management mindset to a product-oriented approach, organizations can define success according to the areas that truly matter to users and design software that delights and engages their customers. An insurance company sees how the industry and the competition are evolving. A dedicated product manager watches the pipeline for changing customer trends and proactively adjusts the product to match the demands. With a project-based approach, no one is tasked with looking ahead to what’s best for the product and company, meaning the company risks losing relevance. A product-focused strategy and mindset can create agile organizations, increase productivity, and drive innovation. In this article, we’ll take you through what it means to move from project to product and how to navigate your way through the journey. What Does Moving from Project to Product Mean? According to Kersten, the following are the main differences between IT project and product management:

Dr. Mik Kersten started his career as a Research Scientist at Xerox PARC where he created the first aspect-oriented development environment. He then pioneered the integration of development tools with Agile and DevOps as part of his Computer Science PhD at the University of British Columbia. Founding Tasktop out of that research, Mik has written over one million lines of open-source code that is still in use today, and he has brought seven successful open-source and commercial products to market.Transitioning to a product-based approach can be challenging, but you aren’t alone. While the five-stage journey is well defined, the road to get to your destination can be difficult and nonlinear. In Dr. Mik Kersten’s book, Project to Product, that path is charted using the Flow Framework®, a lean and prescriptive framework for technology leaders to guide and measure the journey. A 2018 Gartner survey found that 85% of companies prefer a product-centric model. And with the acceleration of digital transformation and technology in recent years, that number has likely increased. Organizational change and mindset shifts can be daunting. A product shift doesn’t happen overnight. Organizations may be tempted to rapidly pivot toward a product-led approach and neglect to build the foundations and experiences necessary to scale effectively. Companies today must work and adapt rapidly to stay relevant and lead their industries. Moving from project to product changes the company’s focus to outcomes and growth instead of activities and programs. That paradigm shift brings incredible value as companies can create relevant products faster, improve existing products, and lead their industries into the future with innovative, customer-focused solutions. In Project to Product, Value Stream Network pioneer and technology business leader Dr. Mik Kersten introduces the Flow Framework—a new way of seeing, measuring, and managing software delivery. The Flow Framework will enable your company’s evolution from project-oriented dinosaur to product-centric innovator that thrives in the Age of Software. If you’re driving your organization’s transformation at any level, this is the book for you.