We discussed some techniques to help prioritise (or serialise) the work. Some techniques can be combined, some are better for teams, some help create consensus...

1. 5 prioritization techniques to
help your agile planning
By Steven Wallace

2. What would your priorities be?
• Save the child
• Take the photo

3. What would your priorities be?
• Save the child
• Take the photo
1) Take the photo
2) Save the child

5. Why prioritize?

6. Why prioritize?
Time is limited (normally)
We live in a VUCA world (Volatile, Uncertain,
Complex, Ambiguous)
We have limited resources (money,
equipment and people)

7. Prioritization can be based on:
• Value
• Cost
• Risk
• Knowledge / learning

8. https://foldingburritos.com/product-prioritization-techniques/

9. Dot-voting

10. Imagine designing the new office
space
Feature
Ping pong table
PlayStation 4
Chocolate fountain
Fireman’s pole
Indoor Drone
Feature
Coffee machine
Masseuse
Nerf guns
Waterfall feature
Siesta room

11. Imagine designing the new office
space
Feature
Ping pong table
PlayStation 4
Chocolate fountain
Fireman’s pole
Indoor Drone
Feature
Coffee machine
Masseuse
Nerf guns
Waterfall feature
Siesta room

12. Dot Voting
+
It’s quick
People grasp the result from quickly
It’s not cognitively demanding
Each voice is equal
-
Each voice is equal
Social influence
Easy to cheat
Split voting for similar options
1 person has used all their dots to create result

13. MoSCoW
Must – Something that has to be done (legal reasons,
obligations etc.)
Should – Something that should be included and done
Could – Something that ideally would be included if it
doesn’t affect other more important items
Won’t – Something you’d like to do but you consciously
decide not to include
(DSDM)

14. Imagine designing the new office
space
Feature
Ping pong table
PlayStation 4
Chocolate fountain
Fireman’s pole
Indoor Drone
Feature
Coffee machine
Masseuse
Nerf guns
Waterfall feature
Siesta room

15. Imagine designing the new office
space
Feature
Ping pong table
PlayStation 4
Chocolate fountain
Fireman’s pole
Indoor Drone
Feature
Coffee machine
Masseuse
Nerf guns
Waterfall feature
Siesta room

16. MoSCoW
+
Simple English – everyone understands
Useful to help identify the MVP or MMF
Helps organise releases
-
If no time scale is added, it’s not as useful
Does not differentiate items in the same rank
So when do we do the “won’t” items?
Time-consuming in larger groups

17. Silent prioritization

18. Silent prioritization
Best for groups who tend to talk a lot and get “stuck” in circular
conversations.
Can be used jointly with other prioritization techniques.
Example of use :
In silence, in turns, the individual takes an option and places it
accordingly.
The next person has 2 possibilities : move an existing option or place
a new option.
Only at the end do we discuss those options that have been moved a
lot.

19. Silent prioritization
+
Can quickly identify those items which create tension
Keeps concentration levels higher when we don’t talk as much
Equalizes the impact of the more extroverted people in the group with
those more introverted
-
Can seem like a game
Social pressure to move / not move something
With larger groups it becomes difficult to organise

20. Buy a feature
From “Innovation Games” by Luke Hohmann

21. Buy a feature
Good for a set of features within a project.
“Price” is decided by complexity to make, effort, cost to buy
etc.
Group gets equal amount of money to spend (1/3 to a ½ of
the total cost of the features).
Can be played individually or collaboratively.
How much are the team willing to spend on a feature?

22. Imagine designing the new office
space
Feature Cost in euros
Ping pong table 2500
Arcade machine 5000
Chocolate fountain 1500
Fireman’s pole 3500
Indoor Drone 2000

23. Buy a feature
+
Helps people remember there are costs associated to everything
Realistic if you can use actual costs of items (or estimations) and the
budget available
Provokes negotiations and conversations
-
May seem too much like a game to some people
Some may take the “price” to be the real cost and hold people to that
Could create problems if the pricing of items is way off

24. Cost Of Delay
Normally our teams cannot do everything at
once…so when we decide to do something,
we don’t do something else.
Not doing something immediately may have a
Cost of Delay (CoD).

