1 Define major incidents

A major incident is any event that causes or threatens to cause significant disruption to your IT services, operations, or reputation. It may affect a large number of users, systems, or processes, or have a high potential for escalation or negative consequences. A major incident requires urgent attention and coordination from multiple teams and stakeholders, and often involves a higher level of communication and reporting than a normal incident.

2 Use a priority matrix

One way to prioritize major incidents in a management tool is to use a priority matrix. A priority matrix is a framework that helps you assign a priority level to each incident based on two criteria: impact and urgency. Impact refers to how much damage or loss the incident causes to your business or customers, and urgency refers to how quickly the incident needs to be resolved or contained. You can use a simple 2x2 matrix with four quadrants: high impact/high urgency, high impact/low urgency, low impact/high urgency, and low impact/low urgency. The higher the impact and urgency, the higher the priority.

3 Follow a major incident process

Another way to prioritize major incidents in a management tool is to follow a major incident process. A major incident process is a set of steps and roles that guide you through the lifecycle of a major incident, from detection and classification to resolution and review. A major incident process usually involves four phases: preparation, response, recovery, and learning. Each phase has specific tasks, responsibilities, and deliverables that help you manage the incident effectively and efficiently. A major incident process also helps you align your priorities with your business objectives and stakeholder expectations.

4 Choose a suitable tool

When it comes to prioritizing major incidents in a management tool, it’s important to choose one that suits your needs and preferences. There are many tools available that offer different features and functionalities for major incident management. Factors to consider when choosing a tool include integration, automation, collaboration, and customization. Integration involves how well the tool integrates with existing IT systems and how easily it can exchange data. Automation refers to how much the tool automates or simplifies tasks and workflows involved in major incident management. Collaboration measures how well the tool facilitates communication and coordination among teams and stakeholders. Customization determines how much the tool allows you to configure settings, parameters, and options for major incident management. By using a priority matrix, following a major incident process, and choosing a suitable tool, you can improve decision making, efficiency, and effectiveness in managing major incidents.

5 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?