Order IT initiatives by value and available capacity

Make the choice explainable

A project list becomes a work plan through decisions. For each initiative, describe the business problem it should solve, who uses the result and how an improvement would be recognised. “Build a portal” names a solution, not an established benefit.

Also record prerequisites and the need for specific roles. Microsoft connects data-initiative priorities with business goals, feasibility and dependencies. Applying this to a small IT work list below is our editorial example, not a requirement for a particular platform.

Example with limited capacity

All initiatives and effort figures are fictional. The planning window has a total of 6 person-days available from the appropriate specialists, with existing commitments already deducted. Effort includes the checking and handover needed in this example. These are not market prices or ASES project estimates.

In this example, 3 + 2 = 5 person-days, leaving 1 out of 6. That remainder is not automatically an adequate risk buffer. Person-days are effort, not a promised calendar duration. Approvals, absences and different skills may change the schedule.

Record deferrals and unresolved assumptions

This does not classify the portal as unimportant. Its value may justify additional capacity or a different scope. Starting still requires clarity on both prerequisites and available capacity. Microsoft shows how dependencies can affect sequencing during inventory planning.

For each decision, record the owner, unresolved assumption and reason for the next review. If approval does not arrive in time, adjust the allocation. An urgent operational fault or changed priority may also change the sequence. Reassess the affected initiatives together rather than quietly adding more work to the same period.

Sources

• Microsoft: Planning and prioritizing data initiatives

• Microsoft: Workload inventory and dependencies