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MoSCow Method

The document describes the MoSCoW prioritization technique, which is a popular method for prioritizing requirements in Agile development. It involves categorizing requirements into Must have, Should have, Could have, and Won't have. An example is provided to illustrate how to use MoSCoW. Advantages are that it is quick, easy, and helps define project priorities. Disadvantages include potential subjectivity and different levels of familiarity among participants.

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Nithin Nallusamy
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
137 views

MoSCow Method

The document describes the MoSCoW prioritization technique, which is a popular method for prioritizing requirements in Agile development. It involves categorizing requirements into Must have, Should have, Could have, and Won't have. An example is provided to illustrate how to use MoSCoW. Advantages are that it is quick, easy, and helps define project priorities. Disadvantages include potential subjectivity and different levels of familiarity among participants.

Uploaded by

Nithin Nallusamy
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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MoSCow Method: the Most Successful Prioritization Technique


For Any Project

“You do not need to do work faster or to eliminate gaps in productivity to make better use of your time.
You need to spend more time on the right things…”
Ray Johnson

This article describes one of the easiest prioritization techniques and how it should be used in business
analysis and Agile project management.

How to prioritize if everything is a priority?


Prioritization is your ability to see which tasks and objectives are more important at the current moment and
give them more time, attention, and energy. Sometimes we should choose between three, five or more
tasks: to fill a regular report, arrange meetings, make some calls to customers, have a dinner with business
partners, and so on and so forth.
While determining your priorities, try to focus on what is more important at the expense of lower value
activities.

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Prioritization techniques and methods: first things first!


In order to build a castle you need to start somewhere. Before diving into specific prioritization techniques,
pay attention to the basic planning tips that can help you to concentrate on the essentials.
List your plans
✓ Every morning make a list and write down everything you need to get during the day. Separate the
issues into urgent and not urgent and determine priorities.
Set values
✓ You can feel that completing certain tasks will bring you more benefits than completing others. Just
try to imagine what will happen if you do not complete the task.
Set real goals
✓ Before creating your list of priorities, be realistic about your bandwidth.
Be Flexible
✓ You should be ready for changing your priorities and manage them effectively.

Do not forget about other issues

When something is important, it’s quite easy to get caught up in details. Spending too much time on one
priority, you can forget about other objectives. Try to be focused on everything you are responsible for.

80/20 prioritization rule


80/20 Rule is the key reason why the system of prioritization works. According to this technique, 80% of
typical activities contribute something like 20% to the value of our work. It means that 80% of the project’s
benefits come from 20% of the time spent by its staff. When you do only the most important 20% of your
tasks, you get most of the value.

But how can we define what tasks must be included in this 20%?

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One of the most essentials parts of any project in software development is requirement prioritization. It is
especially important in Agile development methodologies.

What is the most successful requirement prioritization technique?


If you ask your friends or search engines about the most helpful requirements prioritization techniques, it
will list several options: Needs-Based Analysis, Crowd Sourcing, Opportunity Scoring, etc. But the most
popular answer among them is MoSCoW prioritization technique.

Moscow technique as one of the easiest methods for requirement prioritization


MoSCoW method’s name has nothing in common with the capital of Russia. The acronym MoSCoW was
developed in 1994 by Dai Clegg. People have added double “o” inside the acronym to make it
pronounceable. It’s better to write them in lowercase to highlight that they don’t have any sense.
MoSCoW method is the prioritization technique that is originating from the dynamic software development
method (DSDM).

According to this technique, you can categorize your list of requirements into the following groups:
M – Must have
This point describes requirements that must be satisfied in the final solution. These requirements are non-
negotiable. And the project will fail without them.
S – Should have
A high-priority feature that is not critical to launch. But it is considered to be important and of a high value
to users. Such requirements occupy the second place in the priority list.
C – Could have
A requirement that is desirable but not necessary. According to the method, this point will be removed
first from scope if the project’s timescales are at risk.
W – Won’t have
A requirement that will not be implemented in a current release, but may be included in a future stage of
development. Such requirements usually do not affect the project success.

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After this classification, all requirements are ranked in order of preference within every category. Project
managers should feel the balance and be sure the project has enough Must, Should, Have and Could have
requirements.

Let’s have a look how MoSCoW prioritization technique works with a simple example:

You are going to buy a motorbike with an extra seat to travel with your friend on the weekends. The bike
should have a low seat and a four-cylinder engine. Unlimited mobility is also important. Your favorite color
is red, so you want to have a red color body. You also want to get good wind protection.
It would be also nice to have Bluetooth connectivity for your iPod. In addition, you are fond of having a
helmet with a double ventilation system…

Let’s define prioritization:


M – a new bike for traveling, an extra seat.
S – a low seat, a four-cylinder engine. Unlimited mobility.
C – a red color body, extra wind protection.
W – Bluetooth and a helmet with a double ventilation system.

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Advantages and disadvantages of MoSCoW model


MoSCoW prioritization technique can really help you to rank and classify items in order to get a successful
product. The key benefits of the method are:

✓ MoSCoW technique is based on expert opinion of the team.


✓ It is quick and easy to complete.
✓ The technique is good in defining the priorities of projects that are in progress.

The key assumptions and the weakest points are:

✓ MoSCoW rules can be subjective. If there is no effective cooperation with business, this
prioritization method may be inaccurate.
✓ The technique requires the team to have good familiarity with the product features. When the
participants have different levels of familiarity with the product, it is difficult for them to classify or
rank the items. In this case, their expert conclusions will be unhelpful.

Article reference taken from Paolo Kukhnavets

October 26, 2016


Estimated reading time: 6 minutes

What Are Prioritization Techniques? MoSCow Method (ganttpro.com)

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