An issue is happening now
If it might happen, it is a risk and belongs in the risk register. If it already happened, it is an issue and needs an action, not a probability.
Free template
Issue log template
Everything that is going wrong right now, with its impact, an owner and a next step. So problems get solved instead of discussed again every week.
Free, no signup. Opens in Excel, Google Sheets and Numbers.
Imports asRisks and issues
What is in the template
Example data. Delete it before you add your own.
| Issue title | Type | Category | Impact | Status | Action | Owner | Due date | Project | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Payment provider test account is blocked | Issue | External | High | Mitigating | Escalate to the account manager and test with the sandbox meanwhile | Joris Bakker | 2026-11-20 | Website relaunch | Checkout cannot be tested until the account is unblocked |
| Client asks for two extra page templates | Issue | Schedule | Medium | Analyzing | Estimate the work and send a change request | Sanne de Vries | 2026-11-18 | Website relaunch | Not in the signed scope, affects the build milestone |
| Pilot users cannot log in with single sign on | Issue | Technical | High | Mitigating | Fix the identity provider settings with client IT | Lisa Smit | 2026-11-24 | CRM rollout | Twelve of thirty pilot users are blocked |
| Training room is double booked on 8 December | Issue | Organizational | Low | Resolved | Moved the session to the client office | Sanne de Vries | 2026-11-13 | CRM rollout | Solved, kept for the record |
| Movers can only come one week later | Issue | External | Medium | Accepted | Staff work from home for three extra days | Tom Hendriks | 2026-12-11 | Office move | Office handover date stays the same |
How to use it
Log an issue as soon as it affects the plan, the budget or the client. Small fixes that cost nobody time can stay out.
Rate the impact and give it one owner. The owner drives the fix, they do not have to do all the work.
Write the next action, not the whole solution, and give it a due date.
Set the status to Resolved when it is fixed. Keep the row, it helps the next project avoid the same problem.
What each column means
- Issue title
- What is going wrong right now, in one line.
- Type
- Always Issue here. Vaizy keeps risks and issues in one register.
- Category
- What kind of problem it is.
- Impact
- How much it hurts the project, from Very low to Very high.
- Status
- Identified, Analyzing, Mitigating, Resolved or Accepted.
- Action
- The next step to solve it.
- Owner
- The one person who drives the fix.
- Due date
- When the action should be done.
- Project
- The exact project name. The import uses it to put each row on the right project.
- Description
- What happened and what it affects.
How to run an issue log
One owner per issue
Issues with two owners wait for each other. Pick one person who answers for it, even if a team does the work.
Escalate on impact, not on age
A High impact issue goes to the sponsor the same week. A Low impact issue that is old just needs a decision to accept it.
When the issue log stops being enough
An issue log shows problems, but not what they do to the plan. You still work out by hand which milestone slips and what it costs. In Vaizy risks and issues live in one register per project, linked to the milestones and budget they affect, and you see open issues across every project at once.
See risks and issues in VaizyImport it into Vaizy
Start a free trial and open the import dialog from the dashboard.
Drop in the file. Vaizy recognises the columns and maps them for you.
Check the preview and import. Nothing is saved until you confirm.
Names in Owner and Assigned to link to team members with the same name or email. Import your team first, or the import lists the names it could not match.
Start your free trialQuestions about this template
A list of problems that are affecting a project right now, with their impact, who owns the fix, the next action and when it is due.
They can be, but they are closely linked: a risk that happens becomes an issue. Vaizy keeps both in one register with a Type field, and this template uses the same field.
Yes. Each row becomes an issue in the project you name, with its impact, status, action and owner. Vaizy places them in the same register as your risks.
More free templates
Outgrown the spreadsheet?
Import this template into Vaizy and see it next to your milestones, team and budget. Free for 14 days, no credit card needed.