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I just got my certification as a Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) “Product Owner and Product Manager” and I want to share my initial thoughts on how Product Owners and Process Engineers collaborate to enhance products and services.

As a Process Engineer, I collaborate with different teams to improve processes while a Product Owner collaborates with agile teams to deliver products or services to customers. I see several commonalities between their roles and mindset. Here are my top 3:

1. A Customer-Centric Leader: A process engineer focuses on improving processes to enhance customer experience. A product owner delivers products or services that solve customer problems or fulfill their needs. Both prioritize the customer as a driver of their efforts and use problem-solving to develop effective solutions.

As a Process Engineer, we understand the customer, what they do, what they need, and where they need help. Process engineers support product owners by using value streams to eliminate waste and improve efficiency. Where there is a potential for integration is to use more design thinking to identify the value stream for each product. Here, customer journey maps and personas are key to getting the perspective we need: the customer’s point of view.

2. A Lean-Thinking Leader: A process engineer influences teams to adopt new or improved processes aligned with organizational goals. A product owner leads agile teams and influences stakeholders to align product vision with what is delivered. Both roles are leaders who inspire teams toward a common goal.

As a Process Engineer, we lead change and are flexible to adjust priorities based on changing customer needs. Process engineers support product owners by designing lean processes as input to develop a product or service aligned with customer needs.

3. A Continuous Improvement Leader: A process engineer uses Lean and Six Sigma principles to drive process improvement. A product owner continuously iterates on the product based on feedback. Both foster a culture of continuous improvement and growth.

As a Process Engineer, we use metrics and Lean techniques to guide improvements. Process engineers support product owners by driving process improvement iniatives to design higher-quality and scalable products to increase customer satisfaction and meet growing demand.

Each role contributes to the success from their unique perspective. They both lead teams to adapt, improve and innovate constantly.