Description

In marketing a product is an object or system made available for consumer use it is anything that can be offered to a market to satisfy the desire or need of a customer. In retailing, products are often referred to as merchandise, and in manufacturing, products are bought as raw materials and then sold as finished goods. A service is also regarded to as a type of product. Commodities are usually raw materials such as metals and agricultural products, but a commodity can also be anything widely available in the open market. In project management, products are the formal definition of the project deliverables that make up contribute to delivering the objectives of the project.

A product can be classified as tangible or intangible. A tangible product is a physical object that can be perceived by touch such as a building, vehicle, gadget, or clothing. An intangible product is a product that can only be perceived indirectly such as an insurance policy. Services can be broadly classified under intangible products which can be durable or non durable. A product line is « a group of products that are closely related, either because they function in a similar manner, are sold to the same customer groups, are marketed through the same types of outlets, or fall within given price ranges. »Many businesses offer a range of product lines which may be unique to a single organisation or may be common across the business’s industry. In 2002 the US Census compiled revenue figures for the finance and insurance industry by various product lines such as « accident, health and medical insurance premiums » and « income from secured consumer loans.