Priority based on impact and urgency is a method for automatically calculating the priority of each ticket from two values: impact, meaning how many users or services are affected, and urgency, or how long the solution can wait. It is summarized in the formula P = I x U and applied through a matrix that assigns a priority to each combination. This way, priority does not depend on who logs the ticket. The sections below explain how the matrix works and how it is configured in ServiceTonic.
What is priority based on impact and urgency?
Each incident affects the organization differently, and priority is what decides the order in which incidents are handled. Instead of entering the priority manually, this method calculates it from two values:
- Impact (I): the scope of the incident, meaning how many users, services or processes are affected.
- Urgency (U): how quickly the business needs a solution.
Combining the two gives the priority (P = I x U). This is the method recommended by ITIL best practices for incident management.
What are the benefits of calculating priority automatically?
- A single standard: all tickets are prioritized with the same rules, regardless of who logs them or how the problem is described.
- Less logging time: the technician enters the impact and urgency, and the system calculates the priority.
- Consistent SLAs: since priority determines response and resolution deadlines, each ticket gets the SLA it should have.
- Reliable reports: metrics by priority reflect the actual state of the service.
What does an impact and urgency matrix look like?
The matrix assigns a priority to each combination of impact and urgency. This is an example with three levels for each value and four priority levels:
| Urgency/Impact | High | Medium | Low |
|---|---|---|---|
| High | Critical | High | Medium |
| Medium | High | Medium | Low |
| Low | Medium | Low | Low |
Each organization can adjust the levels and combinations to the way it works. The criteria for defining them, with an example of a sorted ticket queue, are explained in how to prioritize support tickets.
How is priority based on impact and urgency configured in ServiceTonic?
In ServiceTonic, the formula P = I x U is applied through automations. Prioritization rules are created in:
Administration / Service Desk / Field management -> Automations
The rules define which priority corresponds to each combination of impact and urgency, following the chosen matrix. From then on, when a ticket is logged with its impact and urgency, the priority is calculated automatically.
Examples: what priority does each ticket get?
Applying the matrix above:
| Ticket | Impact | Urgency | Calculated priority |
|---|---|---|---|
| The ERP is down for all users | High | High | Critical |
| A sales team cannot access the CRM before a presentation | Medium | High | High |
| A printer on one floor fails, but another one is available | Medium | Low | Low |
| A user asks to change the corporate desktop wallpaper | Low | Low | Low |
What sets ServiceTonic apart in priority calculation?
In ServiceTonic, the impact and urgency matrix is configured without programming, through automations that each organization adapts to its own levels. The calculated priority is connected to the SLAs, assignment rules and dashboards of the incident management software, so each ticket gets its deadlines and owner from the moment it is logged. All of this is aligned with ITIL best practices.
Frequently asked questions
What does P = I x U mean?
It is the formula that summarizes how priority is calculated: priority (P) results from combining impact (I), meaning the scope of the incident, and urgency (U), or how long the solution can wait. In practice, it is applied through a matrix that assigns a priority to each combination.
What is the difference between impact and urgency?
Impact measures how many users, services or processes an incident affects. Urgency measures how long its resolution can wait. An incident can affect many users and not be urgent, or affect just one user and be very urgent.
How many levels of impact and urgency should be used?
The usual number is three for each (high, medium and low), which combined give four priority levels: critical, high, medium and low. More levels make the choice harder without improving the result.
Why not enter the priority manually?
Because it depends on each person’s judgment: two technicians may assign different priorities to the same problem. Calculating it from impact and urgency gives a consistent result and makes it possible to apply the right SLAs.
Where is priority based on impact and urgency configured in ServiceTonic?
In Administration / Service Desk / Field management -> Automations, where the prioritization rules are created.
Conclusion
When priority is calculated from impact and urgency, the discussion moves elsewhere. The question is no longer the priority of each ticket, but how much impact a problem really has and how long it can wait. Those two questions have more objective answers than “is this urgent?”, which is why the matrix works better the more clearly its levels are defined.
Would you like to see how priority is calculated automatically in ServiceTonic? Request a demo and see how to configure the impact and urgency matrix without programming.