ITIL Problem Management

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Accelerate troubleshooting with ITIL problem management

Troubleshooting incidents can be a time-consuming task for organizations, but SolarWinds Service Desk, an ITSM product, can help you more efficiently manage problems. Service Desk supports ITIL problem management, meaning not only can you identify a problem, but also track it, associate any related incidents and accidents, and document when you’ve resolved the problem. As a result, managing problems to resolution will become faster and easier. For example, instead of individually managing and updating 15 tickets complaining that Outlook isn’t working, you can group them into one problem.

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Easily group similar incidents to streamline problem management

Your service desk receives multiple requests each day about incidents related to the same issue. Unless service tickets are quickly grouped, this can lead to several agents working on the same issue, wasting resources and decreasing productivity. With SolarWinds Service Desk you can easily link incidents related to a single issue, eliminating redundancy and ensuring agents are working on distinct problems. Instead of handling twenty separate tickets, an agent will only need to update the problem ticket and can then post the response or fix to all twenty incidents at the same time. Essentially, Service Desk can help bring agent efficiency to new heights.

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Align incidents for quick diagnosis and resolution

All too often, IT teams have several similar incidents on their hands. It can quickly become overwhelming, but SolarWinds Service Desk will allow you to group incidents together. This will enable the agent working on the problem to use all the information from the individual tickets to better understand the entire picture, including when the problem started, who it started with, whether there are any similarities between machines, and more. By correlating incident and resource information, agents can better detect issues, analyze root causes, and resolve problems impacting multiple people, leading to a faster Mean Time to Resolve (MTTR).

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Track changes and configurations that can cause problems

The repercussions of different incidents go beyond the IT desk. Incidents can also resonate across internal operations, leading to widespread issues. That’s where SolarWinds Service Desk can help.

This helpful tool can assist your team in keeping track of changes and configurations responsible for causing problems. Service Desk can align with your configuration management database (CMDB) for greater visibility into changes for hardware and software assets across your entire organization, allowing for faster response times so you can prevent, mitigate, and resolve issues quickly.

Plus, problems can be used to kick off new changes. For example, imagine that twenty incidents come in and are grouped together under one problem. The solution is to change a piece of software, so you would need to open a change ticket. Once the change is completed, the problem and all the incidents assigned to that problem can be closed. Without problem management ITIL solutions like SolarWinds Service Desk, the process can quickly become complicated to track.

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Monitor work progress and build historical data to improve future planning

Having a comprehensive understanding of changes and service trends can accelerate the problem resolution process. In fact, using an ITIL framework to streamline resolutions means building historical data for more proactive resolutions of future issues. With SolarWinds Service Desk, you can automatically create a backlog of past incidents. You can view how many changes have occurred in a chosen time frame by clicking Analytics, Reports, Templates, and Problems / Changes / Releases. Then, you can customize your report output by adding filters, leading to better visibility into your process and a stronger understanding of whether an action resulted in an increase or decrease in changes.

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Get More on ITIL Problem Management

Do you find yourself asking…

What is ITIL problem management?
Incident management vs problem management
What are the different types of problem management?
What does IT problem management process flow look like?
How do problem management tools work?
What are the benefits of ITSM problem management?
IT problem management best practices

Problem management is a crucial component within the Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) framework. Problem management in ITIL refers to managing the lifecycle of problems that occur and could potentially occur in an IT service.

The ITIL defines a “problem” as the cause of one or more incidents. In the ITIL framework, problem management involves analyzing and developing resolutions or workarounds for the errors, flaws, and vulnerabilities that cause incidents or may cause incidents. It focuses on identifying recurring issues, investigating their root causes, and implementing long-term solutions to prevent future occurrences and optimize user experiences. By embracing these principles, organizations can create a more resilient and reliable IT environment, minimizing service disruptions, reducing operational costs, and fostering a proactive problem-solving culture.

ITIL problem management breaks problem management into sub-processes:

Proactive Problem Identification: Proactively identify and diagnose problems behind incidents before future incidents occur.
Problem Diagnosis and Resolution: Trace the underlying cause of a problem and figure out resolutions and workarounds.

Problem and Error Control: Link errors to problems and take measures to prevent future incidents.
Problem Closure and Evaluation: Log incidents and problems and retain a full historical description after a problem has been resolved.
Major Problem Review: After any significant problem, review the resolution to prevent future incidents and capture best practices for future problem-solving.
Problem Management Reporting: Inform other service management processes and IT teams concerning pending problems and alert them of existing workarounds.

