As technology continues to evolve in 2024, product teams must stay informed about the latest software and technology trends.
Despite the recent wave of layoffs, the digital landscape sees continued growth in Artificial Intelligence (AI), Virtual Reality (VR), and data importance, among others.
Keeping this in mind, for enterprise companies with diverse customer bases and geographical considerations, enterprise product teams must leverage the right tools as they take advantage of these opportunities and for continued success.
Tools essential for maintaining a competitive edge and supporting operational efficiency are crucial in a highly competitive environment.
Start 2024 off right! Here’s a comprehensive list of tools that enterprise product teams should consider.
Product management software
Product managers juggle numerous responsibilities, from maintaining customer focus to making data-driven decisions and supporting stakeholders.
There are many choices when it comes to which product tools to use, each with their own distinct advantages and drawbacks.
Some excel in creating roadmaps but fall short in strategic planning, while others prioritize customer feedback over prioritization.
Select a product management tool that supports the entire product management process, and is tailored to the specific needs of your enterprise. Focusing on a modular and customizable tool ensures that it evolves with your product and adapts to unique requirements.
Here are three product management tools to check out:
airfocus
airfocus is a modular product management tool that adapts to your team's best practices and scales as your product grows, addressing the challenges of other tools.
Its modular design, seamless integration capabilities, and innovative features like the Objectives and OKRs app make it a standout solution for teams looking to navigate the complexities of product management with ease. Trusted by leading product teams worldwide and backed by a suite of awards, airfocus is where teams build great products.
airfocus sets itself apart as a leading product management platform through its innovative and user-centric features:
Modular design for tailored solutions: airfocus offers a customizable experience with its modular design, enabling users to add apps and features that meet their specific needs, such as Priority Poker, customer feedback insights, and item mirroring, facilitating focused and effective product strategy development without unnecessary distractions.
Seamless integration for maximum efficiency: As a central hub, airfocus integrates with popular tools like JIRA, Trello, ASANA, and Slack, streamlining workflows, reducing friction, and ensuring team synchronization, thereby enhancing productivity and efficiency.
Empowering teams with Objectives and OKRs: The platform's Objectives and OKRs app promotes team alignment and strategic execution by interconnecting OKRs, roadmaps, and product workflows, providing a comprehensive overview of team progress and eliminating the need for spreadsheets.
Award-winning and trusted by leading teams globally: Recognized with several industry accolades, including G2 badges and recognition from Crozdesk and Capterra, airfocus is celebrated for its roadmapping solutions, reflecting its platform's effectiveness, user satisfaction, and leadership in product management.
A comprehensive platform for all product management needs: airfocus supports all aspects of product management, from feature prioritization and roadmap building to gathering customer feedback. It focuses on enabling teams to build the right product and deliver value faster, helping them stay ahead of competitors.
Canny.io
With canny, product teams can capture, organize, and analyze product feedback in one central location to inform product decisions.
It directly embeds into software and has roadmapping features to inform customers of upcoming features.
Aha!
Aha! supports roadmap creation and sharing capabilities with key stakeholders. Roadmaps are customizable for specific audiences, and with its ideas portal, teams can crowdsource feedback, engage with users, and analyze trends.
Customer relationship management (CRM) software
It’s not only customer success teams that rely on CRM tools, but product teams as well.
With the right CRM tool enterprise product teams can effectively manage customer data, enhance customer engagement, and continue to drive sales growth with the right product and sales initiatives.
Here are three CRM tools to check out:
Salesforce
Salesforce is a cloud-based CRM platform that assists businesses in managing customer interactions and data through tools like centralized information storage, lead tracking, and customer support.
Touted as the number one CRM software, it streamlines sales processes, strengthens customer relationships, and boosts overall business efficiency.
Hubspot
HubSpot is an all-in-one inbound marketing, sales, and customer service platform that provides tools for managing and nurturing customer relationships.
It offers a comprehensive suite of features, including CRM, marketing automation, and analytics, to help businesses attract, engage, and delight customers.
Catalyst
Catalyst is a leading platform that drives growth through customer-centric strategies, transforming new buyers into lifelong revenue.
It empowers customer-focused teams to automate and scale customer journeys, drive user productivity, and optimize the entire customer experience.
Enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems
For senior product leaders, a focus on incorporating advanced ERP solutions is key to seamlessly integrate diverse business processes, ranging from accounting to supply chain management, ensuring a holistic approach to product development and enhancing overall operational efficiency of the team and company.
There are many leading ERP tools in the market, however here are three that shine:
SAP ERP
SAP is a widely used ERP software that integrates various business processes, including finance, sales, inventory, and human resources. It is known for its robust features and scalability.
Oracle ERP Cloud
Oracle offers a comprehensive suite of cloud-based ERP applications that cover areas such as financial management, procurement, project management, and supply chain. Oracle ERP Cloud is designed to streamline business operations.
