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Priority System

Our priority system follows a structured approach that combines urgency with task type (bugs vs features). This ensures critical issues are addressed quickly while maintaining a clear roadmap for feature development.

Understanding Response vs Resolution Time​

Two Critical Metrics:

  1. Time to First Response - How quickly we acknowledge the customer

    • Rule: Acknowledge ALL customer requests within 24 hours, regardless of priority
    • This lets the customer know we received their message and are working on it
    • Should include initial assessment and expected resolution timeframe

  2. Time to Resolution - How quickly we completely fix the issue

    • Varies by priority level (see below)
    • Measured from initial report to deployed fix
    • Used for SLA tracking and dashboard metrics

Priority Levels​

P0 - Outage​

Highest Priority - Immediate Action Required

Critical system failures that affect all users or core functionality. Drop everything to address these.

Examples:

  • Complete application downtime
  • Data loss or corruption
  • Security breaches
  • Payment processing failures

Time to First Response: Immediate (within 15 minutes) Time to Resolution: Within 4 hours

P1 - Bug Urgent​

Critical Bug - Same Day Resolution

Severe bugs affecting significant functionality or user experience. These prevent users from completing critical tasks.

Examples:

  • Login failures for most users
  • Critical feature completely broken
  • Data sync failures
  • Major UI breakage preventing core workflows

Time to First Response: Within 2 hours Time to Resolution: Same day (within 24 hours)

P2 - Feat Up Urgent​

Urgent Feature Request

Important features needed urgently for business reasons (client commitments, competitive pressure, contractual obligations).

Examples:

  • Client-committed feature with deadline
  • Competitive feature gap causing churn
  • Regulatory compliance requirement

Time to First Response: Within 24 hours Time to Resolution: Within 2-3 days

P3 - Bug High​

High Priority Bug

Important bugs that impact user experience but have workarounds. Should be fixed soon but not emergency status.

Examples:

  • Feature partially working
  • UI inconsistencies affecting usability
  • Performance degradation
  • Edge case failures

Time to First Response: Within 24 hours Time to Resolution: Within 1 week

P4 - Feat Up High​

High Priority Feature

Important features aligned with roadmap and business strategy. Should be scheduled in near-term sprints.

Examples:

  • Major roadmap features
  • High-value user requests
  • Strategic competitive features

Time to First Response: Within 24 hours Time to Resolution: Within 2-4 weeks

P5 - Feat Request​

Feature Request

New feature ideas that need evaluation and prioritization. May or may not be implemented depending on strategic fit.

Examples:

  • User suggestions
  • Nice-to-have improvements
  • Enhancement ideas
  • Exploratory features

Time to First Response: Within 24 hours Time to Resolution: Evaluated quarterly (no guaranteed timeline)

P6 - Bug Medium​

Medium Priority Bug

Minor bugs with minimal impact. Fix when convenient or batch with related work.

Examples:

  • Minor UI glitches
  • Cosmetic issues
  • Rare edge cases
  • Minor inconsistencies

Time to First Response: Within 24 hours Time to Resolution: Within 4-6 weeks

P7 - Feat Up Medium​

Medium Priority Feature

Useful features but not critical. Schedule when capacity allows.

Examples:

  • Quality of life improvements
  • Secondary features
  • Optimization work

Time to First Response: Within 24 hours Time to Resolution: 1-3 months

P8 - Bug Low​

Low Priority Bug

Trivial bugs that have minimal impact. Fix opportunistically or leave as-is.

Examples:

  • Visual inconsistencies in rare scenarios
  • Very minor text issues
  • Harmless quirks

Time to First Response: Within 24 hours Time to Resolution: As time permits (no guaranteed timeline)

P9 - Feat Up Low​

Low Priority Feature

Low-value features. Consider for future roadmap but not actively planned.

Examples:

  • Minor enhancements
  • Low-impact improvements
  • Speculative features

Time to First Response: Within 24 hours Time to Resolution: No specific timeline

!!! - Special Marker​

Requires Attention

Not a priority level but a marker for items needing discussion, clarification, or special handling.

