Project section : Requirements and value brought

Project section : Requirements and value brought

Overview

This section is dedicated to describing the request, i.e. the project's purpose and its expected benefits.
As there is always more demand than capacity, it is important to be able to compare projects with each other and classify them by added value.

This principle facilitates Arbitration, enabling analysis to focus on the highest-value projects and ensuring that low-value projects are not Committed.  

Access

The Requirements and value brought section is available in each project file in the Definition tab:

      
      
Once it has been filled in, this section presents the main information, with details available in the popup by clicking on Edit :    
      

The various elements are also available in the Dashboard/Projects view:

      

Description of the requirements

To write the requirement description, click on Edit. The following popup window opens :

      
      
On the left-hand side, fill in :
  1. the requirements description
  2. the expected benefits
  3. the desired delivery date
  4. the priority

Value Qualification

This section enables you to qualify your Projects according to your repository and methodology.

This value analysis is based on 2 types of axis :
  1. “ Value ”: these axes enable you to describe the dimensions in which a Project generates value. 
For example : increased customer satisfaction, reduced costs, increased turnover, regulatory compliance, etc.
  1. “ Factor ”: these axes, described as positive or negative, enable you to assess the conditions under which the project or a feature of the project is carried out, and therefore to qualify the generated value For example, a Project could generate very high value but be risky, long and complex. On the other hand, a Project could generate customer satisfaction value while being very quick to implement.
Few examples :
    1. Positive factors : ROI, Impact, Trust
    2. Negative factors : Effort, Risk, Budget, Complexity
Abraxio is provided with a very simple standard set-up that can get you started if you don't have an existing repository or method:
  1. an axis of Value: Profit
  2. an axis of Negative Factor: Effort
Axis configuration is available:
  1. from the Admin/Configuration/Portfolios module
  2. or from the popup in the Requirements and value brought section of your project sheets, by clicking on Modify list then Configure .

When you create your Project, it automatically inherits the axes described as "Default" in your Configuration.
By clicking on Modify the list, you can add or remove axes as required.

You can then proceed to evaluate the axes :

For each axis :
  1. Impact: qualify the impact with a rating from 1 to 5 : 
    1. In the case of negative factors, a high score means a strong negative impact.
    2. If an area does not make sense in the Project context, you can either score it with the minimum value, or leave it blank.
  2. Comment: add an explanatory comment to this rating
You have 2 possible strategies for defining the axes :
  1. either you have N axis you want to evaluate in all your projects : in this case, you need to define them as "Default" in your configuration so that they will be added automatically to each project creation
  2. or you have a fairly large axis index: in that case, don't define them as "Default": axis won't be added at Project creation. You will have to select manually the relevant axes for your Project.

Calculating the value score

The value score calculation is available in the detailed view of the Project portfolio. It is a way of establishing a score by cross-referencing the value of each project with an Arbitration strategy.
In the Projects Review, for example, you can filter your projects to arbitrate and activate the Display score toggle on the right of the table:



      
In the detailed table of your projects, you will find in the columns your value axes qualified as Assets in your Configuration, and the valuation achieved in your Project sheets.
Clicking on a score opens the popup allowing you to view the details and, if necessary, modify the data.
En dernière colonne du tableau apparait la colonne de Score.

A score is a numerical transposition of the project value assessment. It is contextual and linked to your Arbitration strategy.
Depending on the moment or the authority, you will want to give priority to projects that generate the most value on one axis rather than another.

This setting is made via the Configuration popup to the right of the score toggle :

      
       
      
On the left-hand side are the value axis. This allows you to weight each axis with respect to the others, giving priority to one dimension over another.
For each value axis, fill in a positive value. If you fill in the value 0, the axis will be ignored in the equation.

On the right-hand side, you can specify how to consider axis that have not been filled in.
How is the score calculated?
A Project's score is: (the weighted sum of the value axes) x (the product of the positive factors) / (the product of the negative factors).

Illustrations

You can start with a very simple configuration. For example :
  1. A "Profit" Value axis
  2. An "Effort" negative factor axis
To apply the "RICE" method, configure your axis as follows:
  1. An "Impact" Value axis
  2. A positive "Reach" Factor axis
  3. A positive "Confidence" Factor axis
  4. A negative "Effort" factor axis
A classic scheme is to focus on the company's major challenges:
  1. A "1st Challenge" Value axis (e.g.: Sales development)
  2. A "2nd Challenge" value axis (e.g. Compliance)
  3. A "3rd Challenge" value axis (e.g. international development)
  4. A "4th Challenge" value axis (e.g. cost reduction)
As an option, you can add positive and negative factors to take into account feasibility / risks /cost elements.

The client and/or sponsor can describe the requirement, explain the expected benefits and highlight the value drivers.
The Project team will be able to assess the positive and negative factors.

To carry out the Fiscal year and obtain usable results, it is important to define the evaluation rules so that projects are evaluated in a consistent and therefore comparable manner. For example, for a negative cost factor, define a scale: 1 for €1k to €10k, 2 for €10k to €50k, etc.

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