severity-vs-priority-reference

Overview

Severity and priority are two independent axes, not synonyms. Every triaged defect must have both, and the combination drives scheduling, escalation, and SLA enforcement.

• Severity measures how badly the defect breaks the system / user when triggered. It's an objective property of the defect.
• Priority measures how urgently the fix must land. It's a scheduling decision, influenced by severity but also by business context (customer commitments, regulatory deadlines, release timing).