If you’re knee-deep in the Agile world, you know that prioritization is the compass that guides you through the maze of tasks and projects. In the fast-paced world of Agile, knowing how to prioritize is like having a superpower, especially in software development.
Generally, a waterfall method takes more than 2-3 years to develop software, but if you do a little modification, you can do it within a year. So, here, we’re going to explore the top 10 prioritization models in Agile to change your life.
1. MoSCoW Method
MoSCoW is an acronym that stands for Must Have, Should Have, Could Have, and Won’t Have. This nifty method helps you categorize tasks or features based on their importance, ensuring you tackle the must-haves first.
Must-Have things are highly urgent, Should Have things are important but not urgent, Could Have things are additional or optional, and Won’t Have things are something unnecessary.
2. Value vs. Effort Matrix
Imagine a 2×2 matrix with “Value” on one side and “Effort” on the other. The Value vs. Effort Matrix lets you visualize which tasks or features will give you the most bang for your buck.
Here, you see the complexity and the required effort to eliminate them.
3. Weighted Shortest Job First (WSJF)
Here’s some Agile algebra for you. WSJF calculates the relative value of tasks by dividing their Business Value (BV) by the Job Size (JS). This mathematical marvel helps you pinpoint tasks with the highest potential impact and the least effort required. Who knew math could be this cool?
This method can also be calculated by dividing the cost of delay (CoD) by Job duration. CoD is all about understanding the financial impact of delaying a task. It’s like putting a price tag on time. By quantifying the cost of delay, you can make more important and worthy decisions about which tasks you need to tackle first and which can wait.
4. Kano Model
The Kano Model is all about making your customers jump for joy. It sorts features into five categories:
- Must-be Quality
- One-dimensional Quality
- Attractive Quality
- Indifferent Quality
- Reverse Quality
5. RICE Scoring
RICE stands for Reach, Impact, Confidence, and Effort. It’s a scoring system that helps you evaluate tasks based on these four factors, providing a holistic view of their importance. Here is the formula that you can use after scoring each factor:
RICE= (R * I * C) E
Reach (R): It includes the calculation of the number of people (R) affected by the product or reach out to the product.
Impact (I): This step simply talks about how it’s going to affect the buyer or user and how much. Look over the past trends and historical data to make this assumption. You can also grade or quantify your data.
Confidence (C): Now, ask yourself how confident you are with your “impact” prediction.
Effort (D): This is the last value you have to calculate is the amount of effort each team member can put into it. On this basis, you have to decide how much workforce you need for your project.
6. Eisenhower Matrix
Named after President Eisenhower, this matrix classifies tasks into four categories:
- Urgent and Important
- Important but Not Urgent
- Urgent but Not Important
- Neither Urgent nor Important
In other words, it separates all your priorities into 4 categories as per the importance more effectively. There are some tasks that are highly urgent, such as deadlines and meetings, while some are important but not urgent, such as emails or calls.
With such scenarios, you can easily work out your project with better work-life balance and productivity.
7. Cumulative Voting or 100 Dollar Test
It is a straightforward yet highly effective prioritization model commonly used in Agile product development. Here, each stakeholder is metaphorically handed a 100-dollar bill, and they are asked to allocate a portion of this “money” to the specific features they believe should be prioritized.
The stakeholders distribute their points across various features, indicating the level of importance they assign to each.
Once all stakeholders have expanded their 100 points through this voting process, the votes are collected and counted. The moderator then analyses the results to determine the priority of features based on the cumulative points allocated to each one.
8. HML Prioritization (High, Medium, Low)
Sometimes, simple is best. With HML Prioritization, you assign tasks or features into three buckets: High, Medium, or Low priority. It’s straightforward and perfect for teams just starting with Agile.
Conclusion
Each of these prioritization models brings its own flavor to the table. So, feel free to experiment and find the one that suits your team’s unique needs best. At Intetics, we personally use these prioritization methods for various projects as per their complexity. To know more about us, you can reach out to our website.
