Which option carries the least risk?

List the options you're weighing against a do-nothing baseline, then rate how exposed each is to every risk. Weighted by impact, the heatmap shows where the danger clusters — and which choice clears the most.

A
B
C
Risk × impactEach risk has a fixed impact — its blast radius if it bites, 1–5, set in the row and the same whichever option you pick. Each cell is that option's exposure to the risk: how much it threatens this option, 1 (minimal) to 5 (very high). Risk score = impact × exposure.
ABCrangeEach risk's score across the options, from its lowest to its highest. A bar pinned right with little width is a danger every option shares; a wide bar is one some option escapes.
20
12
8
20
Risk scoreThe option's total exposure: every risk's impact × exposure, summed down the column. Lower is safer.322749
Δ vs baseline5+17
Lowest risk: B · Buy vendor at 27 5 lower than the baseline.
AStatus quo
32
BBuy vendor
27
CBuild in-house
49
An impact × exposure risk matrix — scores are ordinal, only meaningful next to each other