5 Useful Feature Prioritisation Frameworks
Choosing the right features to develop in a product can be overwhelming. With limited resources and high expectations, product managers must make informed decisions.
Fortunately, several frameworks can help prioritize features effectively.
In this blog, we’ll explore five popular frameworks: RICE, Value vs. Effort, KANO, MoSCoW, and ICE.
The RICE Framework
Reach, Impact, Confidence, and Effort are the pillars of the RICE framework. It’s a systematic approach to evaluate and prioritize features by considering:
Reach
How many people/goals will be affected
Impact
How big of a change will happen?
Confidence
How sure are we that this will work?
Effort
How much work & resources will it take?
Value Vs Effort
This simple yet effective method weighs the value of a feature against the effort needed to implement it.
It’s a two-dimensional grid where one axis represents value, and the other represents effort:
Value
How beneficial or valuable is this action or solution?
Effort
How much work & resources will it take to implement this action or solution?
By mapping features on this grid, you can quickly visualize which ones are 'low-hanging fruit' (high value, low effort) and which are 'major projects' (high value, high effort).
The KANO Model
The KANO Model classifies features into four categories to help determine their impact on customer satisfaction:
Must-haves
Features or qualities that are expected and necessary for satisfaction.
Performance Enhancers
Features that directly correlate with satisfaction and their level of provision.Features that don't significantly impact satisfaction, whether present or absent.
Excitement
Features that go beyond expectations, providing unexpected delight and satisfaction.
Indifferent
Features that don't significantly impact satisfaction, whether present or absent.
KANO emphasizes that not all features are created equal, and delighting users often requires going beyond the basics.
MoSCoW Method
The MoSCoW method categorizes features to manage and prioritize development effectively:
Must-Have
Features that are essential for a product’s success and must be delivered.
Should-Have
Important features that are desirable but not critical for the product’s success.
Could-Have
Features that are nice to have if resources permit but are not necessary for the product’s core functionality.
Would-Have
Features that are explicitly excluded or deferred for future consideration.
By assigning every feature to one of these categories, teams can focus on what truly matters for the current stage of the product.
ICE Framework
ICE stands for Impact, Confidence, and Ease – key components to consider when scoring a potential feature:
Impact
The potential impact or benefit of the task or feature.
Confidence
How certain or confident you are in your assessment of the impact.
Ease
The level of difficulty or resources required to complete the task or implement the feature.
ICE helps prioritize tasks by scoring each one and then comparing the scores to determine which features should be addressed first.
Selecting the right feature set is crucial for product success. Using these frameworks, product managers can navigate the complex landscape of feature prioritization with more confidence and clarity.
Remember, the best approach is one that aligns with your product goals, resources, and user needs.