The Portfolio Risk Matrix Heatmap plots every risk across a portfolio's projects on a Probability-by-Impact grid, so you can spot the riskiest items at a glance instead of reading through a list. It lives inside a portfolio's Risks tab, alongside the option to log new risks directly.
Table of Contents
- What Is the Portfolio Risk Matrix Heatmap?
- Why Does the Portfolio Risk Matrix Heatmap Matter?
- How Do I Use the Portfolio Risk Matrix Heatmap?
- What Happens When You Use the Portfolio Risk Matrix Heatmap?
- How Do I Link Tasks to a Risk?
- What Are the Best Practices for the Portfolio Risk Matrix Heatmap?
- Related Articles
- What Are Some Frequently Asked Questions About the Portfolio Risk Matrix Heatmap?
What Is the Portfolio Risk Matrix Heatmap?
The Portfolio Risk Matrix Heatmap is the Matrix View inside a portfolio's Risks tab. It turns every risk logged against the portfolio's projects into a 5×5 heat map, plotting each risk by Probability on the X-axis and Impact on the Y-axis.
Each axis uses a five-point scale, Very Low through Very High, and Profit.co calculates a composite Risk Level from 1 to 25 from the two values. Cells are color-coded from green for low threat to red for critical, so the riskiest items stand out without reading each row.
| Axis | Scale |
|---|---|
| Probability (X-axis) | Very Low, Low, Medium, High, Very High |
| Impact (Y-axis) | Very Low, Low, Medium, High, Very High |
Prerequisite
The Risks tab lives inside a specific portfolio's detail page, not in a standalone menu. You need to open a portfolio before you can reach its Risks tab and Matrix View.
Why Does the Portfolio Risk Matrix Heatmap Matter?
Before the heat map, spotting the riskiest items across a portfolio meant opening each project's risk register individually and reading through rows of Probability and Impact values one at a time. The Matrix View plots every risk visually in one place, so high-probability, high-impact threats are visible immediately without reading.
Because the heat map covers every project nested under the portfolio, a portfolio manager can prioritize mitigation effort across the whole portfolio instead of piecing together risk exposure project by project.
How Do I Use the Portfolio Risk Matrix Heatmap?
The Risks tab supports two related tasks: reading the existing risk exposure on the heat map, and logging a new risk directly from it.
Method 1: View the Portfolio Risk Matrix Heatmap
Step 1: Open the Portfolio's Risks Tab
- Navigate to Portfolios and Projects → Portfolios from the left navigation panel and open the portfolio you want to review.
- Click the Risks tab. Each project appears as a collapsible row with its risks nested underneath.
Step 2: Switch to Matrix View
- Switch to Matrix View to turn the risk list into the 5×5 heat map, plotted by Impact and Probability.
Step 3: Filter and Drill In
- Filter by Portfolio Level to scope the heat map down to a sub-portfolio, or leave it unfiltered to see everything.
- Use the heat map to prioritize where to focus mitigation effort.
Method 2: Add a New Risk from the Matrix
Step 1: Open the Add Risk Panel
- Click + Add Risk to open the right-side panel.
Step 2: Enter Risk Details
- Name the risk, link it to a project, assign an owner, and set a due date.
- Select Impact and Probability on the five-point scales; a live matrix preview highlights exactly where the risk lands as you choose.
Step 3: Set a Response Strategy
- Choose a Response strategy: Accept, Mitigate, Transfer, or Avoid.
Note
Governance teams can define custom Impact and Probability scales, including labels and color codes, in admin settings. The five-point scale structure behind the 5×5 grid can be relabeled to match your organization's methodology.
What Happens When You Use the Portfolio Risk Matrix Heatmap?
| Scenario | What Happens |
|---|---|
| You select Impact and Probability while adding a risk. | Profit.co calculates a composite Risk Level from 1 to 25 and updates the live matrix preview to show exactly where the risk lands before you save it. |
| You switch from the risk list to Matrix View. | Profit.co replots every risk in the current view onto the 5×5 heat map by Probability and Impact, color-coded from green for low threat to red for critical. |
| You filter the Risks tab to a specific sub-portfolio. | Profit.co scopes the heat map and risk list to that sub-portfolio's risks only, hiding risks from the rest of the portfolio hierarchy. |
How Do I Link Tasks to a Risk?
Every risk has an Associate Tasks section where you link existing project tasks directly to that risk. Each linked task shows its assignee, priority flag, and due date right inside the risk record.
This keeps mitigation accountability attached to the threat itself. When a linked task completes, you see progress reflected on the risk; when one runs overdue, it's visible from the risk record rather than buried in a separate task list.
What Are the Best Practices for the Portfolio Risk Matrix Heatmap?
- Use Matrix View for a quick portfolio-wide scan, then switch back to the list view to work through entries row by row, since the toggle exists precisely for pattern recognition versus detail work.
- Watch the live matrix preview while setting Impact and Probability on a new risk, since it shows exactly where the risk will land before you save it.
- Filter the Risks tab to a sub-portfolio when you only need that team's exposure, since an unfiltered view blends every project under the portfolio together.
- Link tasks to a risk as soon as you set a Response strategy, since mitigation accountability only becomes visible once a task is associated with the risk.
- Choose Response strategies deliberately (Accept, Mitigate, Transfer, Avoid) rather than defaulting to one option, since each represents a different governance posture for that risk.
Related Articles
What Are Some Frequently Asked Questions About the Portfolio Risk Matrix Heatmap?
The heat map plots every risk across all projects under the portfolio at once, unless you filter by Portfolio Level to scope it down to a sub-portfolio.
You can add a risk directly from the portfolio's Risks tab using the + Add Risk panel. You link it to the relevant project as part of that panel, without needing to open the project first.
Yes. Governance teams can define custom Impact and Probability scales, including labels and color codes, in admin settings, though the underlying 5×5 grid structure comes from the five-point scale.
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