Rod is the founder of PRD Software, and loves to code, write, play guitar, hit tennis balls hard, and everything to do with helpdesk, …
Impact / Urgency Priority Matrix
Enter the matrix!
In the fast-paced world of IT Service Management (ITSM), not all issues are created equal — and they certainly shouldn’t be treated that way. That’s where the Impact/Urgency Matrix comes in. This essential tool helps IT teams quickly and consistently determine the priority of incidents, service requests, and problems, ensuring the right issues are addressed at the right time.
By analyzing two core factors — impact (how many people or systems are affected) and urgency (how fast a resolution is needed) — the matrix provides a structured way to assign priority levels. This systematic approach supports effective resource allocation, aligns with ITIL best practices, and helps teams meet their Service Level Agreements (SLAs) with confidence.
The deterministic approach for arriving at a priority can be implemented within software, or simply via a lookup table implemented as a card sitting on a desk. Over the years, I’ve seen both…as well as others! The important thing is that there is some mechanism in place to arrive at an agreed priority for a given impact/urgency.
Key Definitions
An important part of working with an Impact/Urgency/Priority matrix is that everyone on the team is aware of, and understands the terminology and its associated meaning in the context of service delivery. This is where frameworks such as ITIL may be useful:
- Impact: The extent of the disruption — e.g., how many users or business functions are affected.
- Urgency: The time sensitivity — how quickly it needs to be resolved to avoid further disruption.
- Priority: A derived value that determines how quickly the issue should be addressed, often linked to SLA targets.
A Simple Priority Matrix
Here’s a basic 3x3 matrix using three levels of impact and urgency. Despite the simplicity, it resolves into four distinct priority levels:
| Impact ↓ / Urgency → | Low | Medium | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low | Low | Medium | Medium |
| Medium | Medium | Medium | High |
| High | Medium | High | Critical |
Impact Levels:
- High – Affects the entire organization or critical services
- Medium – Affects a department or major user group
- Low – Affects a single user or non-critical system
Urgency Levels:
- High – Work cannot proceed; immediate resolution required
- Medium – Work is degraded; timely resolution needed
- Low – Minor inconvenience; can be scheduled
Scaling Up: An Enterprise-Grade Matrix
Larger organizations often need more granularity. A 5x5 matrix offers finer control, while still resolving to the same four core priority levels:
| Impact ↓ / Urgency → | Low | Normal | Urgent | Very Urgent | Immediate / Critical |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Negligible | Low | Low | Medium | Medium | High |
| Minor / Individual | Low | Medium | Medium | High | High |
| Moderate / Workgroup | Medium | Medium | High | High | Critical |
| Significant / Departmental | Medium | High | High | Critical | Critical |
| Extensive / Enterprise | High | High | Critical | Critical | Critical |
Why It Matters
Implementing a priority matrix — whether simple or enterprise-level — brings clarity and consistency to your service desk operations. It enables teams to:
- Make informed, repeatable prioritization decisions
- Meet SLA obligations more reliably
- Focus on what matters most to the business
- Improve customer satisfaction by addressing critical issues faster
Configure an Impact/Urgency/Priority Matrix in HelpMaster
If you’re using or considering HelpMaster, this matrix can be integrated into your workflow logic to drive smarter, faster ticket resolution.
For ideas on how to implement a custom Impact/Urgency/Priority in HelpMaster using standard features, refer to Configuring HelpMaster for an Impact Urgency Priority Matrix