Summary of High Severity and Low Priority Examples

Software Crash on an Old Browser: An application crashes, but only on an outdated browser version with very few users. The crash is severe (high severity), but fixing it isn't urgent due to the small user impact (low priority). Broken Link to a Minor Page: A link to a rarely visited page, like an old privacy policy, is broken. The functionality is broken (high severity), but since few users access it, the fix is a low priority. Major Feature Failure in a Staging Environment: A core feature fails completely during testing in a staging or pre-production environment. The failure is critical (high severity), but since it doesn't affect live customers, it can be scheduled for a fix before the next release (low priority).Incorrect Yearly Report Generation: A financial application generates flawless daily, monthly, and quarterly reports but fails on the annual report. The calculation error is severe, but it can be fixed before the end of the year (low priority).

What is the Difference Between Severity and Priority?

To grasp a high severity and low priority example, one must first understand the two terms independently. Though often used interchangeably, they represent distinct concepts in task and issue management. Severity relates to the technical impact of a problem, while priority refers to the urgency of fixing it from a business or operational standpoint.

Severity measures the degree of impact a defect or issue has on a system's functionality. It answers the question, "How seriously is this breaking the product?" QA testers and developers typically determine severity based on technical assessments.

• Critical/High Severity: The issue causes a total system crash, data loss, or a core feature to fail completely.
• Medium Severity: The problem is significant and may have a workaround, but it impairs functionality.
• Low Severity: The issue is minor, such as a cosmetic glitch or a typo, and doesn't affect functionality.

Priority, on the other hand, determines the order in which tasks or defects should be addressed. It answers the question, "How quickly does this need to be fixed?" Product managers or business stakeholders usually set the priority based on business needs, customer impact, and project timelines.

• High Priority: The issue must be resolved immediately as it severely impacts the business, user experience, or blocks further progress.
• Medium Priority: The defect should be fixed in the normal course of development.
• Low Priority: The issue is an irritant but can be deferred and fixed at a later time.

With a clear understanding of these separate definitions, we can now explore the scenarios where they intersect in counter-intuitive ways.

The Classic High Severity and Low Priority Example Explained

The most common examples of this paradox occur in software testing and development. Imagine a scenario where a feature in an application fails completely—it crashes the program or renders a function totally unusable. This is, by definition, a high-severity bug. However, if that feature is located in a part of the application that is rarely used or accessed by only a tiny fraction of users, the business urgency to fix it is low.

A perfect illustration is an application that crashes when used on a legacy version of a web browser, like Internet Explorer 8. The crash itself is a critical failure (high severity). But since a very small percentage of the user base still uses that browser, the impact on the business is minimal, making it a low priority to fix. The development team will log the bug and schedule it for a future update rather than dropping everything to fix it immediately.

Software Development & Testing Examples

This category is ripe with situations that fit the high severity, low priority model.

• System Crash on a Remote Link: An application crashes, but only when a user clicks a hyperlink leading to an obscure, non-essential page. The crash is severe, but the action that triggers it is rare, making the priority to fix it low.[3]
• API Failure for a Deprecated Feature: An Application Programming Interface (API) call fails for a feature that is being phased out. The functional impact is high, but since the feature is no longer actively supported, it's a low-priority fix.
• Visual Flaws on Obsolete Devices: A website's layout appears completely broken, with scrambled text and unloaded images, but only on very old mobile devices or browsers. While the visual defect is severe, it doesn't affect the vast majority of users, so it's not urgent to address.

These examples highlight a key principle: the technical impact of a bug is not always proportional to its business impact. The next section explores how this concept applies beyond the world of software.

Business Operations & IT Support Examples

The high severity, low priority framework is not limited to software and can be seen in various business contexts.

• Flickering Lights in a Rarely Used Room: A bank of fluorescent lights in a storage room or a rarely booked conference room is flickering intensely. This is a high-severity electrical issue. However, since it doesn't impact daily operations or employee productivity, it's a low-priority maintenance task.
• Major Typo in an Internal Training Manual: A printed internal manual for a legacy process contains a significant error that makes a section confusing. The error is severe in its inaccuracy, but because the manual is for an old system and is rarely referenced, correcting it is a low priority.
• Broken Equipment in a Low-Traffic Area: A piece of specialized equipment in a lab or workshop breaks down completely. The equipment failure is high severity. But if it's a redundant piece of hardware or is only used for non-critical experiments, its repair becomes a low priority.

Recognizing these situations helps organizations allocate resources more effectively, ensuring that immediate efforts are focused on what truly matters for business continuity and customer satisfaction.

How to Manage High Severity, Low Priority Issues

Effectively managing these types of issues is crucial for maintaining a healthy workflow and preventing unnecessary panic. It requires a structured approach that acknowledges the technical seriousness of the problem without disrupting more critical business-facing tasks.

A robust bug triage or issue management process is essential. When a high severity, low priority issue is identified, the first step is to log it accurately. This documentation should detail the technical severity of the problem and provide a clear justification for its low-priority status, often including data on user impact or frequency of occurrence. Clear communication with stakeholders is also vital to ensure everyone understands why a significant technical flaw is not being addressed immediately. Finally, these issues should be scheduled for resolution in a future development sprint or maintenance cycle, ensuring they are not forgotten but are handled at an appropriate time.

Conclusion

Mastering the distinction between severity and priority transforms chaos into an orderly and logical process. A high severity and low priority example is not a contradiction but a common scenario where a problem's technical impact is significant, but its effect on business operations is minimal. Recognizing this allows teams to focus their immediate energy on what is truly critical—issues that are both severe and urgent. By implementing a clear system for classifying problems and communicating these decisions effectively, organizations can improve workflow, manage resources wisely, and build more stable products and processes.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What is a high severity, high priority example?

A high severity, high priority issue is a critical defect that breaks a core functionality and has a major business impact. For example, if users of an e-commerce site cannot log in or if the "Add to Cart" button is broken, this prevents sales and must be fixed immediately.

Who decides on the severity and priority of an issue?

Typically, the Quality Assurance (QA) team or developers determine the severity based on the technical impact of the bug. The priority is usually set by a product manager, project manager, or business stakeholder who understands the issue's impact on customers and business objectives.

Can a low-priority issue ever become high priority?

Yes. Priority is dynamic and can change based on shifting business needs or new information. For example, a high-severity bug on a legacy browser (low priority) might suddenly become high priority if a major new client announces they exclusively use that browser.

What is an example of low severity and high priority?

A common example is a spelling mistake of the company's name on the homepage of a website. The technical impact is very low (low severity), but it looks unprofessional and can damage the brand's image, making it a high priority to fix.