Over the past several months, I’ve heard rumblings that Archer Product Management can sometimes be a “black hole” -- that you want more visibility into what we are working on, how your needs and ideas impact our roadmap, and what releases are on the horizon.
As my colleague Anya Kricsfeld mentioned in her blog,” Total Customer Experience is More Than Lip Service, It's An Attitude,” focusing on creating a successful customer experience is a core part of RSA culture. And needless to say, this perceived “black hole” doesn’t jive with the exceptional customer experience that the Archer Product Management team continually strives to provide.
But as they say, “perception is reality.” That means "it’s time for Archer Product Management to double down on our efforts.”
The Archer Product Management team is committed to improving the successful customer experience through:
- Greater transparency into the product release process so you understand how decisions are made and
how your ideas fit in - Ongoing dialogue during each phase of the product release process to ensure you
know what we’re working on - Simplicity in how you can communicate ideas to RSA and how we provide meaningful, timely
updates back to you - Visibility into the product roadmap on a regular basis so you can plan accordingly
Let me take a few moments to start fulfilling on a few of these Product Management commitments:
Improving Transparency
What is the RSA Archer team working on?
- Silverlight removal. We are actively working to remove Silverlight from the Archer GRC Platform. In our next update, Brian Schaefer will provide deeper insight into how removal of Silverlight will impact day-to-day users, improve Archer’s accessibility requirements, and advance our mobile strategy.
- GRC 6.x release planning. The RSA Archer teams are closing in on the scope and commitments for upcoming 6.x releases. For more information on the releases, including anticipated timelines, and scope, please join the Archer Product Management team for a Roadmap Virtual Meeting.
Ongoing Dialogue
You want to know how your feedback plays into Product Management’s decision making processes, from defining roadmap objectives to actual product development. You are an exceptionally important source of product feedback, and we value the passion and energy our customers show in providing it to us.
To better translate the energy and the passion of your feedback into product requirements, we’ve expanded the Archer Product Management team, adding very talented resources with GRC expertise, including seasoned product managers and User Experience designers. Allow me to (re-)introduce you to the team:
- Antoine Damelincourt, Boston, MA. Antoine’s focus includes Enterprise and Operational Risk Management, Third Party Governance, Regulatory and Corporate Compliance, Business Hierarchies, and Improvements in Reporting.
- Brian Schaefer, Overland Park, KS. Brian’s focus includes the System Admin persona, Mobility, Security, and Business Resiliency.
- Chris Hoover, Overland Park, KS. ITSRM, Security Operations Management, and the Public Sector use cases are Chris’ primary areas of concentration.
- Christine Tran, Overland Park, KS. The newest member of the Archer PM team, Christine is focused on the Security Vulnerabilities use case and improving Archer’s overall scalability.
- Ben Blinn, Overland Park, KS. Last but not least, Ben is the lead for all User Interface and Usability initiatives for Archer.
The best way to engage with the team is to join one of the RSA Archer Working Groups. These Working Groups provide a mechanism for collaboration between the Archer Product Management team and our customers. They are formed to address specific areas of RSA Archer product offerings, with the intent to engage customers in the release process. Working Group topics change over time as our roadmap progresses and focus shifts to different areas of RSA Archer offerings. We recognize (and appreciate!) that our customers make a time commitment to participate in the Working Groups; therefore, we work with our customers to set the right cadence for Working Group meetings, based on where we are in the release process and the frequency agreed to within the group.
A list of the Working Groups and scheduled sessions can be found on the Working Group home page. The
Archer Product Management team will host in-person Working Group sessions on Tuesday, October 25 at RSA Charge, in New Orleans -- stay tuned for an update from Antoine Damelincourt on these sessions.
Visibility
To provide customers with more visibility to the product roadmap, the RSA Archer Product Management team hosts a regular cadence of Product Roadmap “virtual” meetings via WebEx. In these Product Roadmap sessions, the team presents the roadmap to registered invitees, solicits feedback, and answers questions. We also use these meetings to present any special topics that may be of interest to the broader audience. .
For the remainder of 2016, these meetings will focus on providing an overview of the 6.1 release, updates on upcoming 6.x releases, and lessons learned in the 5.x to 6.x upgrade.
Virtual Product Roadmap sessions are open to existing customers and partners with a valid NDA and to internal RSA resources. If you would like to attend, please visit the RSA Archer Roadmap Virtual Meeting homepage.
The Archer Product Management team looks forward to these opportunities to engage with you. If you’d like to share with us about your experiences (good or bad), opportunities for our focus, or ideas to consider – please contact me directly: brian.rohlena@emc.com.