Microsoft Dynamics 365
Microsoft's ERP solution encompasses a range of business applications, including Finance, Supply Chain Management, and Human Resources. Its purpose is to help organizations unify business processes and make data-driven decisions.
Cybersecurity solutions
As technology adoption grows, the significance of cybersecurity becomes increasingly crucial.
For enterprise companies, integrating cybersecurity into their technology strategy is crucial, as neglecting it can make them vulnerable to hackers.
Here are some security tools to consider to keep your organization, product, and data safe:
Crowdstrike
CrowdStrike is a cybersecurity company that specializes in cloud-delivered endpoint protection. Its Falcon platform offers endpoint security, threat intelligence, and incident response services.
It is recognized for its advanced threat detection capabilities and is widely used by organizations to protect their endpoints from cyber threats, including malware, ransomware, and other sophisticated attacks.
Datadog
Datadog is a modern monitoring and security tool that enables teams to see inside any stack, any app, at any scale, anywhere. It was named as a Leader in the 2023 Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for APM and Observability.
For Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) specifically, organizations can rely on Datadog to detect security threats in real time across their application(s), network, and infrastructure.
Collaboration and communication tools
Effective collaboration and communication are crucial in enterprises, fostering better ideas and project success across diverse teams and locations.
Post COVID-19, as remote work remains, three essential tools for both remote and in-office collaboration, encompassing project management and communication, include:
Slack
Slack is a messaging platform designed for team communication. It offers channels for organized discussions, direct messaging, file sharing, and integration with various third-party apps to streamline collaboration.
monday.com
monday.com is a cloud-based project management tool that enables teams to collaborate, track progress, and organize work through visual and customizable boards. Boards can contain timelines and charts, enhancing transparency and efficiency in task and project management.
asana
asana is a popular project management and collaboration platform relied on by organizations such as NASA, Salesforce, and Deloitte.
It helps teams organize and track their work with features related to task management, project timelines, and team communication to facilitate coordination and transparency in project workflows.
Data analysis and business intelligence tools
For Enterprise companies with vast customer bases, the abundance of data becomes valuable when analyzed for informed decision-making.
Utilizing tools that emphasize analytics, reporting, and visualization not only benefits product teams but also enhances the experience for their customer base.
Here are three leading data analysis and BI tools:
Pendo
Pendo is a platform that empowers enterprise product teams with valuable data to enhance user experience, addressing use cases such as user onboarding, in-app support, and product-led growth (PLG).
Its visually appealing interface facilitates customer insights, NPS surveys, and guides, while also assisting teams with portfolio management and productivity.
Looker
Looker is a business intelligence and data analytics platform. It enables organizations to explore and visualize their data, fostering data-driven decision-making through user-friendly dashboards and collaborative analytics.
Microsoft PowerBI
Power BI is a business analytics service that enables users to visualize and share insights from their data. It contains a suite of tools for data analysis, interactive reporting, and dashboard creation, enabling organizations to transform raw data into meaningful and actionable insights.
Human resource management software (HRMS)
The popularity of remote work enables product leaders to access a global talent pool, making streamlined HR tools crucial for those managing recruitment, onboarding, and employee performance.
Here are three leading HRMS tools:
Hibob
Hibob is a cloud-based HR and employee management platform that helps businesses streamline various HR processes, including onboarding, benefits administration, and performance management.
Its goal is to enhance communication and collaboration within organizations by providing a centralized platform for HR-related tasks.
BambooHR
BambooHR automates operational tasks and frees the HR team to perform the big-picture projects that make a difference.
It provides features related to HR data and reporting, hiring and onboarding, payroll, time and benefits, employee experience and performance, and multiple integrations.
Achievers
Achievers, an employee voice and recognition tool, aims to build engagement and sustainable performance in organizations by facilitating employee recognition programs to boost morale, productivity, and retention.
Features include peer-to-peer recognition, rewards and incentives, and analytics to measure and enhance employee engagement.
Innovative technologies
Emerging software technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT) can play a significant role in transforming enterprise businesses.
AI can enhance data analysis, automate routine tasks, and provide valuable insights for informed decision-making, while IoT enables the integration of smart devices and sensors, supporting connectivity and real-time monitoring across various business processes.
The combined impact of emerging technologies can lead to increased efficiency, improved productivity, and innovative solutions for enterprise customers, helping pave the way for a more interconnected and intelligent business ecosystem.
Irrespective of the new technology, product teams must leverage the right tools to deliver optimal solutions for their customers.
Conclusion
Enterprises must address continued challenges and opportunities by staying ahead of technological innovations and proactively adopting tools to enhance operational efficiency, agility, and competitiveness.
Investing in the right tools enables businesses to continue thriving in an era of continued rapid technological advancements and position themselves for sustained success in the fast-moving technology landscape.
View technology adoption not as an option, but rather as a strategic requirement, one that propels you forward towards sustained success in this continuously changing business world.
Read here why every business needs a product management software.
Quadri Oshibotu
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