Which process of the service operation phase is responsible for preventing recurring incidents?

Problem management is the set of processes and activities responsible for managing the lifecycle of all problems that could happen in an IT service. It also uses preventative methods to identify underlying causes and prevent problems from occurring. If a problem or incident has already occurred, problem management seeks to prevent them from happening in the future. It also involves identifying the best way to eliminate the root cause. However, if it’s an unavoidable problem, an effective problem management process will help minimize the impact on business. 

Benefits of problem management

When problem management is carried out efficiently, it can have several benefits and can add substantial value to the business, the most substantial of which means minimal to no downtime and disruptions. 

Other benefits of problem management are:

• Improvement of services: Over time services are improved when problems are fixed and prevented in the future. Issues and recurring incidents can be avoided or eliminated altogether. Overall, there is an improvement in service design and service delivery as well.
• Cost saving: Incidents and downtime can cost organizations a lot of money and addressing problems effectively, saves costs. 
• Higher productivity: Particularly in the case of proactive problem management, time and resources can be saved when problems are prevented from occurring. 
• Identifying underlying causes: Finding out and addressing the underlying causes of the problem can be very beneficial in the long run. A more structured approach can also ensure that the fastest way to determine the root cause is found. 
• Increased customer and employee satisfaction: Undoubtedly if there are fewer problems and incidents, there will be a higher rate of customer and employee satisfaction. Also, in the case that problems and incidents are resolved quicker, there is a higher level of satisfaction.
   

Problem management compared with other ITIL processes

Problem management vs incident management

While incident and project management are closely related, they are actually separate.  Incident management constitutes responding to an event that has occurred, minimizing the impact on the business, and restoring service as quickly as possible. Problem management constitutes understanding the root cause of why the event occurred and how to prevent it from happening in the future. It might take multiple incidents before problem management has enough data to analyze what is going wrong and figure out what steps can be taken to correct the situation. This means coordination between incident managers and problem managers is essential.

Problem management vs knowledge management 

As its name suggests, knowledge management involves the creation of a robust knowledge base or repository of materials. If well-executed, this process will ensure that incidents are resolved faster, and overall, there are fewer incidents. 

Problem management vs change management 

ITIL describes change management as the process of tracking and managing a change throughout its entire life cycle, from start to closure, with the aim to minimize risk.

It is only when a change causes disruption and/or downtime that it is analyzed under the incident or problem management processes. 

Problem management vs service request management 

As we know, IT teams receive a number of service requests from their customers/end-users. Whether it is a request for software, application access, new hardware, or password resets, these constitute service requests. Some requests are straightforward and some require additional guidance. This is an integral part of service request management along with setting expectations for employees and also ensuring their satisfaction. 

So, service request management, while related to problem management, is still a different process, unless this service request process causes a disruption. 

The problem management process

• Problem detection: A problem can be detected within an incident report or an analysis of an existing incident. It is most likely when the cause of an incident or a number of incidents is unknown. Proactive problem detection can go a long way in ensuring that there are no disruptions to service in the future. 
• Problem logging (categorization and prioritization): Keeping a record of problems is important for future reference. It is vital to capture problem details such as problem type, description, associated incidents, affected CIs from CMDB, category, user information, status, resolution, and closure. This information is vital to tag known errors and manage them in a database. Every problem record has two attributes i.e. impact and urgency. Impact refers to the number of users and CIs affected due to this problem. Urgency refers to how quickly the resolution is needed. Determining the priority involves assessing the problem’s impact on business and this determines how fast a problem is resolved. 
• Investigation and diagnosis: An investigation into the root cause of a problem also depends on the severity and urgency of the problem. Common investigation techniques include reviewing the Known Error Database (KEDB) in an effort to find similar problems. Then, the best course of action is determined to resolve the problem.
• Resolution: 
  • Problem control: This deals with root cause analysis and identifying the actual cause of the problem and converting problems to known errors.
  • Error control: This involves limiting known errors from KEDB (Known Error Database). It finds permanent solutions for available known errors. The overall availability and quality of services can be improved by proactively identifying problems so they can be solved, or workarounds identified before future incidents occur.
  • Once resolved and the solution is determined, it can be implemented using a standard change procedure. It is also important to ensure service recovery. In order to fix the problem permanently, a new change has to be raised. Change Management handles the evaluation, planning, and execution of changes. The Problem Management team raises the request and submits the Request for Change (RFC). The change team evaluates the impact and planning is carried out. A suitable Change Management process is used such as standard, normal, or emergency type. 
• Closure:
  • At this point, the problem along with any related incidents can be closed. It should also be verified that the details entered during the logging and classification process are accurate. 
  • Review: During this stage, it is important to review the resolution of the problem, and its impact on the business as well as carry out a risk analysis. This ensures that the problem management process is carried out smoothly and continually improved for the future. This review is recorded as well as shared with relevant teams and individuals. 

Problem management best practices 

Learn from past problems and integrate problem management with other modules: By understanding the problems that have occurred in the past and analyzing patterns, it can be ensured that they won’t occur again, thus saving time and resources. Also, integrating problem management with other ITIL modules like change management and incident management allows for information to be in sync and consistent.

• Assign a dedicated problem manager: This individual has clear roles and responsibilities and the ability to execute the problem management process according to ITIL standards. They also act as a liaison between the incident manager and change manager.
• Put a communication strategy in place: When a problem comes up, it is important to keep the lines of communication open between the incident, change, and configuration management processes, and ultimately, updates are provided to the end-users that are affected. This is where automation within your service desk tool can come in handy. 
• Make use of both proactive and reactive problem management: Understand the differences between the two methods of project management and the scenarios in which they can apply. Especially, in the case of proactive problem management wherein the problem can be prevented from occurring in the first place. 
• Keep up with SLAs (Service Level Agreements): Problem management has its own SLAs and ensures that you are able to keep up with these deadlines according to severity and urgency. 
• Check the KEDB (Known Error Database): In the case that there is already a rich repository of problems that have occurred in the past and workarounds as well, refer to the KEDB for more swift resolution of problems.
• Follow all the steps in the flow: The problem management flow as detailed above is a step-by-step guide to quick and effective resolution. Make sure you follow the steps without skipping any.
   

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Problem Management?

What are the types of Problem Management?

What are the phases in Problem Management?

Why is Problem Management important?

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