Product Question #10 - Inconsistent SLAs in a product portfolio
Facing the challenge of a diverse product portfolio with varying performance and quality? Discover effective management strategies in a concise 3-minute video!
Introduction
Hello everyone, this is Vincent. I hope you're doing well. Today, I'm particularly excited to introduce you to a new type of content I've been developing for a long time and plan to launch in 2024. I'm in the prototyping phase, experimenting until the end of the year to evaluate what works and what needs adjustments.
I strongly encourage you to share your impressions. What do you think of this approach? Of the format we are considering? My project involves addressing what I call the "product question”, a process of dealing with concrete problems raised by the communities and organizations I work with. The idea is to focus on real, on-the-ground issues.
I aim to generate tangible and directly applicable content, moving away from general theories often perceived as detached from practice. These criticisms frequently arise in discussions about improvement in the product field. Therefore, in three minutes, I will strive to share lines of thought and practical advice to help you progress on specific topics.
I invite you to interact, ask questions, or request clarifications in the comments. I would be pleased to elaborate on specific points.
Are SLAs Varying Between Products an Issue to Address?
Today's topic concerns a specific question about SLAs (Service Level Agreements) I received, representing the challenges large organizations and platform teams face.
These structures have product portfolios with very varied Service Levels (SL). Differences may concern products, platforms, APIs, or microservices, each with its own optimization criteria, performance, speed, and response time.
The challenge is to understand the variability of performance and quality. How to manage this diversity? How to ensure that, from an overall management perspective, we move forward in the best possible way?
1. Not to Resolve It, and Develop the Team's Judgment Capacity
The first reflection I would like to share is that standardizing everything may not be necessary.
There's a bias, especially among technicians, to want to apply the same rule everywhere, under the pretext of clarity or robustness. However, in a product approach, what matters is to meet the needs of clients and users adequately. It's about maximizing the judgment and decision-making capacity of the product team. If you're a product leader, how can you provide context and information to your team so they better understand their environment and make the right decisions?
If you're a team member, it's crucial to interact with stakeholders to understand the environment you operate in and adjust your strategies accordingly.
2. To Resolve It, If It’s a Strategic Differentiator
The second point I'd like to raise is somewhat the opposite of what I just wrote ;-)
Is it wise to adopt a uniform rule, for example, regarding availability or response time for APIs? It makes sense if it's a strategic element, that is, a key aspect of your product strategy and value proposition, defining the identity of your products.
Let's take a concrete example. Jira is known for its slow interface, while tools like ClickUp or Linear have distinguished themselves with ultra-reactive interfaces. ClickUp commits to loading pages in less than three hundred milliseconds, and Linear, perhaps even in a hundred milliseconds. These performance criteria have become distinctive elements of their value proposition.
It's, therefore, important to consider what, in your context, might constitute a strategic differentiator and a key element of your value proposition.
What Matters: Being Equipped to Tackle the Problem
In conclusion, the essential thing is to recognize that no matter your current level of performance, it represents your starting point. What is considered excellent today might become average tomorrow. How can you ensure the implementation of continuous improvement processes? How can you ensure you find ways, over time, to continue progressing? The choice of pace is yours, whether you want to catch up or maintain a good level.
What is certain is that all teams and all companies must have means to improve constantly, as the bar of standards and expectations continues to rise. That was my overview in three minutes. I hope you found this interesting.
For any questions or more details, please feel free to leave a comment. I would be very pleased to continue the discussion with you.
Thank you very much, and see you soon!