5 prioritization techniques for IT teams
Is it always easy to prioritize the tasks of a large project? And if the priority is five urgent tasks? Ten?
Experienced project managers and product owners know that intuition is not enough. In order not to let the team down and meet deadlines, today, managers come to the aid of useful methodologies for determining priorities, as well as modern tools that help visualize data and not miss anything in their workflows.
Let us consider in more detail 5 well-known methodologies that help to come to success.
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Is there an ideal methodology that will once and for all set priorities in work tasks and personal affairs? Each project manager or product manager certainly has his own answer to this question. However, there are prioritization methods that have proven themselves around the world, and their authors have received the deserved respect among project managers and top managers. Here are 5 of these methodologies: three common and two for organizational purposes.
The methodology of MoSCoW today is known all over the world and is widely used in various areas of management. With the famous capital of technology does not connect.
Consonants in the acronym MSCW are degrees of priority:
Using the example of the tasks of the Hygger.io management platform (implemented or only planned), consider how priorities can be determined according to the MoSCoW methodology:
The method offers a quick and easy solution for prioritization. However, often this categorization may not be enough. Therefore, it is believed that MoSCoW is better suited for internal projects, and not for products with a large number of customers.
The Kano model is a technology developed by the Japanese Noriaki Kano in 1984. It was then that he published an article in which he painted the methodology.
With the help of the Kano model, it is possible to visually describe the satisfaction of what needs leave consumers unmet or delighted.
Kano proposes a coordinate system where satisfaction is measured along the Y axis, and the fulfillment level along the X axis. In the Kano model, there are 3 main components of the quality profile that influence customer satisfaction: expected, basic, and attractive, admirable.
Expected Kano properties are basic product or service properties. They are by default. The buyer is unlikely to think about these properties, because they take them for granted.
Often, the performance of airlines is cited as an example of expected properties. Ensuring that everyone has enough space in the cabin is an expected feature.
The expected feature of the Hygger product management platform may be the ability to schedule individual project tasks. Almost always, turning an expected property into a competitive advantage is a difficult task, but its absence will not lead to anything good.
Basic properties - this is the desired. Their implementation directly affects customer satisfaction. It is on the basic properties that products are trying to stand out and create a competitive advantage.
In the example with airlines, the main feature may be the absence of transfers on a long route.
The admirable properties are unexpected properties for the consumer: additional, unusual, surprise-like character.
Your favorite dessert on board the airline is an example of this property.
The level of performance of such properties does not directly affect customer satisfaction (as is the case with basic properties). If the unexpected property is absent, the consumer should not be upset, as he did not expect it in the ranks of the expected properties. But if the consumer is pleasantly impressed - it will bring pleasant bonuses to the product or service, at least, the near circle of the delighted consumer will know about them.
Over time, customer requirements can change and what delighted today can turn into a standard tomorrow, and the day after tomorrow it can become a prerequisite for quality.
An excellent example of the use of Kano's method is described in the article on the television point, where the author decided to divide the many intricate buttons on the console by priority, using the Kano principle.
The methodology of Story Mapping became known at the beginning of the century from the article by Jeff Patton.
The meaning of the method is that the backlog in the product is not enough to prioritize the work. Patton believes that a more detailed structure is needed and suggests the following mechanics:
The horizontal axis represents the sequence of use. Tasks on it are placed in the sequence in which they are performed by the user.
The vertical axis means criticality. Vertically, tasks are placed relative to how important they are from top to bottom. Equally important tasks can be defined at the same height.
Groups of related stories are grouped as activities.
This is a relatively simple visual presentation that allows the team, customers, customer or other interested parties to share a common understanding of what is happening.
The method clearly defines how to gradually release product iterations.
The methodology devised by Jiro Kawakita (hence KJ) is often used in various training and group management classes. The essence of technology is in the group process of setting priorities.
The KJ method is a process consisting of 8 steps for groups of any size. To implement this method will take at least one hour. Participants should prepare:
The author of the methodology, Adam Nash, proposed his analogy for determining priorities. In his opinion, the priority of functions varies greatly in different products and areas. Therefore, Nash stresses that the method was developed specifically for consumer online products.
According to the method, the functions need to be distributed in four buckets.
Metrics Movers are engine functions that can have a strong impact on product and business targets. There should be specific goals and strategies for deciding to invest in a product or function (an example of an indicator is the Pirate Metrics framework).