Identifying the problem

Whether you’re trying to prevent incidents before they occur or acting quickly in response to an incident, the ITIL problem management process begins with identifying the problem. This can be done by analyzing trends or incident records, collecting information from clients and partners, and reviewing information received from internal software and system alerts. Diagnostic software, network monitoring systems, and reports from partners or suppliers can help in the identification stage.

Logging and categorization

Once the problem is identified, the process of logging and categorization follows. By grouping similar incidents or categorizing them based on impact and urgency, problem management teams can identify the scope of the problem and its potential impact. As a result, they can form a more effective plan that prioritizes the problems that need immediate attention over those that could be addressed later.

Problem control

After identifying the problem, your team can work on finding a solution and possible workarounds if you can’t find anything immediately. This stage is called problem control and includes everything from investigating and analyzing issues to prioritizing problems based on impact, feasibility, and cost-benefit analysis. Your IT team may perform an initial diagnosis and root cause analysis before working on developing the appropriate solution. This solution may involve changing processes, configurations, software, or hardware and requires testing, validation, and documentation.

During the problem control phase, you may discover workarounds. These are usually temporary, but some workarounds can also be effective, permanent ways of dealing with problems while errors persist.

Error control

If your team cannot find a solution, they must concentrate on error control. Error control helps manage known errors and workarounds in ways that minimize cost and risk and maximize benefits. If a workaround is proving effective, the best action may be to do nothing. However, if you reassess the impact and the cost-benefit analysis shifts, you may need to keep searching for a better solution.

There are many problem management tools available, but the best ones will help you streamline the problem management process, making identifying, analyzing, and resolving IT problems faster and easier. Instead of using a handful of solutions for tracking, diagnosing, and documenting problems, the best solutions provide a centralized platform catering to all your needs.

Ideally, you want a tool with:

Analytics and reporting features: By incorporating analytics and reporting capabilities, IT problem management tools facilitate real-time insights into the nature of problems and the systems they impact. Generated reports offer a comprehensive view, encompassing problem summaries, the extent of service or operational disruption, the underlying root cause, specific incident details and timestamps, and the actions taken for remediation. By utilizing these reports, teams can equip themselves with valuable knowledge that not only assists in resolving the current problem but also prepares them to effectively manage similar incidents that may arise and make informed decisions moving forward.
Problem and incident ticket linking: Some problem management ITIL solutions enable problem and incident ticket linking, which can greatly simplify your life. This way, if several people report an issue and submit requests, you can link each incident-related ticket to one problem ticket. Your team will only have to update the problem ticket, as any changes will automatically be applied to all linked incident tickets.
A knowledge base and self-service portal: Problem management tools often include a knowledge base that stores information about past problems, their root causes, and the solutions applied. This knowledge base serves as a valuable resource for troubleshooting and training and can even help users resolve common problems on their own.
SLA tracking: Meeting SLA requirements is essential, and problem management software that offers SLA tracking can put you one step closer to meeting your goals. After all, if you have a solution that can help you manage and define SLA service targets at your fingertips, you’ll know where you need to improve and can take action quickly. Sometimes, you can even configure your problem management software to automatically escalate high-priority tickets and alert agents.

Problem management isn’t as straightforward as you might hope. Instead, you’ll need to achieve the perfect balance and coordinate your teams carefully to ensure your ITIL problem management process is as effective and efficient as possible. Some problem management ITIL best practices to consider include:

Ensure everyone understands the difference between incidents and problems. Incident management and problem management are closely related, but they aren’t the same — and employees shouldn’t record them the same way. Make sure people know how to record and handle incidents vs. problems.
Maintain an up-to-date known error database. Keeping and regularly updating a Known Error Database (KEDB) can help save everyone time. After all, your IT team can view existing records, meaning they won’t have to start from scratch when facing a problem someone else on the team has already dealt with. Instead of wasting time searching for the root cause or discovering a workaround, they can consult the KEDB.
Prioritize permanent solutions. Sometimes, a temporary workaround is the best you can do, but it’s best to prioritize permanent solutions when possible. After all, while delivering a quick workaround solution will do the trick in a punch, taking the time to create a permanent solution can pay off over time, decreasing the number of recurring incidents your team faces on a regular basis.
Invest in the right tools. The last thing you want to do is prevent your IT problem management team from responding quickly and effectively, which means you need to invest in tools that support them. With the right tool, your IT team can excel and spend their time focusing on solving problems instead of dealing with never-ending manual and administration burdens.
Put people first. Don’t lose track of the customer journey. Remember, problem management ITIL should be about providing the people with the best possible service experiences, so don’t become too wrapped up in the technology. Instead, prioritize the problems that are impacting end-users the most.

