Product Management in Transition: Why Agile Product Management Is Essential
Key points at a glance
- In the face of dynamic markets, stagnation in product management is increasingly becoming a risk
- Digitalisation is transforming existing business models and customer requirements
- Perfectionism can stifle innovation and delay product launches
- A customer-focused approach and early testing minimise undesirable developments
- Agile methods help companies respond more quickly to change
Make way for modern product management
How can companies develop, manage and refine products when markets, technologies and customer expectations are constantly changing? Who decides on product objectives and priorities? How are customer needs identified and assessed? And how can product management, sales, development and marketing work together effectively?
Simple examples often illustrate just how much the operating environment has changed. Just a few years ago, it was taken for granted that you would have to wait at home for hours for a meter reading service. Today, customers expect digital processes, self-service, transparency and as little friction as possible.
Such changes do not merely affect individual products. They transform business models, processes, roles and collaboration within organisations. Recognising these interconnections makes it clear which structures, decisions and working methods are necessary for companies to consistently develop products from the customer’s perspective and successfully position them in the market.
When waiting is no longer an option
For us in product management, these changes have clear implications: waiting and sitting things out are no longer options. Product development and product management in a time of change thrive on innovation and seeing things through the customer’s eyes – not on maintaining the status quo.
Just as traditional meter-reading services are increasingly being replaced by the automated collection and transmission of consumption data, companies in the manufacturing, mechanical engineering and life sciences sectors are also under pressure to change. They must address their customers’ digital requirements and continuously develop their products further.
Inspiration Instead of imitation: what small and medium-sized enterprises can learn
When looking left and right and thinking outside the box, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) can hardly avoid comparing themselves with large corporations. These have different structures and significantly more resources. Yet even large companies are under considerable pressure to successfully implement innovations.
Many SMEs have long recognised the need for agile structures. What matters, however, is not merely a commitment to agility, but its consistent implementation in day-to-day work. Agile methods only take effect when teams are able to learn more quickly, make decisions and respond to changing customer needs.
SMEs can draw inspiration – for example, from product launches, range expansions or the use of cloud solutions. Product teams that want to be successful today must understand their customers’ needs and actively involve them. New offerings can be tested using even simple prototypes.
Keeping an eye on the clock: Why speed is crucial
In these fast-moving times, product management can confidently leave behind the pursuit of absolute certainty and perfection. After all, even meticulous planning cannot guarantee that a product will be accepted by the market.
Particularly in sectors such as mechanical engineering, where the German engineering ethos is deeply rooted, this shift in perspective is often difficult. For decades, products were planned and perfected with a long-term view. Today, there is often not enough time for this.
Long-term planning approaches can even become a risk if companies are not prepared to question their methods. Agile methods offer a valuable alternative here. Companies that understand and embrace the changing landscape of product management have excellent prospects for future success.
Early testing, learning and further development are therefore among the core principles of modern product management. This principle also underpins the Minimum Viable Product (MVP) approach, which is well-established in product development: bringing a product to real customers as early as possible in a simple, testable form, rather than developing it behind closed doors until it is supposedly perfect.
In this context, product management can become a driving force for innovation within a company if teams recognise changes at an early stage, consistently involve customers and quickly test new ideas on the market. What matters most is not so much perfect planning as the ability to learn from feedback and continuously refine products.
Target-oriented product expertise development
This is where my work begins. I help companies to systematically develop their product expertise – from product management and product marketing through to product-driven business development. In doing so, I combine strategic consultancy with coaching and practical development programmes.
My work draws on more than 20 years of practical expertise gained through collaboration with national and international companies, as well as small and medium-sized enterprises. This expertise encompasses not only methods and models, but also a deep understanding of which structures, decision-making processes and working methods actually work in different business contexts.
Depending on the initial situation, I use a range of formats – from workshops and training sessions through to business coaching and strategic consultancy. The focus is always on the organisation’s specific challenges and the question of how product expertise can be effectively and sustainably embedded.
If you’d like to further develop your product management or systematically build up product expertise, please feel free to get in touch.
Sources & further information
- IUBH study ‘Can German SMEs be agile?’ (cited 2024/2025) – over 75 per cent of the SMEs surveyed are pursuing an agile strategy. (German original: Arne Schulke, SIlke Jütte: Kann der deutsche Mittelstand "agil"?, IUBH Discussion Papers - Business & Management, No. 1/2019)
- Karlsruhe University of Applied Sciences’ Agile Methods Index (cited 2024/2025) – Germany’s actual adoption rate of agile methods stands at around 45%, behind India (82%) and China (88%).
- Federal Network Agency, Quarterly Report on the Roll-out of Smart Metering Systems (as at 31 December 2025) – around 5.5% of all metering points equipped with smart metering systems; ACER Market Monitoring (reference year 2024) – EU average around 60%.
Serpil Uensal
Trainer, Coach & Consultant in Product Management
Serpil is a specialist trainer, coach and consultant with over 20 years’ experience in product management, product marketing and strategy. She helps companies and product teams to systematically develop their product expertise and drive growth – with particular expertise in tech, medtech and regulated markets.
Last reviewed on 8 September 2026 • Graduate in Business Administration (FH) • International Executive MBA • Certified Trainer (dvct e.V.) • Certified Coach (dvct e.V.)
Serpil Uensal
Trainer, Coach & Consultant in Product Management
Published: 3 September 2026
Last updated: 8 September 2026
Reading time: 5 mins
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