WSJF

WSJF, or Weighted Shortest Job First, is a prioritization method used in agile product development to sequence work by economic value. It helps teams order backlogs so that the work that delivers the most economic benefit per unit of effort is completed first. The approach is especially associated with the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) and reflects Lean and economic thinking applied to software delivery.

The standard WSJF formula is WSJF = (User Value + Time Criticality + Risk Reduction/Opportunity Enablement) / Job Size. The numerator represents the Cost of Delay, capturing the economic impact of delaying the work, while the denominator represents the size or effort required to complete the job. Each factor is typically rated on a relative scale (for example 1-5 or 1-21). Higher WSJF values indicate higher priority, as they offer greater value per unit of size.

In practice, product and program teams score backlog items, compute WSJF for each, and then rank items by descending WSJF to guide planning and sequencing. This method encourages prioritizing items with high value and urgency while avoiding large, risky efforts when the return is uncertain. It is commonly used during SAFe program increment planning, but can be applied in other agile contexts as well.

Origins and notes: WSJF draws on economic decision-making concepts from Lean and Don Reinertsen’s work and was popularized by SAFe. While useful, it relies on subjective scoring and cross-team calibration; consistent application and clear definitions of value factors are important for reliable prioritization.