Product documentation output is a daily task for product managers. Through document output, product managers can effectively organize requirements and goals. At the same time, the product development team can better align on goals and iteration directions. In this article, the author summarizes the product documentation for ToB products. Let's take a look.
Since becoming an internet product manager, outputting product-related documents has become a fundamental skill and a reflection of work quality. The clarity, logical completeness, and thoroughness of documentation are key indicators used to assess a product manager's foundational abilities.
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Whether for ToC or ToB products, from the entire product lifecycle, documentation is an indispensable deliverable. It connects the upstream and downstream of the enterprise's collaborative workflows, helping the team align on goals and establish standards. Therefore, it is very important.
Many product colleagues know that product managers need to produce documents in their daily work, but they are often unclear about what specific documents need to be created and at which stages of the process. Additionally, due to the differences between ToC and ToB products, and the variety of product types in ToB, the number of product documents required for ToB products is often greater than for ToC products.
From market demand, product research and development, monetization, to product maintenance and market exit, ToC and ToB share some common content. However, in terms of product delivery, ToB products require more documentation than ToC products.
Or, ToC product documentation is typically aimed at launching the product, while for ToB products, the documentation continues even after the product launch. This is because, after the product is launched, there is a series of product service processes that follow. Therefore, at different stages of the product lifecycle and around different business goals, different types of documentation are needed.
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In the early stages of product development, such as market research and project initiation, the documentation output for both ToB and ToC products is quite similar. Through business requirement documents (BRD), market requirement documents (MRD), and product requirement documents (PRD), the product develops from 0 to 1 and is launched to provide monetizable product services for target market customers.
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Business Requirement Document (BRD)
Based on market research and analysis, the BRD identifies new opportunities for product entry in a specific field to achieve the company’s business goals. It is usually intended for senior executives, key stakeholders, and financial departments to review and understand the company's strategic background and goals, helping them evaluate the business opportunity.
The document typically includes market analysis of the target field, product plans, business models, competitor analysis, team introduction, a rough product roadmap, financial plans, and more. -
Market Requirement Document (MRD)
Typically, after the senior leadership or department managers decide to launch a project following initial research and market evaluation, the MRD is created to officially initiate the project. This document is used to communicate the project background, the cost-benefit analysis, required resources, the value that can be gained, and the overall strategic direction for the product. It ensures that stakeholders are aligned on responsibilities, benefits, and how to implement the project.
The MRD usually contains market analysis, competitor analysis, business models, and an overview of the product. -
Product Requirement Document (PRD)
Once the project is confirmed and initiated, the focus shifts to product development, with the product manager breaking down requirements into different versions for development, based on product goals and background. The PRD outlines the product's prototype and functional information architecture, among other details.
To maintain development standards and traceability, the PRD also includes the implementation logic, interaction specifications, and version history. This document is mainly for the product development team, including developers, product managers, and testers. Engineers develop the product based on prototypes, product managers review and verify the product, and testers use the document to write test cases.
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ToC products focus on building core feature experiences to attract traffic, aiming to quickly convert individual users into paying customers for monetization.
The decision-making process for ToC product users is short, with high frequency and low individual cost. Therefore, once the product is developed and launched, the product development team has essentially completed the final product delivery. The next step is to analyze product data, uncover new requirements, and iteratively refine the product using the PRD.
In contrast, ToB products focus on solving real business pain points and providing valuable solutions. The decision-making process is longer, the unit price is higher, and the frequency is lower, with a focus on retention and repeat purchases. Thus, the product delivery after the first phase of launch is just the beginning. Additional documentation is needed to support the product in influencing users, thereby impacting decision-makers.
ToB products are also highly dependent on business teams. Therefore, in addition to documents for the target customers, there are documents needed for internal sales, business development (BD), and pre-sales teams to assist in customer acquisition and business growth. Consequently, a relatively complete and mature ToB product should include the following documents in addition to the standard ones mentioned above.
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Product User Help Manual
ToB products have multiple user roles and complex business scenarios. The product functions are not as simple and clear as ToC products, and they often include both standardized and non-standardized features. Therefore, a user manual is needed to explain how to use the product in different scenarios and achieve optimal operation. -
External Product Introduction
Unlike the user manual, which focuses on product functionality, this document is aimed at the pre-sales phase, presenting the product concept, technical capabilities, and service offerings to potential customers. The goal is to encourage customer interest, and thus, this document should include real customer case studies (best practices) to guide the client in making a purchase decision. -
Internal Training Documentation
After a product is launched, large modules or related smaller modules often require training for the delivery and business teams. This training will help team members understand how to use the new functionality and communicate it effectively when talking to customers.
This document aims to convey competitive features to customers, which can also encourage product designers to prioritize adding standardized solutions based on customer needs. -
Product Sales Guide
This document is primarily for the sales team and helps them understand the product's core selling points, business hooks, sales pitch, competitive landscape, advantages, and best practice cases. This allows salespeople to quickly understand the product and how it addresses customer pain points, guiding them on how to acquire customers. -
Product White Paper
A white paper is an official document released by a company to explain its product, and it is more formal, professional, and comprehensive compared to the product introduction.
The white paper typically positions the product as an industry leader or innovator, highlighting the core selling points based on the product’s business model, market insights, and competitive analysis. -
Customer Case Studies
This document details complex cases in which the product has worked with well-known customers, providing generalized solutions in specific business scenarios. If led by the product manager, it helps them understand customer service details and identify personalized or general problems the product solved. These case studies help build product credibility and trust. -
External Training Materials
Given that ToB products come in various forms (self-developed, co-created with partners, tool-based, platform-based, etc.), training may be needed for partners on guiding customers, converting sales, cooperation models, and principles. For platform-based products, after new features are launched, external parties may need training to help users quickly adopt the new features and improve platform retention. -
Post-sales Maintenance Documentation
ToB products can be delivered in public cloud or private cloud formats. Public cloud products primarily require operational maintenance manuals that cover disaster recovery, service models, common issues, and service termination procedures. For private cloud products, additional documentation is needed, such as deployment plans, usage processes, operating environments, and emergency procedures.
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For companies with product system standards, the required documentation output may vary depending on the product's maturity. Therefore, not all documents need to be output, and the specific documents should be prepared according to the needs of the product.
When creating ToB product documentation, the product manager must closely collaborate with technical and business teams to enhance internal collaboration efficiency through documentation, and externally influence customer decisions to achieve business goals.
In other words, the value of ToB product documentation lies in helping customers understand, trust, and eventually become loyal users of the product.
Finally, there is no strict standard for how to write product documentation. For example, a PRD document can be output in Word, iterating by major versions and smaller modules, or it can be tracked in a prototype file with version history.
In summary, product documentation should be adjusted flexibly based on the company’s development stage, team collaboration style, and product development pace. The focus should be on meeting customer service and business goals, not rigidly adhering to form.
