ValueCast — Backlog Prioritisation by Value Score

ValueCast ranks your Azure DevOps backlog by a value model you control — WSJF, RICE, ICE, or your own weighted formula. Scores write directly to any ADO field on sync. Stop arguing about backlog order in meetings. Let the maths decide.

See it in action

Score any work item with sliders and watch the value score and backlog rank update live. With auto-sync on, the score writes straight to your ADO field — no save, no export.

The problem with backlogs

Every team has one. Almost none are ordered by actual value.

Items drift to the top because someone was loud in the last sprint review. Technical debt tickets sit at the bottom forever. Nobody can explain why item 47 is ranked above item 12. Portfolio reviews become political rather than data-driven.

ValueCast fixes this. It gives every backlog item a score based on criteria your team agrees on — and keeps that score live in ADO so it flows into every report, query, and dashboard you already have.

How it works

1. Choose your value model
Start from WSJF (SAFe), RICE (Intercom), ICE, or build your own from scratch. Each parameter is either a value input or a cost input. Weight them however your organisation thinks about value.

2. Score your items
Click any work item. Drag the sliders. ValueCast computes the score (0–100) live as you move them — and shows the item's rank across your entire backlog in real time. Auto-sync writes the score to ADO immediately so you're never out of date.

3. Watch the backlog order itself
Items re-rank automatically as scores change. The highest-value, lowest-effort items float to the top. Teams stop debating and start shipping the right things.

Value models built in

WSJF — Weighted Shortest Job First

The SAFe standard. Scores items on Business value, Time criticality, Risk reduction / Opportunity enablement divided by Job size. The canonical framework for scaled agile organisations.

RICE — Reach · Impact · Confidence · Effort

The Intercom framework. Great for product teams who want to quantify how many users an item affects, how deeply, with a confidence weight to keep optimistic estimates honest.

ICE — Impact · Confidence · Ease

The lightweight three-input model. Fast to score, no denominator complexity. Perfect for teams new to value scoring who want to start in minutes.

Value vs Effort

The minimal 2-axis model. Pure signal, minimum friction. Value over Effort — nothing else.

Fully custom

Rename any parameter. Change descriptions. Add parameters. Delete parameters. Set any weight. Toggle any parameter between Value and Cost roles. The formula updates live as you edit.

Org · Project · Team scoping

Value models inherit down the hierarchy — define once at Org level, override at Project level, override again at Team level. Teams with different priorities (regulatory vs product vs engineering) can each have their own model without affecting anyone else.

Writes to any ADO field

By default, scores write to Microsoft.VSTS.Common.BusinessValue — the native ADO Business Value field that already appears in backlogs, queries, and reports. You can point it at any field: StackRank, Priority, Custom.ValueScore, or any custom field your organisation has created.

Change it in Settings in 10 seconds.

Filters and columns

Filter the backlog by Type, State, Team, Assigned, or Tags before scoring so you can focus a session — "score all the Regulatory items for the Sensor team" in one pass. Show or hide columns (State, Team, Assigned, Tags, Points, △ Rank) to match your workflow.

Auto-sync vs Manual sync

Auto-sync (default): every slider move writes to ADO immediately. Scores are never stale. The live rank position updates in real time as you score.

Manual sync: batch all writes with a single Sync button. Useful in organisations with strict ADO write policies or where you want to review scores before committing.

Switch modes in Settings at any time — no data is lost.

Dark and light mode

Full dark mode and light mode support, switched in one click. Persisted to your browser so the app opens in your preferred theme every time.

Pricing

No credit card required to get started. The trial is issued automatically — just install and go.

Requirements

• Azure DevOps Services (cloud)
• Any work item process template (Agile, Scrum, CMMI, custom)
• No additional infrastructure required — runs entirely inside your ADO environment

Azure DevOps Server (on-premises) is not supported.

Permissions

ValueCast requests the minimum scopes needed:

Getting started

1. Install ValueCast from the Marketplace
2. Navigate to Boards → ValueCast in your project
3. Click ··· → Value model to choose your scoring framework
4. Click any backlog item and drag the sliders
5. Watch your backlog re-rank in real time

First scores take about 2 minutes per item. Once your model is set, re-scoring after a sprint review takes less time than the meeting itself.

From the team at outcomemet

ValueCast is built by the same team behind OutcomeMap — the OKR and portfolio management extension for Azure DevOps. We built ValueCast because prioritisation was the most common request we heard: "OutcomeMap is great for the roadmap, but how do we get the right things into the backlog in the first place?"

ValueCast answers that question.

Questions? Feedback? support@outcomemet.co.uk