Riskimaatriks

Riskimaatriks, or risk matrix in English, is a tool used in risk assessment to categorize and compare risks by combining the probability of a risk event occurring with the severity of its impact. It is commonly applied in project management, safety engineering, compliance, and IT governance to support decision-making and prioritization of mitigation efforts.

A typical risk matrix is a two-dimensional grid. One axis represents the likelihood or probability of occurrence, while the other axis represents the consequence or impact if the event happens. Each cell in the matrix corresponds to a risk level, such as low, medium, high, or critical, often indicated by color codes like green, yellow, orange, and red. Scales can be numeric (for example 1–5) or qualitative, and organizations may customize the thresholds to reflect their risk appetite.

The matrix supports processes such as risk identification, assessment, and response planning. Risks are identified, rated on the defined scales, and plotted on the matrix to visualize which risks require the most attention. This helps allocate resources, prioritize mitigation actions, and monitor changes over time.

Limitations exist. Risk matrices rely on subjective judgments and may oversimplify complex risk interdependencies. They often assume static conditions and do not capture timing, correlations, or uncertainties in estimates. As a result, they are best used in conjunction with other quantitative or qualitative analyses and tailored to an organization’s context and tolerance for risk.