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Problem management process overview

The problem management process includes the activities that are required to identify and classify problems, diagnose the root cause of incidents, and determine resolutions to related problems. The process ensures that the resolution is implemented through the appropriate control processes, such as change management.

Problem Management includes the activities that are required to prevent the recurrence or replication of incidents. It enables you to form recommendations for improvement, maintain problems, and review the status of corrective actions.

Proactive problem management encompasses problem prevention, ranging from the prevention of individual incidents (for example, repeated difficulties with a particular system feature) to the formation of higher-level strategic decisions. The latter may require major expenditures to implement, such as investment in a better network. At this level, proactive problem management merges into availability management. Problem prevention also includes the information that is given to customers for future use. This information reduces future information requests and helps to prevent incidents caused by lack of user knowledge and training.

The following figure provides a general overview of the problem management processes and workflows. These workflows are described in detail in Problem Management Workflows.


Problem management phases

Service Manager uses phases to describe the steps needed to resolve a problem. The phase also determines the forms users see, the actions users can manually trigger. In an out-of-box system, most of the phase transitions are triggered by change to the problem status.

The following figure shows the workflow phases for a problem.

The out-of-box known error workflow uses only two phases to differentiate the open and closed known error records. A known error is opened with a documented root cause and workaround, and closed when a permanent solution is found.

The following figure shows the workflow phases for a known error:

Problem Management user roles

The following table describes the responsibilities of the Problem Management user roles.

Problem Management user roles

Role

Responsibilities

Problem Manager
  • Communicate with stakeholders if required
  • Inform the Change Manager if required
  • Defer problems if needed
  • Decide on investigation of problems
  • Register Request for Changes or Service Requests to solve problems

  • Validate proposed solutions to problems

  • Validate the outcome of closed changes and close problem

  • Validate that a problem is solved

  • Conduct problem review and document lessons learned
  • Close problem and inform stakeholders
  • Monitor the problem resolution progress and perform the required action
Problem Coordinator
  • Periodically perform analysis to see if new problems need to be registered
  • Register problems

  • Categorize and prioritize problems

  • Assign work to the Problem Analysts

  • Schedule the problem resolution

  • Coordinate root cause analysis and diagnosis

    Identify and raise known errors
Problem Analyst
  • Investigate and diagnose assigned problems for workarounds and/or root causes
  • Review and accept or reject assigned errors problems or problem tasks
  • Investigate and diagnose assigned problems and propose solutions and workarounds

  • Identify major problems and ensure problem manager is notified

  • Implement corrective actions