PIE
Category: Marketing
What is PIE Priority Importance Effectiveness?
PIE Priority Importance Effectiveness is a prioritization method that helps individuals and organizations evaluate and classify tasks, projects or initiatives based on three key criteria: Priority (priority), Importance (importance) and Effectiveness (effectiveness).
This method is particularly useful in project management, product management and personal time management, as it provides a structured approach to making decisions about resource allocation.
The three components of PIE
PPriority (Priority)
How urgent is the execution of this task? The priority takes into account the time constraints and deadlines.
- Execution deadlines
- Time constraints
- Dependencies from other tasks
- External pressure
- Speed of results
Question for evaluation: “How urgent must this task be executed?”
IImportance
How important is this task for achieving strategic goals? Importance takes into account the long-term impact.
- Contribution to business goals
- Strategic value
- Impact on final results
- Value for interested parties
- Long-term benefits
Question for evaluation: “How important is this task for achieving our goals?”
EEffectiveness
How effective will the execution of this task be? Effectiveness takes into account the impact of the efforts.
- Return on investment
- Effect relative to the required efforts
- Impact on productivity
- Optimization of processes
- Saving time or resources
Question for evaluation: “How effective will the execution of this task be?”
Evaluation system: Scale from 1 to 10
1-3 Very low
Minimum priority/importance/effectiveness
4-5 Low
Low priority/importance/effectiveness
6-7 Medium
Moderate priority/importance/effectiveness
8-10 High
High priority/importance/effectiveness
PIE formula:
PIE Score = Priority × Importance × Effectiveness
The result varies between 1 and 1000
PIE prioritization matrix
- Critical priority: PIE: 700-1000
- High priority: PIE: 500-700
- Medium priority: PIE: 300-500
- Low priority: PIE: 100-200
- Very low priority: PIE: 1-50
Application process of the PIE method
- 1
Step 1: Identify the tasks
Create a complete list of all tasks, projects or initiatives that require attention. Make sure the tasks are specific and measurable.
- 2
Step 2: Evaluate each component
For each task, assign a rating from 1 to 10 for Priority, Importance and Effectiveness. Base your ratings on specific criteria and data.
- 3
Step 3: Calculate the PIE result
Multiply the three ratings to get the total PIE result: PIE = Priority × Importance × Effectiveness
- 4
Step 4: Sort and categorize
Sort the tasks by PIE result in descending order. Categorize them into groups according to their priority (high, medium, low).
- 5
Step 5: Allocate resources
Based on the PIE results, allocate resources (time, people, budget) according to the priority of the tasks.
- 6
Step 6: Plan and execute
Create an action plan, starting with the tasks with the highest PIE results. Regularly review and update the ratings.
Practical example: Prioritization of marketing campaigns
Campaign A: Launch a new product line
Priority: 9/10 - Must be launched before the competitive product
Importance: 8/10 - Critical for achieving annual revenue
Effectiveness: 7/10 - Good return on investment, but requires significant resources
PIE Score: 9 × 8 × 7 = 504
Campaign B: Improve SEO positioning
Priority: 6/10 - Important, but not urgent
Importance: 9/10 - Long-term value for organic traffic
Effectiveness: 8/10 - High return on investment, but requires moderate efforts
PIE Score: 6 × 9 × 8 = 432
Campaign C: Update the website design
Priority: 7/10 - Must be done this quarter
Importance: 6/10 - Improves user experience
Effectiveness: 5/10 - Moderate impact on investment
PIE Score: 7 × 6 × 5 = 210
Conclusion: Campaign A has the highest PIE result due to high urgency and importance, despite the lower effectiveness compared to Campaign B.
Advantages of the PIE method
- Holistic approach: Covers many aspects of prioritization
- Balance between short-term and long-term goals: Combines urgency (Priority) with strategic importance (Importance)
- Focus on effectiveness: Includes evaluation of the return on efforts
- Objectivity: Reduces the influence of emotional and subjective factors
- Flexibility: Can be adapted to different contexts and industries
- Easy communication: Simple concept, easy to explain to interested parties
- Better decision-making: Helps make more informed and balanced decisions
Limitations and challenges
- Subjectivity in ratings: Ratings still rely on human judgment
- Potential for bias: Participants may subconsciously influence the ratings
- Dynamic nature of priorities: Priorities can change quickly
- Over-reliance on numerical results: Numbers can create an illusion of accuracy
- Not all factors are considered: May miss important qualitative aspects
Recommendations for successful application:
- Include opinions from different interested parties
- Document the assumptions and criteria for evaluation
- Regular reviews and updates of the ratings
- Use PIE as one of several tools for decision-making
- Combine with other methods such as Eisenhower Matrix or MoSCoW
Comparison with other prioritization methods
| Method | Focus | Advantages | Suitable for |
|---|---|---|---|
| PIE | Priority, Importance, Effectiveness | Balanced, holistic, quantitative | Strategic planning, project management |
| Eisenhower Matrix | Urgency and importance | Simple, intuitive, visual | Personal time management, daily tasks |
| ICE | Impact, Confidence, Ease | Fast, focused on execution | Product management, software development |
| MoSCoW | Must, Should, Could, Won't | Categorical, easy to communicate | Requirement management, agile projects |
| Value vs Effort | Value and effort | Intuitive, focused on ROI | Portfolio management, project selection |