HKSM

A SAFe method for ordering work by comparing the economic value a job delivers to the effort or duration required, so items with the highest value per unit of effort are done first.

Key Points

• WSJF prioritizes by dividing Cost of Delay by job size (or duration) to maximize value per effort.
• Cost of Delay commonly blends user/business value, time criticality, and risk reduction or opportunity enablement.
• Uses relative estimation (e.g., story points or t-shirt sizes) rather than exact hours.
• Higher WSJF scores indicate items that should be scheduled sooner to improve economic outcomes.

Example

A product team compares three features. They estimate Cost of Delay (CoD) and job size. Feature A: CoD 20, size 5 (WSJF 4). Feature B: CoD 13, size 2 (WSJF 6.5). Feature C: CoD 21, size 7 (WSJF 3). They deliver Feature B first because it provides the most value for the least effort.

PMP Example Question

In a SAFe context, which technique should a product manager use to sequence backlog items to deliver the greatest value relative to effort?

1. RICE scoring (Reach, Impact, Confidence, Effort)
2. MoSCoW prioritization
3. Weighted Shortest Job First (WSJF): Cost of Delay divided by job size
4. First-In, First-Out (FIFO)

Correct Answer: C — Weighted Shortest Job First (WSJF)

Explanation: WSJF is a SAFe prioritization technique that balances value against effort by dividing Cost of Delay by job size, so higher-scoring items are done first.