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In fact agile projects are 1.5 x more likely to succeed than other more traditional methods (zippia 2023).
There are many reasons for this: the ability to be more responsive more quickly to market changes; a focus on delivering value to the customer as quickly as possible; focus on collaboration supporting innovation; the ability to adapt to change.
One major component in the agile toolkit are the prioritisation tools that are provided.
Here is a breakdown of why these are essential to project success and some top tips for delivering them. All of the agile prioritisation toolkit and how best to use it, is covered in the AgilePM® certification.
Value needs to be delivered to customers as early as possible, not just at the end of the project. The highest value features are produced first so that the project justifies itself very early on and its products can be tweaked. Customer needs and business goals are aligned meaning that teams are producing the most valuable work first.
The MoSCoW method helps prioritise based on importance. It stands for Must-have, Should-have, Could-have, and Won't-have. This way the most important elements are delivered first.
I. Agree what the priorities mean early in the project.
a. A ‘Must have’ means that the product won’t work without it or is unsafe – non negotiable.
b. If a workaround can be put in place then it is not a ‘Must have’.
c. Look for defined boundaries between a ‘Should’ and a ‘Could’.
I. Use all the priorities.
II. Challenge ‘Must haves’.
III. Control the percentage of ‘Must haves’.
IV. The target of no more than 60% is to assure predictability.
V. As the percentage of ‘Must haves’ increases above 60%, predictability of the project decreases and risk of failure increases unless:
a. Some of the estimates are known to be true based on past experience.
b. The approach is tried and tested.
c. The team is well established with a proven track record.
d. The environment is well understood and relatively stable.
Prioritisation tools like Kanban boards, enable teams to quickly adapt and respond to changing market conditions, customer feedback, or emerging opportunities. This feature enables work to be reprioritised based on the changing needs of the customer.
I. Use the board to stop bottlenecks.
II. Use the board to reprioritise.
III. The board can create transparency for the teams without having unnecessary meetings.
IV. Use it to help the team visualise.
Prioritisation tools help agile teams identify and address potential risks early on. If there is a higher risk of uncertainty then they can be prioritised earlier on and this reduces the chances of a setback later.
In a precarious business environment, where risks and uncertainties are prevalent, the ability to identify and manage risks provides stability and resilience in an organisation.
I. Set the balance of priorities to the risk profile of the project.
a. Where there is higher risk of unknowns, like for example, new technology or a newly formed team, then the project may decide on a lower percentage of ‘Must haves’.
Prioritisation tools foster stakeholder alignment and collaboration. They provide a transparent view of the work, enabling stakeholders to understand and provide input on what should be prioritised.
In a precarious business world, where stakeholder expectations and market dynamics can change rapidly, effective collaboration and alignment become even more crucial.
Prioritisation tools ensure that everyone is on the same page and working towards common objectives.
I. Re-prioritise all requirements that have not been met at the end of a 'Project Increment' in the light of the needs of the next increment. They are not automatically carried over.
II. Prioritise everything – It helps the concept become deeply ingrained in the team’s approach''
Promotes continual learning. By prioritising items for each iteration or increment, teams can gather feedback, learn from the outcomes, and continuously improve their product or service.
This approach is also ‘timeboxed’ so that each increment is given an assigned amount of time dedicated to it. This allows organisations to be more dynamic in their route to market, refine their products continually and stay ahead of the curve.
I. Any new requirements or unexpected work for an existing requirement needs to be evaluated against how critical it is to the existing work using MoSCoW. Care should be taken not to increase the percentage of 'Must haves' beyond the agreed project level'
II. As a minimum, review priorities at the end of each Timebox.
In summary, collaboration and prioritisation techniques allow agile teams to be responsive and dynamic. Something which is not simply a nice benefit in today’s landscape but a ‘Must have’ priority to survive.
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