100-Dollar Test (Cumulative Voting)
The 100-Dollar Test, also known as Cumulative Voting, is a requirements prioritization technique that involves stakeholders distributing a fixed budget (typically represented as 100 units of currency) across a set of requirements. Each stakeholder "spends" their allocated budget on the requirements they value most, assigning more "money" to higher-priority items. This method quantifies the perceived value of each requirement from the stakeholders' perspectives. By aggregating the amounts allocated to each requirement, the project team can rank the requirements based on their total "investment." The requirements receiving the most funds are considered the highest priority. The advantages of the 100-Dollar Test include: - **Stakeholder Engagement**: It actively involves stakeholders in the prioritization process, ensuring their needs and preferences are considered. - **Quantitative Data**: Provides a measurable way to gauge the importance of each requirement. - **Conflict Resolution**: Helps in resolving differences by highlighting which requirements have the highest overall value to the group. To implement this technique, each stakeholder is given an imaginary budget of 100 units. They cannot exceed this budget, forcing them to make trade-offs and think critically about what is most important. The collected data is then analyzed to prioritize the requirements accordingly. This method is especially useful when dealing with a diverse group of stakeholders with varying interests. It democratizes the prioritization process, giving equal weight to each participant's input. However, it's important to ensure that all stakeholders understand the requirements thoroughly to make informed decisions. In conclusion, the 100-Dollar Test is an effective tool for prioritizing requirements based on stakeholder value assessment. It leverages quantitative input to guide decision-making and helps ensure that the most valuable requirements are addressed first, aligning the project deliverables with stakeholder expectations.
Requirements Prioritization Techniques: The 100-Dollar Test (Cumulative Voting)
Why the 100-Dollar Test Is Important
The 100-Dollar Test, also known as Cumulative Voting, is a critical requirements prioritization technique in business analysis. Its importance stems from:
• It provides a simple, intuitive way to prioritize requirements when dealing with multiple stakeholders
• It forces stakeholders to make trade-offs, revealing their true priorities
• It helps allocate limited resources effectively
• It creates a quantifiable method to compare the relative importance of different requirements
• It's particularly useful when rapid prioritization is needed
What Is the 100-Dollar Test?
The 100-Dollar Test is a prioritization technique where stakeholders are given a fixed resource (typically represented as 100 dollars) to allocate across various requirements or features. This approach:
• Belongs to the family of relative prioritization methods
• Is sometimes called Cumulative Voting or Dot Voting
• Creates a clear visual representation of priorities
• Results in a rank-ordered list based on stakeholder voting
• Helps resolve conflicts between competing requirements
How the 100-Dollar Test Works
Step 1: Identify all requirements that need prioritization
Step 2: Give each stakeholder 100 points (dollars) to distribute
Step 3: Stakeholders allocate their dollars across requirements based on perceived value
Step 4: Sum up the dollars assigned to each requirement
Step 5: Rank requirements in descending order based on total dollars received
Key Rules:
• All 100 dollars must be spent
• Stakeholders can distribute dollars as they see fit (e.g., all 100 on one requirement or spread across many)
• The more dollars assigned, the higher the priority
Example:
Imagine a product with five potential features:
• User authentication: 250 dollars
• Reporting dashboard: 175 dollars
• Mobile compatibility: 300 dollars
• Data export: 125 dollars
• Admin controls: 150 dollars
Based on this vote from multiple stakeholders, Mobile compatibility would be the highest priority feature.
Exam Tips: Answering Questions on 100-Dollar Test
Key Concepts to Remember:
• Fixed Resource Allocation: Questions may test if you understand that stakeholders have a fixed number of points (typically 100)
• Relative Importance: Recognize that the technique measures relative, not absolute, importance
• Mathematical Calculations: Be prepared to calculate final priority rankings based on stakeholder allocations
• Advantages: Know that benefits include simplicity, forced prioritization, and quantifiable results
• Limitations: Be aware that drawbacks include potential for strategic voting and difficulty with large requirement sets
Common Question Types:
1. Calculation Questions: These ask you to determine final priorities based on multiple stakeholders' allocations
2. Scenario Questions: These present a situation and ask when the 100-Dollar Test would be appropriate
3. Comparison Questions: These ask you to contrast the 100-Dollar Test with other prioritization techniques like MoSCoW or Kano Analysis
4. Process Questions: These test your understanding of how to properly implement the technique
Tips for Exam Success:
• Pay attention to the total points allocated to ensure they equal the required amount (usually 100 per stakeholder)
• Look for questions about handling ties in dollar allocation
• Understand that higher dollar amounts indicate higher priority
• Remember this technique works best with a manageable number of requirements (typically fewer than 20)
• Be able to explain when to use this technique versus other prioritization methods
In PMP or PMI-PBA exams, the 100-Dollar Test may appear in questions about stakeholder engagement, requirements management, or prioritization techniques within the planning process groups.
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