Implementing a Priority Scale

Implementing MoSCoW Prioritization When faced with prioritization disputes, implementing a value-based approach can help by evaluating features based on their value to stakeholders and the organization. The MoSCoW prioritization technique effectively manages requirements, categorizing tasks into Must have, Should have, Could have, and Won’t have based on their necessity and impact. Must have: These are critical, non-negotiable requirements essential for project success. Without them, the project fails. It's crucial to communicate their importance to stakeholders. Examples include core functionalities or compliance-related features, like user authentication for security. Should have: These are important but not critical requirements. They can be deferred if necessary but should be included if time and resources allow. An example is performance optimization features that enhance user experience but are not essential for the initial release. Could have: These are desirable but not essential requirements. They often include enhancements that don't impact the project's core functionality. As a BA, it's important to distinguish these from critical tasks to avoid scope creep and prioritize resources effectively. For example, an advanced analytics dashboard would be nice to include but it isn't immediately necessary. Won’t have: These are the lowest priority requirements, agreed to be excluded from the current project scope. Identifying them early helps manage expectations and ensures the team focuses on higher-priority tasks. BAs should facilitate discussions to reach a consensus, preventing future conflicts. For example, integration with a rarely used third-party service can be deferred to a future release. Using MoSCoW balances stakeholder demands and manages resources efficiently by aligning project outcomes with business objectives. It ensures timely delivery, transparency, and stakeholder satisfaction throughout the project lifecycle. Image Credit: Suzanne S. Davenport

🔴🟠🟢 Prioritise Your Workload This can mean compliance changes/uplift, workload, personal stuff When I have a whole bunch 🍇 of things to do, one of the methods I use to prioritise consistently is called MoSCoW. ❓When should you use this? 🌀 You have a long list want & to use a repeatable science 🔬 to prioritise the list items 🌀 You want to convince others that you have utilised a method 🗺️ 🌀 You want others to participate 🤗 in your prioritisation 🌀 You want to quickly ⚡ show what is important (including a summary) 🌀 You can use this for yourself, in a project, for your team, for your daily workload ⚠️ In this post we are prioritising activity based on its perceived positive value to your business and how complex it might be to implement ❓What should you know before you start? 🧠 You need to know broadly what might be involved in your activity 🧠 If you don’t know what is involved in your activity, invite others who can contribute 🧠 Who can contribute to this prioritisation that can make this process more ‘robust’ ❓Where do I start? 1️⃣ List out the activities in a table 2️⃣ Add two columns (X: Complexity to deliver and Y: Value to business) 3️⃣ Then complete these two columns for each activity - explanation below ➡️ X: Complexity to deliver - how easy to how hard it is to deliver your activity, this can consider cost, effort, time, resources, disruption, etc. Answer this question as Easy or Hard ⬆️ Y: Value to business - this is how good the activity is for the business, that the result is impactful, positive and beneficial. Answer this question as Low or High ❓I've created this table, now what? In the cover graphic for this post, I have included a plot you can use to define the priority ➡️ X-Axis - Complexity to deliver, first value Easy, then Hard ⬆️ Y-Axis - Value to business, first value Low, then High ‼️ You end up with four quadrants 💡 Mo: Easy + High = Priority 1 - Must do (opportunity, easy worth doing) 💡 S: Hard + High = Priority 2 - Should do (harder, but more valuable than 3) 💡 Co: Easy + Low = Priority 3 - Could do (not as valuable) 💡 W: Hard + Low = Priority 4 - Won’t do (park this, don’t do it, or reconsider) ‼️MoSCoW Make sense? ✅DO 👍🏻 Include others who are involved in delivering the activity 👍🏻 Consider other activities outside what you are prioritising 👍🏻 Consider utilising workshops when collaborating on priority 👍🏻 Use the scatter plot and summarised priorities to present to your management to demonstrate how achievable your long list is ❌DON’T 👎🏼 Forget that your prioritisation should take an approach that aligns with your business 👎🏼 Leave your priorities alone once you finish; they require an update, and they will change over time 👎🏼 Forget those activities that affect/ involve others will need their buy-in What do you use to prioritise? Please comment, or share below 👇🏼 #transformation #financialcrime #requirements #prioritisation #changemanagement

