Phase 3: Investigation

When the specialist or support group formally accepts responsibility for the problem, the problem investigation process begins. Problem investigation examines the symptoms of the problem to identify the root cause. A correct analysis of the root cause enables you to identify the solution correctly during the Error Control process. It may be necessary to offer a workaround to restore full or partial service to the customer while you wait for a permanent solution.

Documenting the root cause

The root cause is the reason why the problem exists. Identifying and documenting the root cause leads to a workaround and known error status. Identifying the root cause also formally stores this information in the database for future reference. The following table shows a sample problem and different root causes that affect the workaround and final solution.

Problem Root Cause
Service Manager upgrade fails User error. The user did not uninstall the previous version first.
Service Manager upgrade fails Training required. The user did not know that the client version must be the same as the server version.
Service Manager upgrade fails Configuration Item error. The operating system is not supported.