# Set severity levels and escalation paths for operational problems

A clear severity matrix with response times, who to call, and when to escalate, so problems reach the right person fast.

- Topic: Projects & Operations
- Framework: Few-Shot
- Level: Standard
- Tags: Fill-in Template
- Source: https://www.thinkwithprompt.com/prompts/set-severity-levels-and-escalation-paths-for-operational-problems

## Prompt

```text
Help me create a severity and escalation matrix for operational problems in my area.

**Operation:** [WHAT WE DO - e.g. "regional distribution center", "field service team", "back-office claims processing"]
**Types of problems we hit:** [e.g. equipment failure, system outage, missed shipments, staffing gaps, safety events, customer complaints]
**What we measure impact by:** [e.g. orders delayed, customers affected, revenue at risk, safety, regulatory exposure]
**People and roles available:** [supervisors, on-call manager, maintenance, IT, site leader, executive]
**Hours of operation and on-call setup:** [DETAILS]

Build:
1. Severity levels (3-4), each with a plain definition and concrete examples from my operation, so two people would classify the same problem the same way.
2. A matrix: severity | who must be told | how (call, text, ticket) | within how long | who leads the response | update frequency.
3. Triggers to escalate up a level (e.g. not resolved within X, impact grows, safety involved) and to downgrade.
4. A short "what to include when you escalate" template.
5. Common failure modes to avoid (silent escalation, everyone gets paged, nobody owns it) and how this design prevents them.

Safety incidents should always follow our legal reporting duties and safety policy; mark where those apply with [CHECK SAFETY POLICY].
```

## What to fill in

- DETAILS
- CHECK SAFETY POLICY

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