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Weighted Shortest Job First

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0% found this document useful (0 votes)

24 views4 pages

Weighted Shortest Job First

Uploaded by

Dineshkumar

We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.

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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

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Certainly!

Let’s break down Weighted Shortest Job First (WSJF) with a real-life example to help
explain how it works.

Real-Life Example:

Imagine you're managing the development of an e-commerce website, and your team has a backlog
of features to implement. These features include:

1. Feature A: A loyalty rewards system for customers.

2. Feature B: A faster checkout process (one-click checkout).

3. Feature C: An AI-based product recommendation system.

4. Feature D: Adding multi-language support for international customers.

Now, your challenge is to prioritize these features to maximize value while minimizing the cost of
delay. This is where WSJF comes in.

Steps to Calculate WSJF:

1. Determine Value for Each Feature:

o Feature A (Loyalty Rewards): High value as it encourages repeat purchases, but not
immediately critical.

o Feature B (One-Click Checkout): Very high value as it directly impacts conversion

rates and revenue.

o Feature C (AI Recommendations): Medium value, improves user experience but not
essential for all customers.

o Feature D (Multi-Language Support): Medium-high value as it opens the platform to

a global audience.

2. Estimate Effort/Complexity:

o Feature A: Medium effort, involves building a reward tracking system.

o Feature B: Low effort, as the technology is straightforward but has dependencies on

payment processing integration.

o Feature C: High effort, as it involves developing AI algorithms.

o Feature D: High effort, since it involves translating content and adapting the UI for
different languages.

3. Account for Risk:

o Feature A: Low risk, it’s a self-contained system with little impact on other features.

o Feature B: Medium risk, as any error in the checkout process could disrupt
payments.

o Feature C: High risk, AI development can be unpredictable and hard to get right.

o Feature D: Medium risk, challenges arise with integrating new languages.

4. Consider Dependencies:

o Feature A: No major dependencies.

o Feature B: Depends on successful integration with the payment system.

o Feature C: No immediate dependencies, but critical to get it right.

o Feature D: Some content must be translated first.

Applying WSJF Formula:

The WSJF formula is:

WSJF=Cost of DelayJob Duration or Effort\text{WSJF} = \frac{\text{Cost of Delay}}{\text{Job Duration

or Effort}}WSJF=Job Duration or EffortCost of Delay

You would assign relative scores for cost of delay (based on value, risk, and urgency) and effort for
each feature.

 Feature B (One-Click Checkout) has the highest value, moderate risk, and low effort, so it
gets the highest WSJF score.

 Feature A (Loyalty Rewards) has a medium WSJF score—high value but moderate effort.

 Feature D (Multi-Language Support) has a lower WSJF score—high value but high effort and
risk.

 Feature C (AI Recommendations) has the lowest WSJF score—medium value but very high
effort and risk.

Final Prioritization (Based on WSJF Scores):

1. Feature B: One-Click Checkout (Highest WSJF)

2. Feature A: Loyalty Rewards

3. Feature D: Multi-Language Support

4. Feature C: AI Recommendations (Lowest WSJF)

Key Points in WSJF:

 Effort/Complexity: Features that are easier and quicker to implement but provide high value
(Feature B) should be prioritized.

 Risk: Tackling risky features earlier ensures the team mitigates potential problems before
they affect other work.

 Dependencies: If one feature (like Feature B) relies on another system (payment integration),
it should be prioritized to unblock other features.

Why Project Managers Should Know WSJF:

1. Maximizing Value: It helps a project manager ensure that the team is working on tasks that
deliver the most value relative to the time and effort required.
2. Reducing Delays: By considering the cost of delay, the project manager can prioritize work
that minimizes disruptions and bottlenecks.

3. Balancing Risk: WSJF enables the project manager to address high-risk features early,
preventing unexpected challenges later in the project.

WSJF works well in Agile environments where features evolve, and rapid feedback is crucial. It
ensures that development aligns with business value while optimizing resource usage.

You said:

but there are no numberical value assigned to this ''Cost of Delay''. How do we divide without
numbers and with High, medium and low

ChatGPT said:

ChatGPT

To apply WSJF effectively, you can use a relative scoring system to quantify the Cost of Delay. Here’s
how to assign numerical values to High, Medium, and Low ratings for each feature's cost of delay:

Step-by-Step Approach

1. Define Scoring Scale: Establish a numerical scale for value, effort, and risk. A common
approach is to use a scale from 1 to 10.

o Cost of Delay (Value + Risk + Urgency):

 High: 8-10

 Medium: 4-7

 Low: 1-3

2. Assign Scores:

o For each feature, assign scores for Cost of Delay, Job Duration (Effort), and include
factors like risk and urgency.

Example Scoring

Let’s consider the same features from the previous example:

Feature Cost of Delay (Value + Risk) Job Duration (Effort)

Feature A: Loyalty Rewards 6 (Medium) 5 (Medium)

Feature B: One-Click Checkout 9 (High) 2 (Low)

Feature C: AI Recommendations 4 (Medium) 8 (High)

Feature D: Multi-Language Support 7 (Medium-High) 8 (High)

Calculating WSJF

Using the formula:

WSJF=Cost of DelayJob Duration\text{WSJF} = \frac{\text{Cost of Delay}}{\text{Job
Duration}}WSJF=Job DurationCost of Delay

Now calculate WSJF for each feature:

Feature Cost of Delay Job Duration WSJF Score

Feature A: Loyalty Rewards 6 5 65=1.2\frac{6}{5} = 1.256=1.2

Feature B: One-Click Checkout 9 2 92=4.5\frac{9}{2} = 4.529=4.5

Feature C: AI Recommendations 4 8 48=0.5\frac{4}{8} = 0.584=0.5

Feature D: Multi-Language Support 7 8 78=0.875\frac{7}{8} = 0.87587=0.875

Final Prioritization

1. Feature B: One-Click Checkout (WSJF = 4.5)

2. Feature A: Loyalty Rewards (WSJF = 1.2)

3. Feature D: Multi-Language Support (WSJF = 0.875)

4. Feature C: AI Recommendations (WSJF = 0.5)

Key Takeaways

 Numerical Values: Assigning numerical values helps you quantify abstract concepts like cost
of delay.

 Relative Assessment: You assess features relative to each other, helping prioritize effectively
based on overall impact.

 Flexibility: You can adjust scoring scales or criteria based on project context and stakeholder
feedback.

Using a systematic approach helps keep the process objective and grounded in measurable criteria.
This makes it easier for stakeholders to understand and agree on prioritization decisions.