How we gather customer input, and what we do with that input and then how we schedule the resulting outcome over our upcoming product releases. We look at least 5 years out, but we have to stay flexible because of changing customer requirements and market conditions. Our first interview is with Olesya Gileva — the Product Manager of ConceptDraw PROJECT at CS Odessa.

Tell us about your work here and what goes into producing a new product definition?

Actually, the new product definition process in CS Odessa is based on the determination of the value that a product needs to deliver to our current and future customers. The main part of the process is the description of user’s view on how product functions. The product vision, we define, is aimed at users’ needs. This refined and processed information we then give to our developers for further work.

What did you learn from version 1 of ConceptDraw Office to build the vision for version 2?

We learned that users of ConceptDraw Office have very diversified tasks that they use our products for. When the user bought a previous version of any product of ConceptDraw line, for example ConceptDraw PROJECT, he needed to solve a particular specific project management task with it. When using ConceptDraw Office suite the user begins to understand that the combination of tools is more powerful than any one particular product and has great utilization for the solving many types of tasks.

What makes customer input so valuable for product definition and development?

The most valuable-is the real-life experience, the non-standard approach and the customer’s vision of product possibilities and values.

How do you gather input from the user community that can then be applied to your product?

Our customers often send us their feedback and propositions as well as descriptions of particular business tasks, they want to solve with ConceptDraw products. Our customers use the technical support ticket system, as well as various feedback forms on conceptdraw.com site, and our social networking communities are often delighted to provide us with their input. We appreciate all feedback from our users. The special “User wishes list” for every ConceptDraw product is a start point for our development work.

What is CS Odessa hoping to achieve by collaborating with various social networks?

Collaboration with social networks and blogs supply us with valuable experience from our users. There are places where our users exchange ideas, and share their experiences with ConceptDraw products among others. We are always happy to help them with advice on the use of the products. At the same time we are learning a lot of useful information on how and for what tasks they use our products. Such a lively interaction provides invaluable material for the work of defining product values for future versions of ConceptDraw Office.

What advantages will your specific product and also your product as it relates to ConceptDraw Office offer to customers?

The primary advantage our customers will receive from ConceptDraw PROJECT is a comprehensive but easy to use product that is very powerful at managing a single or multiple projects.

The value in the combination of products is the basis of the new ConceptDraw Office suite; its power is realized in the great integration and communication capabilities for each particular application. Reducing time spent and the best ROI for business software investment — these are the main advantages that our users will gain. All of this at will be offered at an incredible value.

Of all of the enhancements and additions to your particular product are you the most pleased with?

I’m sure many people met with the following situation: you have a business problem, there are many tools that can be applied, you are in a quandary — “How I can use this tool in my specific case?” Lots of work is being done by us to save our users from having to spend time on the “re-invention of the wheel”. Each user will be able to find in the ConceptDraw Office suite the tools needed to solve their particular task quickly and easy.

How do the product teams all coordinate their efforts?

One of the main lessons from the first version of ConceptDraw Office was that the ConceptDraw PROJECT team as well as ConceptDraw MINDMAP and ConceptDraw PRO came to a clear understanding that the best integration of applications demands that for the best integration between the teams of our developers. We now understand that we need to work as a single united team that is aimed at the final result.

Thanks for your time we are all looking forward to the upcoming launch!