Risks

Risks are the project’s register of threats. Each risk has a status, probability, impact, an owner and, optionally, a link to a task or milestone in the schedule. The register is on the project’s Risks tab, provided the Risks module is switched on for your organization (see Risk configuration) and ticked in the project (project menu, Functionalities; see Project functionalities).

Above the risk table is the Show matrix button (Hide matrix). The risk matrix is a probability-by-impact grid in which every cell shows the number of risks with that combination. It counts all risks of the project, closed ones included, regardless of the filter. Click a cell to set the table filter to that probability and impact. The browser remembers whether the matrix is shown.

The table can be narrowed with the filter: a word in the Filter by name box and a choice of Owner, Category, Impact and Probability. The browser remembers the filter, sorting and column layout separately for each project (see Risk list columns).

The tab is visible to users with a project permission for risks (View or Admin) and to risk owners, who see the project’s risks even without that permission. The Add button is available with the Admin permission. For permissions, see Project permissions.

Risk configuration

Configure the module in the main menu: System settings, Risks tab. The settings apply to the whole organization.

• The Enable / Disable switch turns the module on. Switching it off does not delete data; it only hides the Risks tab for all users.
• The Probability and Impact tabs hold the scales that the risk matrix is built from. A scale has from 2 to 10 values. The first value is the lowest and the last one the highest.
• The Risk categories tab holds a free list of categories to choose from in a risk.

Adding a value to a scale

1. Open the Probability or Impact tab.
2. Click Add.
3. In the Adding values to the scale window, enter the name and click Add.

The new value goes to the end of the scale, so it becomes the highest one. To change the order, drag a row by the handle on the left. Click a name to open the Editing scale values window, where you can rename the value.

Deleting a value from a scale

1. Click the value name, then the delete button in the Editing scale values window.
2. In the Delete scale value window, choose the replacement value (Are you sure you want to delete this value? Please choose a replacement for existing risks.).
3. Confirm.

Risks that had the deleted value get the replacement value. You can delete a value only if at least 2 values remain in the scale.

Risk categories

On the Risk categories tab, Add opens the Add category window, and clicking a name opens Edit category, where you can also delete the category. Deleting a category removes it from every risk that had it, without replacing it.

Adding a risk

1. Open the Risks tab in the project.
2. Click Add. The Add risk window opens.
3. Enter the name (required, up to 256 characters) and click Add.

The risk appears in the table and its panel opens on the right. A new risk gets the Identified status, the lowest Probability and the lowest Impact of the scales, and the current date as the Identification date. You fill in the other fields in the panel (see Risk panel).

You can also add a risk from the panel of a task or milestone: in the Risks section, click Add another risk. Such a risk is linked to that schedule item right away.

Risk panel

Click a risk name in the table to open its panel on the right. Close it with the x button in the top right corner. The panel contains:

• the name at the top,
• the Status (see Risk status), Probability and Impact fields — values from the scales defined in the settings,
• the Identification date — read-only,
• the Owner field — chosen from the project team, and it can be cleared,
• the Category and Schedule fields — the link to a schedule item (see Linking a risk to the schedule),
• the Description and action plan field with text formatting,
• the Impact section with the Schedule (days) and Budget fields (an amount in the project currency), each with a description, and a description of the impact on the Final product,
• attachments (files from your computer or from project files) and comments with mentions (see Comments and mentions).

Every change is saved automatically, after you press Enter or leave the field, and the Changes saved message appears. The name is required.

To delete a risk, choose Delete in the panel menu and confirm. Deletion cannot be undone. The option is available with the Admin permission for risks.

Users with the Admin permission for risks can change every field. A risk owner without that permission can change only the groups of fields that the project makes available to item owners (see Item owners). Everyone else sees the panel read-only.

Note: choosing an owner from outside the project team adds that person to the project with participant permissions and sends them a notification. The previous owner leaves the project team if they have no other ties to the project (tasks, products, risks, roles). A user who names themselves as the owner gets no notification.

Risk status

A risk has one of three statuses: Identified, Active or Closed. A new risk is identified. Change the status in the risk panel, in the Status field; it is saved at once, without confirmation.

• The Identification date is the date the risk was added. Changing the status does not change it.
• In the Risks column of the schedule list, only identified and active risks are counted. Closed risks disappear from that column (see Linking a risk to the schedule).
• The status can be changed by users with the Admin permission for risks, or by the risk owner if the project makes the Progress group of fields available to owners (see Risk panel).

Linking a risk to the schedule

A risk can relate to one task, milestone or summary task of the schedule.

1. Open the risk panel (click the name in the table).
2. Click the Schedule field. The list of schedule items opens.
3. Choose an item and click Confirm.

The item name appears in the Schedule field of the risk panel; click it to open the panel of that item. The link is saved at once and you can change it by choosing another item.

You can also see risks on the schedule side:

• the Risks column of the schedule list shows a triangle icon with circles: a grey circle is the number of identified risks and a red one the number of active risks. The column does not show closed risks,
• the panel of a task or milestone has a Risks section that lists the linked risks, closed ones included, and the Add another risk button.

Risk list columns

The Columns button above the table lets you choose the visible columns and set their order by dragging. The column with the risk name is always visible and frozen.

By default the table shows Status, Owner, Schedule, Category, Impact, Probability and Identification date. You can add the Schedule impact (in days) and Budget impact columns.

Sort the table by clicking a column header. The browser remembers the column layout, sorting and filter separately for each project, so when you return to the Risks tab the view is the same. The settings do not carry over to another browser or device.