The SAFeⓇ POPM Certification creates professionals that are highly demanded in any company that chooses to follow the Scaled Agile Framework. The POPM also known as Product Owner/Product Manager is a certification that allows Scrum professionals to bridge the gap between being a product owner in a Scrum team as well as a Product manager in any conventional company setting. Because of this, the duties of a POPM is also a combination of the duties of a Product Owner and a Product Manager. Hence, the best way to understand what their job entails, is to look at the individual roles of Product Owners and Product Managers first and then bring them together.
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Role of a Product Manager?
Simply put, the product manager is responsible for determining the next product to be developed or sold as follows based on the consumer needs. Product managers are the highest level of management which play a very diverse and all encompassing role. Product Managers always follow the trends of consumer behavior, so that they can accurately track the information they need on consumption trends and preferences and develop products accordingly. The duties of a Product Manager include:
- Do customer research to gain new insights into needs and target group preferences.
- Develop a long-term vision and strategy for your products.
- Create a coherent and comprehensive roadmap for development and product delivery.
- Focus on product orientation and product development and consumer needs.
- Coordinate all internal and external stakeholders to create general coherence regarding the product direction and strategy.
Role of a Product Owner?
The Product Owner is part of the Scrum team that maximizes product value and the labor administration of the development team. Product owners are the people who decide how products are developed or manufactured. They are also responsible for something called backlog grooming, which essentially involves the management of delivery backlogs and seeing that they are fulfilled on time. Apart from this, Product owners have the following tasks:
- Turn customer feedback into practical data that can then be used to help decide the priority in backlog grooming.
- Conceives production processes and delegates them to the development team.
- Communicate with the product manager to ensure organization goals are followed and product ideas are in alignment.
- Communication between the development team and management through providing valuable instructions and feedback to both parties.
How does POPM Bridge the Two?
While their roles are similar, the Product Manager and Product Owner are essential members of any organization. When it comes to product managers, they are the ones who are in direct contact with the consumer needs. The Product Owner should assist development teams in making the products chosen Product manager. Companies need product managers for their long-term vision, strategic operations, and team alignment. On the other hand, Product Owners work in the short term, and their job is more implementation based.
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By undergoing a SAFeⓇ POPM Certification and becoming eligible to simultaneously fulfill both roles, a professional can easily eliminate any chances of miscommunication or disagreements between a Product Owner and Manager. By the one handling it all, the work becomes integrated and efficient for a POPM.