Mariano Amalfi
ERNI Switzerland

 

What is WSJF?

From: https://www.scaledagileframework.com/wsjf

Weighted Shortest Job First (WSJF) is a prioritization model used to sequence jobs (e.g. Features, Capabilities and Epics) to produce maximum economic benefit. In SAFe, WSJF is estimated as the Cost of Delay (CoD) divided by job size.

© Scaled Agile, Inc.

Weighted Shortest Job First is a method developed by Don Reinertsen. It basically says:

  1. Shorter is better. If it doesn’t take long, do it first.
  2. Do whatever brings you the most economic benefit as soon as possible.

You can rate your “jobs” (Features, Capabilities and Epics) with the following criteria:

  • User Business Value: What is the relative value to the customer or business? Do our users prefer this over that? What is the revenue impact on our business? Is there a potential penalty or other negative effects if we delay?
  • Time criticality: How does the user/business value decay over time? Is there a fixed deadline? Will they wait for us or move to another solution? Are there Milestones on the critical path impacted by this? What is the current effect on customer satisfaction?
  • Risk reduction-opportunity enablement value (RR/OE): What else does this do for our business? Does it reduce the risk of this or a future delivery? Is there value in the information we will receive? Will this feature enable new business opportunities?
  • Job Duration (Job size): For duration or size, you can usually use either some rough or detailed estimates (e.g. story points) or planned costs/budget.

User Business Value, Time criticality and RR/OE are added together and called “Cost of Delay”.

CoD is the money that will be lost by delaying or not doing a job for a period of time.

You obtain your WSJF value by dividing the Cost of Delay by the Job Duration:

 

No alt text provided for this image

 

How to apply WSJF to your Features

If you are working with Jira or Azure DevOps, you can either use plugins or extensions or you can simply export your features into a table and add a column for each criterion you need to rate: User Business Value, Time criticality, etc.

 

No alt text provided for this image

 

The first time you apply the calculations, you may be very surprised about the new priorities. It may also lead to some discussions with your Product Management and/or your System Architects. Maybe some parameters were not set correctly the first time and you have to re-estimate them. I recommend to review the results; but in any case, do not fake the numbers.

 

Calculate your Capacity, Cut and Communicate!

In order to best prepare a PI planning, you should calculate your teams capacities in advance. Estimate how many Story Points you can use for the planning. Consider some risks in your capacity estimation.

After you get your estimation, go through your WSJF list and cut out the Features which can’t be done. Afterwards be transparent as soon as possible with Product Management, Architecture and Business Owners about the priorities and communicate if Features have to be postponed. With your WSJF list, you now are able to explain in detail as to, why you are doing some work first and why some things need to be cut.

News from ERNI

In our newsroom, you find all our articles, blogs and series entries in one place.

  • 06.12.2023.
    Newsroom

    Streamlining software development: The journey from multiple to unified requirements management tools

    Productivity in software development is slowed down by managing specifications across various requirements management (RM) tools. Although moving to a single, updated RM tool involves an upfront investment, the long-term benefits are considerable. These include increased process efficiency, enhanced collaboration, superior traceability, improved software specification quality, cost reductions, scalability and better integration with other RM tools, among others.

  • 22.11.2023.
    Newsroom

    Recognising trends: An insight into regression analysis

    Data plays a very important role in every area of a company. When it comes to data, a distinction is made primarily between operational data and dispositive data. Operational data play an important role, especially in day-to-day business. However, they are not nearly as relevant as dispositive data. This is because these data are collected over a longer period of time and provide an initial insight into the history or the past.

  • 08.11.2023.
    Newsroom

    Why do we need digital transformation for medical devices?

    For hospitals, it is not up for discussion as to whether they want to digitalise. The increasing age of the population in western countries and the progressive shortage of medical professionals mean that without digitalisation, the healthcare system will not be able to provide the quality that patients want in the future.

  • 25.10.2023.
    Newsroom

    Mastering the challenges of mobile app testing: Strategies for efficient quality assurance

    Discover the unique challenges faced in testing mobile applications and learn how to overcome them effectively. From selecting suitable devices and operating systems to leveraging cloud-based test platforms, test automation and emulators, this article provides seven essential strategies for optimising your mobile app testing process.

  • 11.10.2023.
    Newsroom

    Incorporating classical requirements engineering methods in agile software development for a laboratory automation system

    Traditional agile methodologies can sometimes struggle to accommodate the complexity and regulatory requirements of laboratory automation systems, leading to misalignment with stakeholder needs, scope creep, and potential delays. The lack of comprehensive requirements documentation can result in ambiguous expectations and hinder effective communication among cross-functional teams.

  • 27.09.2023.
    Newsroom

    Unveiling the power of data: Part III – Navigating challenges and harnessing insights in data-driven projects

    Transforming an idea into a successful machine learning (ML)-based product involves navigating various challenges. In this final part of our series, we delve into two crucial aspects: ensuring 24/7 operation of the product and prioritising user experience (UX).

  • 13.09.2023.
    Newsroom

    Exploring Language Models: An overview of LLMs and their practical implementation

    Generative AI models have recently amazed with unprecedented outputs, such as hyper-realistic images, diverse music, coherent texts, and synthetic videos, sparking excitement. Despite this progress, addressing ethical and societal concerns is crucial for responsible and beneficial utilization, guarding against issues like misinformation and manipulation in this AI-powered creative era.

  • 01.09.2023.
    Newsroom

    Peter Zuber becomes the new Managing Director of ERNI Switzerland

    ERNI is setting an agenda for growth and innovation with the appointment of Peter Zuber as Managing Director of the Swiss business unit. With his previous experience and expertise, he will further expand the positioning of ERNI Switzerland, as a leading consulting firm for software development and digital innovation.