- MoSCoW
The MoSCoW method is a prioritization technique used in multiple management fields to reach a consensus on what’s more important to stakeholders and customers.
The term is an acronym with each letter standing for one of the possible prioritization categories (with Os added to make it memorable.) Requirements are thus classified as:
Must have — these are critical and must be included into the product. If even one isn’t included, the release is considered a failure. These can be downgraded if there’s agreement among stakeholders.
Should have — these requirements are important but not crucial for the release. They’re the first level of “Nice to have”, and generally share the importance of MUST requirements, without being so time-sensitive.
Could have — these requirements are desirable but not necessary for the release. They’re usually low-cost enhancements to the product. Due to their lower importance, they’re the second level of “Nice to have” features.
Won’t have — these are considered to be the least-critical or even not aligned with the product strategy. They are to be definitely dropped or to be reconsidered for future releases.
This method offers a quick and simple prioritization solution. The problem comes with its lack of grading within categories. For instance, how can we know which SHOULD or COULD requirements are more important than others? Because of this limitation, the MoSCoW method is probably better suited for internal projects instead of products with many customers — talking to a handful of stakeholders about prioritization subtleties will always be easier than a larger scale contact with end customers.