Weighted Shortest Job First (WSJF) explained for agile teams

Weighted Shortest Job First (WSJF) is a task prioritization methodology that combines the importance of tasks and their duration to optimize project management, especially in agile environments. It calculates priority by dividing the cost of delay, which consists of user-business value, time criticality, and risk reduction, by the job size or time, thus offering objectivity and a bias for action. The Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) integrates WSJF with its seven competencies, including team and technical agility, agile product delivery, and lean portfolio management, to enhance organizational adaptability and efficiency. While WSJF can be computed using exact numbers or the Fibonacci sequence for estimation, it also serves as a qualitative tool to guide early-stage project prioritization through a simple matrix. This approach reduces coordination failures and cognitive biases, ensuring that resources are directed towards the most urgent and significant tasks, ultimately aligning team efforts with broader organizational goals.