Weighed Shortest Job First | Glossary

Definition

Weighted Shortest Job First is used as a prioritization model that is deployed to sequence the jobs adequately, to produce the maximum economic benefit. Job sequencing can be an important factor in flow-based systems, where they can produce exceptional results.  Relative CoD and Job Size is calculated, and WSJF is implemented to prioritize backlogs.

Speaking of backlogs, WSJF is constantly used at Program Increment boundaries to update them, based on factors like: User and Business Value, Time Factors, Risk, Opportunity Enablement, and Effort. WSJF also tends to ignore sunk costs, a fundamental Lean Economics principle. When applied in SAFe, the model supports additional principles of Product Development low, include:

  • Take an economic view
  • Ignore sunk costs
  • Make continuous financial choices
  • Decentralize decision making
  • Quantify the cost of delay

Further Reading

  •  “Principles of Product Development Flow: Second Generation Lean Product Development”(book), by Donald Reinertsen.

Value Stream | Glossary

Definition

‘Value Streams’ are a series of steps used by an organization to build solutions and provide a flow of value to the customer, which is continuous in nature. In Scaled Agile Framework( SAFe), value streams are used to provide definition to business objectives and Portfolio-level and organize Agile Release Trains (ARTs), eventually leading to the deliverance of more value rapidly.

These Value Streams tend to deliver end-user value either directly, or support internal business processes.  Building the organization with solutions that provide a continuous value flow to a customer more rapidly is beneficial overall. Value Stream mapping is also used to identify and address delays and activities that have non-value.

Further Reading

  •  “Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) Distilled ” (book), by Richard P. Knaster.