Often a product is made up of multiple needs that, taken individually, it is difficult for us to determine whether it provides value or not, or to what degree. Or if the user simply values ​​it in the same way as we do.

The Product Owner has several tools available to classify the list of needs in a way that makes it a little easier for him to make decisions regarding prioritization. Here we present one of these tools called: KANO Model

Where does it apply?

The KANO model applies to all those sessions of identification, classification and prioritization of needs

Description of the tool and necessary tools

The KANO model presents a diagram that highlights two useful aspects when carrying out a classification and prioritization of needs:

Customer satisfaction: This variable attempts to provide a value on how critical the specific need is from the user’s perspective. Degree of need: This variable attempts to provide a value on how this need responds to or covers necessary aspects of the business and the product

With these two variables we can draw a grid from which to locate our needs. Initially, our grid looks like the following:

This provision guides us on three areas from which our needs can be located:

• Mandatory quality: The needs located in this area are all those in which users determine that the product does not respond to critical needs without considering the elements located in this area.
• Desired quality: The needs located in this area correspond to all those that give meaning to a product considered “quality”. That not only responds to critical needs, but goes further and provides complete solutions to the business
• Attractive (or surprising) quality: The needs located in this area correspond to those needs that were probably not located by users, but that give a plus of quality to the product

In addition, in the graph we can find a small area that corresponds to the horizontal of satisfaction, called indifferent quality or indifference. The needs located in this area do not provide special value to the final product from the perspective of users

Estimated time for this activity

This activity, like all those related to the classification and prioritization of needs, does not have an estimated time. In addition, we must be aware that, most likely, it will not be enough with a single session, since the list of needs is a living element in the project.

In any case, and as a recommendation, it is advisable to propose these sessions as activities that do not exceed two hours in duration, and that do not deal with an excessive number of needs. Both the excess of time and elements to be discussed can cause a feeling of low control in the attendees.

How does it work?

Once the session has started, attendees are informed about the objectives of the session (prioritization of needs), and a presentation of the needs to be classified is made. For each of them, a turn is established for explanation and resolution of doubts or debate, in order to ensure that all attendees align their expectations about the need in question.

Subsequently, either at the end of the explanation turn for a need, or when all the explanations have been completed, they are placed on the grid in the following way:

1. The need will be placed higher or lower on the grid taking into account the user’s degree of satisfaction with having this need available in the product
2. The need will be placed further to the left or further to the right of the grid taking into account the value of the same need for the product or for the continuity of the business

Thus we can have an image similar to this:

Where can we get more information about this activity?

Model KANO a la wikipèdia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kano_model)

What is the KANO model? product plan.com (https://www.productplan.com/glossary/kano-model/)

Modelo de KANO economipedia.com (https://economipedia.com/definiciones/modelo-de-kano.html)

References

Download the documento (CAT)