MoSCoW Technique- What it is & Insights on MoSCoW Prioritization

MoSCoW Technique- What it is & Insights on MoSCoW Prioritization

Collecting customer feedback is important. But not all feedback is created equal. There will be some that may not meet your product vision or the target market or does not make sense.

That is why building a thoughtful product roadmap is vital. But how to be ‘thoughtful’ about it? Well, you don’t have to reinvent the wheel. There are a handful of prioritization techniques to save the day. MoSCoW method is one such technique that we will discuss in this article.

What does MoSCoW stand for?

The name is derived from the first letter of all the four prioritization categories that are featured in it: M — Must have, S — Should have, C — Could have, and W — Won’t have. Dai Clegg, a software developer at Oracle, created the MoSCoW method and later handed it over to Dynamic Systems Development Method (DSDM).

What is the MoSCoW prioritization technique?

MoSCoW analysis method is a prioritization technique that is used by businesses in business analysis, project management, and software development. It enables stakeholders to arrive at a mutual understanding about the importance of tasks at hand. Initially, the MoSCoW method was intended to assist in creating a structure of priorities for time-bound projects — especially so for initiatives within software product releases. Later, its use expanded, letting different functional teams adopt it.

What does MoSCoW mean in agile?

Priorities are key to being productive for any agile team. Almost always teams have many competing tasks vying for attention. They are ‘competing tasks’ since the resources to complete them are finite. It is impossible to have all human and material resources to complete them at once. Thus, it’s essential to prioritize which projects need execution and when. Without prioritization, your company will fail to achieve the goals it set out to meet.

Moreover, complex projects and releases need an elaborate thought process. Prioritization pools together different stakeholders who will handle the project management, as well as build consensus and a sense of ownership among them. So it not just impacts what to do next, but also how to do it.

How Does MoSCoW Prioritization Work?

This technique is simple and practical. However, do a bit of homework before getting started. To make the best out of this technique address the following:

• Let all your stakeholders align to the organizational objectives and priorities
• Your team members need to agree on how they will iron out disagreements to avoid stagnating your projects’ advancement
• Agree on how much resources each category needs
• Determine ideal categories for different initiatives

How do you use MoSCoW method?

The MoSCoW method entails 4 categories

• Must have
• Should have
• Could have
• Won’t have

Must have

Must-haves comprise non-negotiable priorities and needs for your projects, products, and releases at hand. Therefore, you must complete all priorities that fall under this minimum usable subset. When creating must-haves, you ought to consider the following:

• The consequences of not implementing these priorities
• If your project, release, or product can do without these initiatives
• A simpler alternative to accomplishing your initiatives

Should have

Should haves are priorities that comprise critical initiatives that are absolutely necessary for the success of the project. However, your projects, products, and specific release schedules can do without them. Although, they would lack a given level of significance and business value. Moreover, you can postpone and include should-haves in coming releases without negatively affecting the present ones. Enhancement updates and bug fixing are examples of should-haves.

Could have

Could haves are not essential to your product’s existence. Instead, they are just nice to have and have no negative impact on your present or future projects, releases, or products. Could have requirements come into use should projects in the should have and must have categories end up larger than initially envisioned.

Won’t have

Won’t haves include those items that should not feature in current projects, releases, and products. Such initiatives may or may not become future priorities. Specifically, this category assists managers to decide shouldn’t feature in their current priorities.

When should I apply MoSCoW method?

You can use the MoSCoW method in your organization when you:

• Have teams that comprise representatives from an entire enterprise in their processes
• Want to capture a wider perspective by incorporating stakeholders from different departments
• Need your team to determine the amount of effort different categories need
• Want to prioritize time-sensitive projects

Strengths and Limitations

MoSCoW is a great prioritization tool for any project manager, but like everything else comes with Pros & Cons.

Pros:

• Is excellent for Agile project management with fixed timeframes because it allows for managing the requirements for a particular product release
• Is an excellent tool for setting priorities at all stages
• Is applicable to startups and ongoing projects
• Is effective in resolving disputes and fostering agreement among different stakeholders
• Is easy to master and use

Cons:

• Poor in deciding between various requirements on a similar level
• Lacking in ranking competing requirements
• Ambiguous on timing, particularly in the Won’t-have category
• Poor in producing accurate prioritization if some stakeholders are absent
• Likely to produce subjective and deficient requirements if company decisions don’t include all leaders

The key lies in molding the process to meet the cultural & procedural needs of your organization. Now, the ball is in your court!