PROBLEM MANAGEMENT

What is a Problem?
A ‘Problem’ is the unknown cause of one or more incidents, often identified as a result of multiple similar incidents.

Objective:
The objective of Problem Management is to minimize the impact of problems on the organization. Problem Management plays an important role in the detection and providing solutions to problems (work arounds & known errors) and prevents their reoccurrence.

{ Know Error!!!!
A ‘Known error’ is an identified root cause of a Problem.
Work Around?
Work around is temporary solution for a problem. }

Inputs & Outputs of PM:
Inputs:
Incident Records And Details About Incidents
Known Errors
Information From Other Processes
Outputs:
RFCs (Request for Change)
Management Information
Work Arounds
Known Errors
Update Problem Records (solved problems records if the known error is resolved)

Process of Problem Management:
Problem control
· Problem detection and Recording
· Identify the repeated incidents.
· Perform Root Cause Analysis (RCA)
Error control
· Identify Know error and provide workaround.
· Resolve the root cause and provide permanent solution or Initiate RFC’s.
Proactively manage problems
Conduct major problem reviews
Provide management information about Problem Management quality and operations

Critical Success Factors (CSFs)

• Avoiding Repeated Incidents
• Minimizing Impact of Problems

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Avoiding Repeated Incidents
• Number of repeated incidents
• Number of existing Problems
• Number of existing Known Errors
Minimizing Impact of Problems
• Average time for diagnosis of Problems
• Average time for resolution of Known Errors
• Number of open Problems
• Number of open Known Errors
• Number of repeat Problems
• Number of Major Incident/Problem reviews

Names to remember:

Known Errors: A Known Error is a problem for which the root cause is understood and there is a temporary workaround or a permanent fix has been identified. Note that the implementation of the permanent fix may be some time in the future.
RFC: RFC is an acronym for: Request for Change. This is normally part of a formal procedure, and can, for example, be an input to a service desk. It is largely part of ‘business as usual’ in a development or business cycle.
Work Around: work around is an uncommon solution to a problem where the known methodology is insufficient. Work arounds are usually used to minimize the effects of the problem, until a permanent solution is offered. Note that when the root cause has been identified Work Arounds become Known Errors.

Finally, Problem Management stands for minimizing the adverse impacts of incidents and problems on the business caused by errors in the IT infrastructure and initiate actions to prevent recurrence of incidents related to those errors.