Best practices

1. Define context precisely

The more precisely you describe the project context (goal, constraints, previous attempts), the better the results. Invest 10 extra minutes here — it pays off in the quality of the problem map.

2. Engage the right stakeholders

Choose stakeholders with different perspectives: domain experts, decision-makers, those affected. Diversity in evaluation increases prioritization quality. 4–8 stakeholders is a good benchmark.

3. Leverage asynchronous phases

Give stakeholders enough time (2–3 days) to evaluate thoughtfully. Asynchronous contributions are often more profound than real-time answers in workshops.

4. Take scoring logic seriously

Scoring by impact, complexity, and urgency is the heart of the sprint. Make sure all stakeholders understand the criteria equally — a brief briefing beforehand helps.

5. Embed results into the decision process

The problem map is not an end in itself. Plan early how you'll bring the results into your steering committee, roadmap planning, or budget discussion.