Produkte

Produkte is the plural form of Produkt in German and refers to goods or services produced for sale or use. In economics and business, a product can be tangible, such as a car or a bottle of shampoo, or intangible, such as software or a service. The concept encompasses the full range of market offerings a company presents to customers, including finished goods, components, and bundled solutions.

Etymology and usage: The term Produkt derives from Latin productus and entered German via French produit, or through direct adoption in the modern economic lexicon. In everyday business language, Produkte is used for multiple items; in mathematics the singular Produkt is standard, with Produkte as the plural for the product of numbers, though this mathematical usage is separate from the economic sense.

Classification and life cycle: Products are categorized by intended use (consumer goods vs industrial goods), by tangibility (physical goods vs services), and by life cycle stage (introduction, growth, maturity, decline). Marketing and product management address product strategy through product policy (Produktpolitik), which includes development, branding, differentiation, and portfolio management. Product design often involves user needs, quality, and compliance requirements.

Data and standards: In modern commerce, product information must be structured and codified, using systems such as GTIN/UPC barcodes and GS1 standards. Companies manage products through product data management (PDM) and product information management (PIM), and classify offerings with schemes such as UNSPSC or eCl@ss to enable search, cataloging, and supply-chain integration.