This documentation supports the 21.05 version of BMC Helix ITSM: Change Management. To view an earlier version, select the version from the product version menu.

Impact, urgency, and priority criteria for change requests

Impact is a measure of the effect of an incident, problem, or change on business processes. Impact is often based on how service levels will be affected.

Urgency is a measure of how long it will be until an incident, problem, or change has a significant business impact. For example, a high impact incident may have low urgency if the impact will not affect the business until the end of the financial year.

Priority is a category that identifies the relative importance of an incident, problem, or change. Priority is based on impact and urgency, and it identifies required times for actions to be taken. Impact and urgency are used to assign priority.

Related topic

Configuring-change-prioritization

Impact criteria

The following table lists the criteria for determining the impact of a change and the approval actions needed to address the impact:

Impact

Description

Extensive

There is a significant business service impact because multiple customers are affected by the change. Considerable human and technical resources are needed. Management is involved in the decision process. The RFC must be discussed in the Change Advisory Board (CAB) meeting and approved by the change manager. The change manager seeks advice on change authorization and planning.

Significant

There is a clear service impact because at least one customer is affected by the change. The RFC must be discussed in the CAB meeting and approved by the change manager. The change manager seeks advice on authorization and planning.

Moderate

There is little impact on current services because no customers are affected as a result of the change. The change manager can authorize this RFC.

Minor

The change can be executed without prior approval from the change manager because no customers are affected by the change.

Impact is further categorized by the following factors:

  • Scope—Widespread, large, limited, or local
  • Number of customers affected—More than one, one, or none

Urgency criteria

The following table lists the criteria for determining the urgency of a change:

Urgency

Action needed

Critical

The change is immediately necessary to prevent severe business impact. Change approval is needed by the CAB or Emergency Committee (CAB/E-CAB).

High

The change is needed as soon as possible because of potentially damaging service impact.

Medium

The change will solve irritating problems or repair missing functionality. This change can be scheduled.

Low

The change will lead to improvements, changes in workflow, or configuration. This change can be scheduled.

Priority criteria

Priority identifies the RFC importance by correlating impact and urgency, as shown in the following table:


Urgency

Impact

Critical

High

Medium

Low

Extensive

1

1

2

4

Significant

1

2

3

4

Moderate

2

2

3

4

Minor

2

3

3

4

For example, if the impact is Extensive, and the urgency is Critical, the priority is 1.

 

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