Starting a new PMM role can feel like you're juggling a million tasks all at once. 🤯 So, how do you prioritize what to tackle first? Here’s where the Action Priority Matrix comes in. This simple 2x2 matrix helps you categorize tasks based on Impact and Effort, allowing you to quickly identify "Quick Wins" and strategically plan larger projects. Here’s how you can make it work for you: 1️⃣ List all your tasks for the week (or another time period you prefer). 2️⃣ Rate the impact: For each task, ask yourself how impactful it is on a scale of 0-10. Remember, impact is about how crucial it is to the company’s and team’s key goals. 3️⃣ Evaluate the effort: Then, score the effort required to complete each task. 3️⃣ Plot your tasks on a 2x2 matrix and group them into 4 categories: -----> Quick Wins: Focus here to build early wins and gain confidence. -----> Major Projects: Plan these strategically. Break them into smaller milestones and turn them into quick wins, or seek additional resources. -----> Fill-Ins: Tackle these when you have downtime, or reduce the scope if possible. ----->Thankless Tasks: Avoid these. Delegate or eliminate them! The image shows some sample PMM activities grouped by category - bear in mind these are just examples :) Once you have your priorities mapped out, turn them into an easy to consume list and communicate them to your manager and get their feedback. This is a great way to show that you’re organized and disciplined. Don't be afraid to ask for support—or politely push back by explaining why some tasks may need to be prioritized. Over the years, this simple yet powerful framework has helped my clients achieve more results while avoiding burnout. What has worked for you? #ProductMarketing #newjob #coaching #growth #tech

Prioritization is an integral part of product management. There are multiple prioritization methods among which weighted scoring method is one. The weighted scoring method, also known as the prioritization matrix or decision matrix, is a technique used in product management to objectively evaluate and prioritize features, initiatives, or projects based on predefined criteria. Here's how it works: 1. Define Criteria: First, you establish criteria relevant to your product or project. These criteria could include factors like strategic alignment, customer impact, technical feasibility, effort required, and revenue potential 2. Assign Weights: Assign weights to each criterion based on its importance. For example, if customer impact is critical for your product, you might assign it a higher weight compared to technical feasibility. 3. Rate Options: Evaluate each feature, initiative, or project against the defined criteria and rate them accordingly. This rating is typically done on a numerical scale, such as 1 to 5, with 1 being the lowest and 5 being the highest. 4. Calculate Scores: Multiply the ratings by the weights assigned to each criterion and calculate the total score for each option. This is done by multiplying the rating for each criterion by its respective weight and summing up the products. 5. Prioritize: Sort the options based on their total scores, with higher scores indicating higher priority. The option with the highest score becomes the top priority. Example: Let's say you're prioritizing potential new features for a mobile app. Your criteria and weights are as follows: - Strategic Alignment (30%) - Customer Impact (25%) - Technical Feasibility (20%) - Effort Required (15%) - Revenue Potential (10%) You evaluate three potential features against these criteria and rate them: Feature A: - Strategic Alignment: 4 - Customer Impact: 5 - Technical Feasibility: 3 - Effort Required: 3 - Revenue Potential: 4 Feature B: - Strategic Alignment: 3 - Customer Impact: 4 - Technical Feasibility: 4 - Effort Required: 4 - Revenue Potential: 3 Feature C: - Strategic Alignment: 5 - Customer Impact: 3 - Technical Feasibility: 5 - Effort Required: 2 - Revenue Potential: 5 Now, calculate the scores: - Feature A: (4*0.3) + (5*0.25) + (3*0.2) + (3*0.15) + (4*0.1) = 3.85 - Feature B: (3*0.3) + (4*0.25) + (4*0.2) + (4*0.15) + (3*0.1) = 3.65 - Feature C: (5*0.3) + (3*0.25) + (5*0.2) + (2*0.15) + (5*0.1) = 4.2 Based on the scores, you would prioritize Feature C as it has the highest score and aligns best with your criteria and objectives. #productmanagement