Customer Requests are feature requests. They are requested by the customers themselves. Usually are additional improvements.
Delight - functions that are created within the company based on an understanding of the design or technology. Work on them is important for the pleasant surprise of customers.
Strategic - functions that are important for strategic reasons related to future goals.
Each prioritization method has its own characteristics and, probably, not all of them can be adapted to the conditions of your product or company. Then you should try modern services that help you work with priorities - modern online tools for determining priorities and tracking task statuses. They facilitate planning and help prioritize all product tasks quickly and easily.
Backlog Priority Chart is one such tool that offers a complete platform for product managers Hygger.io .
In the service you can find a rating system of Value & E efforts and 4 quadrants-criteria for determining the degree of priority:
Hygger allows you to structure backkog using universal Scrum and Kanban boards, labels and Swimlanes.
How do you deal with prioritizing your business? Do you use effective methodologies and useful tools? Perhaps there is a super efficient method that you can share.
Hopefully, the prioritization methodologies described above will help you to highlight and learn how to identify the most important tasks and identify those that can inhibit workflows. Experiment and achieve good results!
Experienced project managers and product owners know that intuition is not enough. In order not to let the team down and meet deadlines, today, managers come to the aid of useful methodologies for determining priorities, as well as modern tools that help visualize data and not miss anything in their workflows.
Let us consider in more detail 5 well-known methodologies that help to come to success.
')
Is there an ideal methodology that will once and for all set priorities in work tasks and personal affairs? Each project manager or product manager certainly has his own answer to this question. However, there are prioritization methods that have proven themselves around the world, and their authors have received the deserved respect among project managers and top managers. Here are 5 of these methodologies: three common and two for organizational purposes.
5 prioritization methods for project managers and IT teams
MoSCoW method for categorizing tasks
The methodology of MoSCoW today is known all over the world and is widely used in various areas of management. With the famous capital of technology does not connect.
Consonants in the acronym MSCW are degrees of priority:
- M - tasks and requirements that have the highest priority and should be applied first and foremost to the product. Without them, the release will not be executed (it must).
- S - important requirements, but not with the highest priority. Usually they are not decisive, but they are still mandatory (it should).
- C - requirements and tasks desirable for release (it could).
- W - the least critical requirements, they can be ignored or moved to the next release (it would).
Using the example of the tasks of the Hygger.io management platform (implemented or only planned), consider how priorities can be determined according to the MoSCoW methodology:
- Must Have - implement the Priority Chart - a schedule where you can select the most valuable ideas and submit them to development, rank ideas by Value / Efforts metrics, provide development support using Kanban and Sprint boards, add Burndown Chart to track progress on the sprint.
- Should Have - implement the Time tracking function to record the time worked, Cycle / Lead Time Report to control the process, to integrate with Slack to get updates on the boards.
- Could have - add a section of My Tasks, where you can see all the tasks in different statuses, implement Client Access to invite clients to the project.
- Would Have - provide SAML SSO / G Suite SSO for single sign-on for employees, add Calendar View for whiteboard, add integration with project management systems (JIRA, PivotalTracker, Trello, etc.)
The method offers a quick and easy solution for prioritization. However, often this categorization may not be enough. Therefore, it is believed that MoSCoW is better suited for internal projects, and not for products with a large number of customers.
Kano's model
The Kano model is a technology developed by the Japanese Noriaki Kano in 1984. It was then that he published an article in which he painted the methodology.
With the help of the Kano model, it is possible to visually describe the satisfaction of what needs leave consumers unmet or delighted.
Kano proposes a coordinate system where satisfaction is measured along the Y axis, and the fulfillment level along the X axis. In the Kano model, there are 3 main components of the quality profile that influence customer satisfaction: expected, basic, and attractive, admirable.
Expected Kano properties are basic product or service properties. They are by default. The buyer is unlikely to think about these properties, because they take them for granted.
Often, the performance of airlines is cited as an example of expected properties. Ensuring that everyone has enough space in the cabin is an expected feature.
The expected feature of the Hygger product management platform may be the ability to schedule individual project tasks. Almost always, turning an expected property into a competitive advantage is a difficult task, but its absence will not lead to anything good.
Basic properties - this is the desired. Their implementation directly affects customer satisfaction. It is on the basic properties that products are trying to stand out and create a competitive advantage.
In the example with airlines, the main feature may be the absence of transfers on a long route.
The admirable properties are unexpected properties for the consumer: additional, unusual, surprise-like character.
