Prioritisation Frameworks
A helpful tool for product managers
As a Product Manager, you are constantly faced with the challenge of prioritizing tasks and features. You need to decide what is most important for your product and what will have the biggest impact on your customers. This is where prioritization frameworks come in. A prioritization framework is a tool that helps you make informed decisions about what to prioritize based on a set of criteria. In this blog post, we will discuss some of the most popular prioritization frameworks and how to use them to make better decisions.
Framework 1: MoSCoW
The MoSCoW framework is a popular prioritization technique that helps Product Managers prioritize tasks and features based on their importance. MoSCoW stands for Must have, Should have, Could have, and Won't have.
Must have: These are the features that are essential for the product to function. They are critical and must be included in the product.
Should have: These are the features that are important but not critical. They can be included in the product if there is time and resources available.
Could have: These are the features that are nice to have but not necessary. They can be included if they do not affect the delivery of the Must and Should have features.
Won't have: These are the features that are not necessary for the product and will not be included.
Using the MoSCoW framework, you can prioritize the features and tasks based on their importance and allocate resources accordingly.
Framework 2: Kano Model
The Kano Model is a prioritization technique that helps Product Managers identify which features will have the most impact on customer satisfaction. The Kano Model categorizes features into three categories:
Must-haves: These are the features that are expected by customers and do not necessarily improve customer satisfaction if they are included. If these features are not present, customers will be dissatisfied.
Performance attributes: These are the features that improve customer satisfaction when they are present and decrease satisfaction when they are absent. Customers are not necessarily dissatisfied if these features are not present, but they are delighted when they are.
Delighters: These are the features that customers do not expect but are delighted when they are present.
Using the Kano Model, you can prioritize features based on their impact on customer satisfaction and allocate resources accordingly.
Framework 3: Cost of Delay
The Cost of Delay framework is a prioritization technique that helps Product Managers prioritize tasks and features based on the cost of delaying them. The Cost of Delay is calculated by multiplying the time it will take to complete the task by the value it will deliver.
Using the Cost of Delay framework, you can prioritize tasks and features based on their impact on the business and allocate resources accordingly.
Framework 4: Eisenhower Matrix
The Eisenhower Matrix is a prioritization technique that helps Product Managers categorize tasks based on their urgency and importance. The matrix categorizes tasks into four categories:
Urgent and important: These are the tasks that need to be completed immediately and are critical to the success of the product.
Important but not urgent: These are the tasks that are important but do not require immediate attention. These tasks should be scheduled for later.
Urgent but not important: These are the tasks that are urgent but do not contribute to the long-term success of the product. These tasks can be delegated or outsourced.
Not urgent and not important: These are the tasks that can be eliminated or postponed.
Using the Eisenhower Matrix, you can prioritize tasks based on their urgency and importance and allocate resources accordingly.
Framework 5: RICE
The RICE framework is a prioritization technique that helps Product Managers prioritize tasks and features based on their reach, impact, confidence, and effort.
Reach: This is the number of users who will be affected by the feature or task.
Impact: This is the degree to which the feature or task will impact the user experience.
Confidence: This is the level of confidence that the feature or task will have the desired impact.
Effort: This is the amount of time and resources required to complete the feature or task.
Using the RICE framework, you can prioritize tasks and features based on their potential impact and allocate resources accordingly.
Prioritization frameworks can help Product Managers make informed decisions about what to prioritize based on a set of criteria. The Eisenhower Matrix helps you categorize tasks based on their urgency and importance. The RICE framework helps you prioritize tasks and features based on their reach, impact, confidence, and effort. By using these frameworks, you can prioritize tasks and features more effectively and allocate resources more efficiently, ultimately leading to a more successful product.