According to the necessities of society and employers, this course is designed to give the students the possibility to obtain key competencies to work as or together with Product Managers in their future career. The students acquire scientific and practical knowledge, learn how to analyze the market, think logically and work in a product- and engineering-driven project environment. With this skill set, the student can take responsibility of a product from the first ideation until its market launch and lifecycle.
Prerequisite(s)
For students in 4th semester or above
Corequisite(s)
None
Special Requisite(s)
None
Instructor(s)
Assist. Prof. Dr. Zeynep Gergin
Course Assistant(s)
Res. Ass. Oğuz Emir
Schedule
Fridays 13-16:00. Online classes in general; hybrid classes (Apr or May). Room to be announced
Office Hour(s)
Lecturer can be contacted via e-mail and in CATS
Teaching Methods and Techniques
- Lecture
- Panel discussion
- Case study
- Online research
- Group work, -discussions
- Gamification
- Oral presentation among students
Principle Sources
• Eichinger, I. et al (2021): Connecting to Place, People, and Past: How Products Make Us Feel Grounded.
• Eyal, N. (2014). Hooked: How to build habit-forming products. Verlag Portfolio Penguin, London.
• Homburg, C. (2020): Marketingmanagement. Springer Verlag, Wiesbaden
• Torres, T. (2021). Continuous discovery habits – discover products that create customer value and business value. Product talk publishing, Oregon.
• White, K. et al (2019): How to SHIFT Consumer Behaviors to be More Sustainable: A Literature Review and Guiding Framework.
Other Sources
Course Schedules
Week
Contents
Learning Methods
1. Week
Objectives and practical relevance of Product Management
Lecture, video with follow-up discussion, creation of creative self-introduction
2. Week
Market- and competitor-analysis
Lecture, online research, creation of Presentation, panel discussion. Case study
3. Week
Customer expectations and decision-making process
Lecture, creation of personas, online research
4. Week
Product strategy and business models
Lecture, case study, discussion in groups and panel
5. Week
Innovation management
Lecture, video/text for group discussion, creation of Podcast
6. Week
Definition of Product Features I, focus: Sustainability, price, brand
Lecture including visualizations; group work
7. Week
Definition of Product Features II, focus: Design, user friendliness, sales volume, common mistakes
Lecture, case study
8. Week
Midterm Exam
9. Week
Implementation during product development (Challenges, Economic performance)
Lecture, group discussions, practical problem solving, article from scrientific journal
10. Week
Guest lecture: Successful product management in the Chinese automotive market
Oral presentation
11. Week
Market introduction strategies
Lecture, social-media research, creation of PPT
12. Week
International advertisement
Lecture, videos, discussion, Video case study
13. Week
Product performance evaluation and lifecycle management I
Lecture, case study, panel discussion
14. Week
Product performance evaluation and lifecycle management II
Lecture, self-evaluation before final exam via gamification
15. Week
16. Week
17. Week
Assessments
Evaluation tools
Quantity
Weight(%)
Homework / Term Projects / Presentations
5
20
Project(s)
1
30
Attendance
13
15
Final Exam
1
35
Program Outcomes
PO-1
Ability to apply theoretical and practical knowledge gained by Mathematics, Science and their engineering fields and ability to use their knowledge in solving complex engineering problems.
PO-2
Ability of determining, defining, formulating and solving complex engineering problems; for that purpose develop the ability of selecting and implementing suitable models and methods of analysis.
PO-3
Ability of designing a complex system, process, device or product under real world constraints and conditions serving certain needs; for this purpose ability of applying modern design techniques
PO-4
Ability of selecting and using the modern techniques and devices which are necessary for analyzing and solving complex problems in engineering implementations; ability of efficient usage of information technologies.
PO-5
Ability of designing experiments, conducting tests, collecting data and analyzing and interpreting the solutions to investigate of complex engineering problems or discipline-specific research topics.
PO-6
Ability of working efficiently in intra-disciplinary and multi-disciplinary teams; individual working ability and habits.
PO-7
Ability of verbal and written communication skills; and at least one foreign language skills, ability to write effective reports and understand written reports, ability to prepare design and production reports, ability to make impressive presentation, ability to give and receive clear and understandable instructions
PO-8
Awareness of importance of lifelong learning; ability to access data, to follow up the recent innovation in science and technology for continuous self-improvement.
PO-9
Conformity to ethical principles; knowledge about occupational and ethical responsibility, and standards used in engineering applications.
PO-10
Knowledge about work life implementations such as project management, risk management and change management; awareness about entrepreneurship and innovativeness; knowledge about sustainable development.
PO-11
Knowledge about effects of engineering applications on health, environment and security in global and social dimensions, and on the problems of the modern age in engineering; awareness about legal outcomes of engineering solutions.
Learning Outcomes
LO-1
Possess broad knowledge about the roles and responsibilities of product management within an enterprise
LO-2
Be able to empathically adapt the point of view of customers, identify their needs and purchase decisions
LO-3
Based on this, be able to define the characteristics of a new product, also considering aspects such as profitability, competitor activities, impact on society and sustainability
LO-4
Possess the competency to think and argue in a logical, constructive manner, hereby defending the customers’ requirements within the product project
LO-5
Possess the competency to create attractive content and present it in an adequate manner in person or via digital platforms