Your favorite dessert on board the airline is an example of this property.
The level of performance of such properties does not directly affect customer satisfaction (as is the case with basic properties). If the unexpected property is absent, the consumer should not be upset, as he did not expect it in the ranks of the expected properties. But if the consumer is pleasantly impressed - it will bring pleasant bonuses to the product or service, at least, the near circle of the delighted consumer will know about them.
Over time, customer requirements can change and what delighted today can turn into a standard tomorrow, and the day after tomorrow it can become a prerequisite for quality.
An excellent example of the use of Kano's method is described in the article on the television point, where the author decided to divide the many intricate buttons on the console by priority, using the Kano principle.
Technique Story Mapping
The methodology of Story Mapping became known at the beginning of the century from the article by Jeff Patton.
The meaning of the method is that the backlog in the product is not enough to prioritize the work. Patton believes that a more detailed structure is needed and suggests the following mechanics:
The horizontal axis represents the sequence of use. Tasks on it are placed in the sequence in which they are performed by the user.
The vertical axis means criticality. Vertically, tasks are placed relative to how important they are from top to bottom. Equally important tasks can be defined at the same height.
Groups of related stories are grouped as activities.
Strengths of the Story Mapping Methodology
This is a relatively simple visual presentation that allows the team, customers, customer or other interested parties to share a common understanding of what is happening.
The method clearly defines how to gradually release product iterations.
Intra-organizational methodologies
KJ Methodology
The methodology devised by Jiro Kawakita (hence KJ) is often used in various training and group management classes. The essence of technology is in the group process of setting priorities.
The KJ method is a process consisting of 8 steps for groups of any size. To implement this method will take at least one hour. Participants should prepare:
- Choose a lead (moderator).
- Prepare a lot of stickers of different colors.
- Find a room with a free wall or a large board.
- Place a flip chart or a separate board for results.
8 stages of the KJ methodology
- Choose a central question that will stimulate results. Each session involves its own central question.
- Organize a working group. Team members must be from different departments of the company.
- “Upload data” Stickers are needed for this. Each member of the group is invited to initiate brainstorming in different directions.
- Place the stickers on the wall in a random order. Each participant, if necessary, can add new stickers at further stages.
- Group similar topics. When all the stickers on the wall are added, the whole group starts to group similar topics.
- Give names. Participants must assign a name to each group using stickers of a different color.
- Vote for the most important groups from your point of view that will help answer the central question.
- Rate the most important of the groups. All stickers are placed on the board and are arranged according to the number of votes. Participants can combine such groups, which adds their votes and raises their rating. When 3-4 groups are clearly ahead of the others, activity ends.
Technique prioritization Feature Buckets
The author of the methodology, Adam Nash, proposed his analogy for determining priorities. In his opinion, the priority of functions varies greatly in different products and areas. Therefore, Nash stresses that the method was developed specifically for consumer online products.
According to the method, the functions need to be distributed in four buckets.
Metrics Movers are engine functions that can have a strong impact on product and business targets. There should be specific goals and strategies for deciding to invest in a product or function (an example of an indicator is the Pirate Metrics framework).
Customer Requests are feature requests. They are requested by the customers themselves. Usually are additional improvements.
Delight - functions that are created within the company based on an understanding of the design or technology. Work on them is important for the pleasant surprise of customers.
Strategic - functions that are important for strategic reasons related to future goals.
Each prioritization method has its own characteristics and, probably, not all of them can be adapted to the conditions of your product or company. Then you should try modern services that help you work with priorities - modern online tools for determining priorities and tracking task statuses. They facilitate planning and help prioritize all product tasks quickly and easily.
Backlog Priority Chart is one such tool that offers a complete platform for product managers Hygger.io .
In the service you can find a rating system of Value & E efforts and 4 quadrants-criteria for determining the degree of priority:
- Quick Wins - ideas of first order.
- Big Bets - ideas with high priority, but which can be executed after Quick Wins.
- Maybes - ideas with less value and urgency.
- Time sinks - ideas that can be set aside or deleted.
Hygger allows you to structure backkog using universal Scrum and Kanban boards, labels and Swimlanes.
How do you deal with prioritizing your business? Do you use effective methodologies and useful tools? Perhaps there is a super efficient method that you can share.
Hopefully, the prioritization methodologies described above will help you to highlight and learn how to identify the most important tasks and identify those that can inhibit workflows. Experiment and achieve good results!
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/351238/
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