Used for:

  • Blocked items
  • Needs more information
  • Requires stakeholder decision
  • Unclear requirements

How to Use This System​

Assigning Priorities​

  1. Identify the type: Is it a bug or feature request?
  2. Assess impact: How many users are affected? How severely?
  3. Consider urgency: Are there time constraints or deadlines?
  4. Assign priority: Use the grid above to select appropriate level

Priority Guidelines​

  • P0-P1: Interrupt current work
  • P2-P4: Schedule in current/next sprint
  • P5-P7: Backlog for future sprints
  • P8-P9: Nice to have, no commitment

When to Escalate​

Move items up in priority when:

  • User impact increases
  • Workarounds stop working
  • Business context changes
  • Deadlines approach

When to De-prioritize​

Move items down when:

  • Workarounds are found
  • Impact was overestimated
  • Business priorities shift
  • Better alternatives emerge

Monday.com Tagging and Dashboard Tracking​

Required Tags for All Tasks​

Every task in Monday.com must be tagged with its priority level for proper tracking and dashboard reporting.

Priority Tags:

  • P0-Outage
  • P1-Bug-Urgent
  • P2-Feat-Up-Urgent
  • P3-Bug-High
  • P4-Feat-Up-High
  • P5-Feat-Request
  • P6-Bug-Medium
  • P7-Feat-Up-Medium
  • P8-Bug-Low
  • P9-Feat-Up-Low
  • !!!-Attention

Metrics Tracked by Priority​

The dashboard automatically tracks these metrics for each priority level:

Response Time Metrics​

  • Time to First Response - From task creation to first team response
  • Percentage Meeting SLA - Tasks that received first response within target time

Resolution Time Metrics​

  • Time to Resolution - From task creation to "Done" status
  • Average Resolution Time by Priority - Helps identify process bottlenecks
  • Percentage Meeting Resolution SLA - Tasks resolved within target timeframe

Volume Metrics​

  • Tasks Created by Priority - Track incoming work distribution
  • Tasks Resolved by Priority - Track team capacity and focus
  • Open Tasks by Priority - Current backlog health
  • Tasks in Each Stage by Priority - Workflow bottleneck identification

Dashboard Views​

Executive Dashboard​

  • Total tasks by priority (pie chart)
  • SLA compliance rates (bar chart)
  • Average resolution time trends (line chart)
  • Current backlog by priority (stacked bar)

Operations Dashboard​

  • Tasks by stage and priority (matrix view)
  • Time in stage by priority (heatmap)
  • Overdue tasks by priority (alert list)
  • Team velocity by priority (trend chart)

Customer Success Dashboard​

  • Response time compliance (gauge)
  • Open P0-P2 tasks (critical list)
  • Resolution rate trends (line chart)
  • Customer-facing task status (kanban)

Setting Up Tags in Monday.com​

  1. Create Tag Column: Add a "Priority" column (type: Tags/Labels)
  2. Configure Tag List: Add all priority tags from the list above
  3. Apply Color Coding:
    • P0-P1: Red
    • P2-P4: Orange
    • P5-P7: Yellow
    • P8-P9: Gray
    • !!!: Purple
  4. Make Required: Set "Priority" column as mandatory field
  5. Add to Automation: Auto-tag based on board/group if applicable

Tagging Best Practices​

  1. Tag Immediately: Apply priority tag when task is created
  2. Update on Change: If priority changes, update tag immediately
  3. Single Priority: Each task should have exactly one priority tag
  4. Audit Regularly: Review untagged tasks weekly
  5. Train Team: Ensure all team members understand tagging system

Integration with Monday.com Workflow​

Priority determines the order in the backlog. Combined with the stage-based workflow, priorities ensure:

  1. P0-P1 items jump to the front of the backlog immediately
  2. P2-P4 items are pulled in priority order from the backlog
  3. REOPEN tasks trump even P0 (fix broken before building new)
  4. Team pulls highest priority "Ready for Dev" items

The priority tags enable dashboard tracking while the workflow stages ensure smooth execution. Together they provide:

  • Visibility: Know what's being worked on and why
  • Accountability: Track SLA compliance automatically
  • Data-Driven Decisions: Use metrics to optimize process
  • Quality Control: Ensure critical issues get proper attention