What is Priority in ITSM | Types with examples

 

In ITSM, priority is a ranking assigned to an IT incident, problem, or service request based on its impact and urgency. The priority level determines the order in which the IT team will address and resolve the issue. 

Here are some examples of priority levels and how they might be assigned:

1. Priority 1 (P1): Critical - A P1 issue is the highest priority and requires immediate attention. Examples of P1 issues might include:

· A server outage that is affecting multiple business-critical applications

· A security breach that has compromised sensitive customer data

· A network connectivity issue that is preventing users from accessing critical systems

· A major software bug that is causing data loss or system crashes

2. Priority 2 (P2): High - A P2 issue is also critical but may not require immediate attention. Examples of P2 issues might include:

· A hardware failure that is impacting a single department or system

· A software glitch that is causing delays but does not affect critical business operations

· A service request for urgent access to a system or application

3. Priority 3 (P3): Medium - A P3 issue has a moderate impact on the business and requires attention, but is not as urgent as P1 or P2 issues. Examples of P3 issues might include:

· A software issue that is affecting a single user or department

· A service request for minor configuration changes

· A system performance issue that is not causing significant business disruption

4. Priority 4 (P4): Low - A P4 issue has minimal impact on the business and can wait for resolution until after higher priority issues are addressed. Examples of P4 issues might include:

· A request for a new software application or hardware device that is not business-critical

· A user request for a password reset or other routine IT task

· A minor software bug that is not causing significant business disruption

By assigning priority levels to IT incidents, problems, and service requests, IT teams can ensure that they allocate their resources and efforts efficiently and effectively to resolve issues in the most optimal way possible.