«Sometimes, you look at the problem and think it’s valuable, you spend a lot of time on it, and then you find out that this is really a NO!»

Ida Haugland and I talked about the importance of Data in Shipping, about a concrete examples for success through digitalization and mainly about the focus on Product Management.

Ida works as Principle Product Manager at Omny. At the time of recording Ida was part of Klaveness Digital and is presenting from her perspective from her work there. She started here career with data, while working for Customer Satisfaction for Facebook in 2010.

Here are my key takeaways:

Shipping & Logistics

• We are talking about really complex lines, that need to be managed. Data is the basis for everything.
• In Shipping and Logistics it is vital to «Put together a comprehensive plan to see cause and effect.»
• Shipping and Logistics is on a way to detailed insight in to their supply chain, as much as logistics for finished good.
• « A Lot of principles and thinking behind other products can be applied to shipping.»

Carbon Emissions and the role of Data

• Carbon Emissions can be minimized based on data driven insights.
• Concrete actions based on data:
  • Slow down - timing shipping and arrival at port with possibility to embark and birth the shipload.
  • Use bigger vessels - more cargo, less voyages.
  • Use the full tonnage of the vessel - fill it up to capacity.
  • Reduce ballast distance - find vessels close to you, to reduce empty voyages.

Digital Product Management

• There is a lot of hype around product management in data and digital.
• Product thinking means turning your attention to the user/consumer of the product and their needs.
• You need to collect data, ensure quality, display its in a way that makes sense, and display it in the right context - that means products.
• There has been a development in product management to become more data informed and customer focused.
• There are still misinterpretations between product thinking and project thinking.
• Projects have a set scope and an end-date. Projects are defined by their constrains, on scope, time, or quality.
• Product development does not have nan end-date and cannot be done in isolation.
• In Product management you have constrains on features, not on the entire product.
• In Product management you can deliver a lot of value, but you don’t always know when.
• You can apply Project Management methods in product management.
• When you deliver a product you need to have your consumer, customer and end-user needs in focus throughout the entire development of that product.
• Separate your own opinions and preference out of the product during development.
• Don’t just ask what products people want, but rather elicit requirements through a controlled process, to find out what they need.
• A product manager needs to facilitate and get customer, designer, software engineer, etc. on the same page.

Skills for a Digital Product Manager

• User empathy
• Storytelling
• Elicit needs
• Data Analysis
• Cross-departmental communication

And the Number One rule as a Digital Product Manager: «Don’t mistake your own opinion for the right opinion.»