25. In what order would you do
these items for an HR dept?
Feature Duration Value
Performance review of
team - A
4 weeks 1500€
LinkedIn Campaign - B 2 weeks 2000€
Reorganize team - C 10 weeks 8500€
Create training plan - D 7 weeks 6000€
TOTAL 23 weeks 18000€

26. No priority (finish at end)
Feature Duration Value Cost of delay
Performance
review of team -
A
4 weeks 1500€ 23 x 1500
LinkedIn
Campaign - B
2 weeks 2000€ 23 X 2000
Reorganize team
- C
10 weeks 8500€ 23 X 8500
Create training
plan - D
7 weeks 6000€ 23 X 6000
TOTAL 23 weeks 18000€ 414,000€

27. Based on Duration
Feature Duration Value Cost of delay
LinkedIn
Campaign - B
2 weeks 2000€ 2 x 2000 =
4000€
Performance
review of team -
A
4 weeks 1500€ (4+2) x 1500 =
9000€
Create training
plan - D
7 weeks 6000€ (7+6) x 6000 =
78000€
Reorganize team
- C
10 weeks 8500€ (10+13) x 8500 =
195500
TOTAL 286,500€

28. Based on Value
Feature Duration Value Cost of delay
Reorganize team
- C
10 weeks 8500€ 10 x 8500 =
85000€
Create training
plan - D
7 weeks 6000€ (7+10) x 6000 =
102000€
LinkedIn
Campaign - B
2 weeks 2000€ (2+17) x 2000 =
38000€
Performance
review of team -
A
4 weeks 1500€ (4+19) x 1500 =
34500€
TOTAL 259,500€

29. Cost Of Delay
(Value / Duration)
1000
CD3 =
CD3 (Cost of Delay Divided by Duration)

30. Calculate the CD3
Feature Duration Value CD3
Performance
review of team -
A
4 weeks 1500€ (1500/4)/1000 =
0.375
LinkedIn
Campaign - B
2 weeks 2000€ (2000/2)/1000 =
1
Reorganize team
- C
10 weeks 8500€ (8500/10)/1000 =
0.85
Create training
plan - D
7 weeks 6000€ (6000/7)/1000 =
0.857
TOTAL 23 weeks 18000€

31. Based on CD3 (highest first)
Feature Duration Value CD3 Cost
LinkedIn
Campaign - B
2 weeks 2000€ 1 2 x 2000 =
4000€
Create
training plan
- D
7 weeks 6000€ 0.857 (7 + 2) x 6000 =
54000€
Reorganize
team - C
10 weeks 8500€ 0.85 (10 + 9) x 8500 =
161500€
Performance
review of
team - A
4 weeks 1500€ 0.375 (4 + 19) x 1500 =
34500€
TOTAL 23 weeks 18000€ 254,000€

32. Check results
Technique Cost
No priority 414,000€
Duration 286,500€
Value 259,500€
CD3 priority 254,000€

33. Cost Of Delay
It helps us prioritize by monetary value and
can provide black and white answers and the
impact.

34. But it’s hard to put a monetary
value on my work!
Increase revenue Improve margin or market share
Protect revenue Sustain market share or revenue
Reduce costs current costs that can be reduced
Avoid costs Costs that may happen if no action is taken

35. Sure, but it’s still hard to put a
monetary value on my work!
Some tactics…
Make the value equal to the cost of alternatives
e.g. Automate a process
The value of automating the process is at least equal to the
current cost of doing it manually (plus the value of doing it
faster, without human error and having more engaged
employees)

36. Great, but seriously, I can’t put a
monetary value on my work!
Another tactic…
Estimate the value of the effects of the change
e.g. Improvements to the invoicing accuracy – we want to
improve invoice clarity and accuracy to :
• Make it easier for customers to pay correct amount (Protect
revenue)
• Without delays (increase revenue)
• Use less employee time processing queries and complaints
(reduce costs)

37. “While you may ignore
economics, it won’t ignore you”
Reinertsen, Donald G. The Principles of Product Development Flow: Second Generation
Lean Product Development

38. Your turn to discuss prioritization
techniques in small groups
What works for you?
Why?
Advantages / drawbacks?

39. Questions / doubts?

40. Thanks!
steven.wallace@drivetoimprove.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/steven-wallace-dti/