VP Product Line

What is the VP product line? You can have more awareness of this topic. If you want to understand more information, read this study.

What is the VP Product Line?

Before the advent of the IBM System 360 and the rise of the mini-computer, computer manufacturers typically produced a single product line of computers. The original System/360 line stood out as being a highly successful product line that was offered volume discounts.

Since then, a vendor might have several lines or product families (think Apple). That alone is not enough to create a product line. It’s about providing your customers with a consistent experience and looking for opportunities to deliver more value.

The goal of a VP product line is to deliver a singular customer experience from the moment they enter your company.

What is a Product Line?

The idea of a product line was by IBM in the 1960s. A product line was used to help sell computers to different industries, such as banks, hospitals, auto manufacturers, insurance companies, etc. As well as different levels of business, such as large companies and small businesses. 

The basic idea was to have one hardware platform (along with a few variations of that platform) but to have multiple applications that could run on top of the hardware. 

As time went on, it became clear that this thinking helped IBM reduce costs. Also, it is for each enterprise sales call and helped the customer get more value from their purchase. The IBM PC was a product line, with the 286 and 386 being variations of that platform.

Objectives

• Increase profits 
• Minimize investment in product development 
• Provide customers with a consistent experience
• Leverage key technologies across multiple products 
• Improve time to market

Development

In today’s world, the VP product line is focused more on the consumer side of the business (think Apple). The idea is to have one hardware platform that is to create different products that can be to customers, such as the iPhone and iPad, or the iPod and iTunes. 

There are some key elements in developing a VP product line:

• Identify commonality between offerings
• Focus on the customer experience and what is unique about it (innovation)

Customer Experience

The VP product line is not only about the hardware or software platform, but about providing a consistent customer experience that leverages what is unique about the product. 

The VP product line focuses on the customer experience from the moment a person comes into contact with your company. They should have a consistent experience whether they are buying a computer, using an app, downloading music, or using a service provider. 

The VP product line also focuses on giving customers value and delivering something that they want to buy. This could be in the form of better performance, new features, or a new service. 

If you can do this consistently, you will find that you develop long-lasting relationships with your customers and they are more likely to recommend your product to others.

Conclusion

The VP product line is all about focusing on the customer experience and delivering value. The goal is to provide a consistent experience from the moment a customer comes into contact with your company and to make it as easy as possible for them to buy your product.