Effort Impact Matrix

The Effort Impact Matrix can be useful to anyone who has many projects and is trying to decide which are worth spending time on. The matrix takes into consideration both the amount of effort required to complete each project and the end worth (impact) of each project's completion.

At a very high level, the Effort Impact Matrix is used in the context of project management, business.

Effort Impact Matrix quadrant descriptions, including examples
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What is the Effort Impact Matrix?

A visual explanation is shown in the image above. The Effort Impact Matrix can be described as a matrix with the following quadrants:

  1. High Effort; Low Impact: Contains the projects that require a lot of effort and are of a low impact.
  2. High Effort; High Impact: Contains the projects that require a lot of effort and are of a high impact.
  3. Low Effort; Low Impact: Contains the projects that require little effort and are of a low impact.
  4. Low Effort; High Impact: Contains the projects that require little effort and are of a high impact.

What is the purpose of the Effort Impact Matrix?

Anyone with a busy schedule is sure to find the Effort Impact Matrix to be invaluable. Why waste your effort on projects that aren't worth it? One of the most frustrating problems in project/task management is realizing that you are spending your time on the wrong things. This matrix can help you get back on track and ensure that you are focusing on tasks that will be worth your time and effort, and will overall benefit you the most.

Projects that are of a high impact and low effort are those that should be completed before any others. These projects are valuable and indispensable. Projects that are of a high impact and high effort should be carefully considered before completing. You should only attempt them if it is believed that they will be worth your effort. Projects that are of a low impact and low effort are everyday tasks. These are not the most important tasks, so they should be completed last. Projects that are of a low impact and high effort are generally not worth completing.


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What templates are related to Effort Impact Matrix?

The following templates can also be categorized as project management, business and are therefore related to Effort Impact Matrix: Gap Analysis Matrix, Growth Share Matrix, Kraljic Matrix, Outsourcing Matrix, PICK Matrix, Quadrant Analysis, Risk Analysis Matrix, Risk Value Matrix. You can browse them using the menu above.

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