Develop a clear roadmap to implementation
As product teams begin to get new projects up and running, they need a single source of truth: one place where they can meet as a team and create product plans that are clear, stable, and keep everyone on the same page.
Enter: Mural’s product prioritization framework template — which features a method of creating consistent principles, metrics, and strategies that help teams decide how they are going to work on their latest assignment.
Also called a product management prioritization framework, a product prioritization framework is a way for product teams to come together and set clear expectations on how to build and work on a product plan. Product prioritization is an important step in the product creation process because it helps teams stay focused, know what they’re supposed to be working on, and track progress.
Building products is a complex process. It can get even more complicated if there isn’t a dedicated place to house important logistical objects like goals, priorities, business objectives, and more. Poor teamwork — which includes teams that just can’t seem to figure out priorities — can often lead to burnout, according to Mural’s Teamwork Research Report. In fact, “45% of knowledge workers say it leads to employee turnover.” Product prioritization frameworks provide a single workspace designed to help your team score and prioritize features based on their strategic value.
There are a lot of different frameworks to choose from, like Kano models and RICE templates, so evaluate your project and experiment with the different types of frameworks available to you. What’s important is that you find a framework that your team will use consistently to keep everyone up to date and fits with your project. You can start a new product plan here.
Prioritization frameworks help teams effectively focus on key objectives.
You’re set up to efficiently allocate your team’s time and resources.
When using a product prioritization framework, you make better, strategic decisions.
Clearly lay out what your team wants to achieve with your product, listing out criteria like business goals, user needs, or strategic targets.
List all potential product features, improvements, or projects you’d like to include in your plan. Then, start documenting relevant details like estimated costs, impacts, and dependencies.
Select a product prioritization framework that fits your needs. There are several to choose from, like RICE, MoSCoW, Kano model, Value vs. Effort matrix, and Weighted scoring.
Use your chosen framework to evaluate and score each feature or project based on the specific criteria of that framework. For example, if using the RICE framework, measure your product features based on potential reach, impact, confidence, and effort.
Create a product roadmap that reflects the prioritized features and projects you’ve evaluated.
Track the progress of the prioritized features and assess their impact, adjusting your timeline and prioritizing as needed to stay aligned with your overarching project goals.
Keep it clear: Avoid unnecessary complexity and language so everyone stays on the same page.
Involve relevant stakeholders: Be sure to collaborate with subject matter experts and team members who are directly involved in the process.
Regularly tidy your mural: Continually refine your document as needed to reflect updates and capture important feedback using comments and sticky notes.
There are many common product prioritization frameworks, including:
Story mapping: A framework that connects feature releases to user actions in order to focus on the user experience.
Weighted scoring: A framework that helps assess the complexity of features to allow product managers to prioritize the most important features for the business and customers.
RICE framework: A framework that assigns a score to tasks or features based on reach, impact, confidence, and effort.
Eisenhower matrix: A framework that orders tasks based on their importance and urgency.
Affinity grouping: A framework used to brainstorm feature ideas, organize them into themes, and rank them based on importance.
Other product prioritization frameworks include:
Value vs. effort
Kano prioritization model
Ice scoring prioritization
Impact mapping prioritization
Impact/effort matrix prioritization
Cost vs. benefit prioritization
We may be biased, but Mural’s product prioritization framework template does it all. Ultimately, deciding on the best method for your team is up to you. If you need help getting started, however, here are some things to consider:
Project goals: The framework you choose should align with your project's goals. If you're creating a product to increase customer sentiment, for example, find the framework that aligns so you can start off on the right track.
Team expertise: Consider your project team, their specific skill sets, and how well they work together as you’re choosing a framework.
Available data: The data you have available will be a huge factor in which framework you choose. Depending on your project, you’ll need to order, categorize, or weigh your data accordingly, so be sure to take that into account when deciding on your template.
Product complexity: Consider the nuances and general architecture of your upcoming product as you’re looking through framework options.
Mural is the only platform that offers both a shared workspace and training on the LUMA System™, a practical way to collaborate that anyone can learn and apply.