Problem Management
What is Problem Management in ITSM?
A: Problem Management is a module using which you can log, analyze, and resolve the problems. Its main aim is to identify the issue, reduce its impact on the business, and prevent similar incidents related to the problems from occurring again.
How does Problem Management differ from Incident Management?
A: Incident Management prioritizes restoring services swiftly, often using temporary solutions. In contrast, Problem Management seeks to identify the underlying causes of incidents to implement permanent fixes and prevent future issues.
What is a Problem Record?
A: A Problem Record is a documented entry created during the Problem Management process to track the root cause of recurring incidents. It contains details like problem identification, impact analysis, symptoms, workarounds, root cause, solutions, notes, and the resolution timeline.
What is Root Cause Analysis (RCA) in Problem Management?
A: Root Cause Analysis (RCA) is a systematic investigation method used in Problem Management to reveal the underlying cause of a problem. It aids in identifying a permanent solution to prevent similar incidents from recurring in the future.
What are Known Errors in Problem Management?
A: A Known Error is a problem that has been successfully diagnosed with a known root cause and a workaround or permanent fix is identified. It helps reduce incident resolution time for similar future issues.
How does Problem Management integrate with other ITSM processes?
A: Problem Management integrates with Incident Management, Change Management, and Knowledge Management. It uses data from incidents to identify problems, involves changes to implement fixes, and creates knowledge articles for known errors and workarounds.
Can I link a problem with other modules?
A: Yes. You can link a problem request with modules like Request, Problem, Change, Release, Asset, CI, Knowledge, and Project.
What are the key benefits of Problem Management?
A: The key benefits include:
- Reduces the number and impact of incidents
- Identifies and eliminates the root causes of issues
- Helps prevent recurring incidents
- Improves service availability and stability
- Enhances organizational learning through the documentation of known errors and solutions
How can I track the progress of Problem Management?
A: You can monitor problems through reports and dashboards. Key metrics such as the number of open problems, resolution time, and the occurrence of known errors provide valuable insights into the efficiency of Problem Management.
What is a workaround, and when is it used in Problem Management?
A: A workaround is a temporary solution used to reduce or eliminate the impact of a problem or incident while a permanent resolution is being developed. Workarounds are typically used when an immediate fix is not available but service continuity is crucial.
How can Problem Management improve incident resolution time?
A: By documenting known errors and providing workarounds, Problem Management allows incident resolution teams to address incidents more efficiently.
Who is responsible for Problem Management?
A: Problem Management is typically the responsibility of the Problem Manager or a dedicated Problem Management team. They collaborate with Incident Managers, Change Managers, and other IT personnel to investigate, diagnose, and resolve problems.
Can Problem Management help with proactive problem-solving?
A: Yes, proactive Problem Management involves identifying problems before incidents occur by analyzing incident trends and monitoring systems for potential issues. This helps prevent outages and service degradation before they impact users.
How are the stakeholders notified about the problem?
A: Stakeholders are automatically notified via email or SMS when a problem is identified, using predefined workflows.
What happens to related requests when a Problem ticket is closed?
A: When a Problem ticket is closed, all related requests linked to that problem will also be automatically closed if Problem Custom Closed Rules are configured.
Can the workaround and solution from a Problem ticket be copied to related requests?
A: Yes, the workaround and solution added to the Problem ticket can be copied to the related requests when the Problem is closed.
How can I enable automatic closure of related requests and copying of workarounds/solutions?
A: This can be configured by setting up Problem Custom Closed Rules. These rules ensure that when a Problem ticket is closed, related requests are also closed, and any workarounds or solutions are automatically copied over.
Why is it important to configure Problem Custom Closed Rules?
A: Configuring these rules helps ensure consistency in problem resolution across related requests, reduces manual effort, and ensures that users receive the same workaround or solution that was identified for the problem.