Problem management is a crucial component within the Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) framework. Problem management in ITIL refers to managing the lifecycle of problems that occur and could potentially occur in an IT service.
The ITIL defines a “problem” as the cause of one or more incidents. In the ITIL framework, problem management involves analyzing and developing resolutions or workarounds for the errors, flaws, and vulnerabilities that cause incidents or may cause incidents. It focuses on identifying recurring issues, investigating their root causes, and implementing long-term solutions to prevent future occurrences and optimize user experiences. By embracing these principles, organizations can create a more resilient and reliable IT environment, minimizing service disruptions, reducing operational costs, and fostering a proactive problem-solving culture.
ITIL problem management breaks problem management into sub-processes:
Proactive Problem Identification: Proactively identify and diagnose problems behind incidents before future incidents occur.
Problem Diagnosis and Resolution: Trace the underlying cause of a problem and figure out resolutions and workarounds.
Problem and Error Control: Link errors to problems and take measures to prevent future incidents.
Problem Closure and Evaluation: Log incidents and problems and retain a full historical description after a problem has been resolved.
Major Problem Review: After any significant problem, review the resolution to prevent future incidents and capture best practices for future problem-solving.
Problem Management Reporting: Inform other service management processes and IT teams concerning pending problems and alert them of existing workarounds.
There are different ways to apply the ITIL problem management framework depending on your team's size and working style. Two main types of problem management include reactive and proactive:
Reactive problem management is triggered in response to an incident. When an incident occurs, IT management takes the appropriate measures to review and analyze the incident to arrive at a resolution.
Proactive management uses trending and historical information to identify potential problems.
Either approach may be appropriate depending on the organization’s specific needs, but regardless of how you tackle problems, doing so is a priority for any organization.
There are four main techniques for tackling problem management effectively. They include:
Brainstorming: This takes a discussion-based approach where each stakeholder participates in the discussion, shares their data, and contributes to problem analysis. Brainstorming is “reactive” and good for collaboration.
Ishikawa Diagrams/Cause and Effect Analysis: This method uses diagrams to analyze primary and secondary causes of a problem, including different people, processes, products, and partners. It’s “reactive” and works on defining the problem clearly.
Kepner Tregoe Problem Analysis: This method defines a problem and works on establishing possible causes and testing them until the right cause is established. It asks questions concerning why something occurred and focuses on establishing the root of the problem.
Five Whys: This technique aims to arrive at the root of the problem by repeatedly asking “why.” Gather your team and plot a series of why questions depending on the complexity of the problem. Use the answers to define actions that resolve the issue and could prevent it from recurring.
There are many problem management tools available, but the best ones will help you streamline the problem management process, making identifying, analyzing, and resolving IT problems faster and easier. Instead of using a handful of solutions for tracking, diagnosing, and documenting problems, the best solutions provide a centralized platform catering to all your needs.
Ideally, you want a tool with:
Analytics and reporting features: By incorporating analytics and reporting capabilities, IT problem management tools facilitate real-time insights into the nature of problems and the systems they impact. Generated reports offer a comprehensive view, encompassing problem summaries, the extent of service or operational disruption, the underlying root cause, specific incident details and timestamps, and the actions taken for remediation. By utilizing these reports, teams can equip themselves with valuable knowledge that not only assists in resolving the current problem but also prepares them to effectively manage similar incidents that may arise and make informed decisions moving forward.
Problem and incident ticket linking: Some problem management ITIL solutions enable problem and incident ticket linking, which can greatly simplify your life. This way, if several people report an issue and submit requests, you can link each incident-related ticket to one problem ticket. Your team will only have to update the problem ticket, as any changes will automatically be applied to all linked incident tickets.
A knowledge base and self-service portal: Problem management tools often include a knowledge base that stores information about past problems, their root causes, and the solutions applied. This knowledge base serves as a valuable resource for troubleshooting and training and can even help users resolve common problems on their own.
SLA tracking: Meeting SLA requirements is essential, and problem management software that offers SLA tracking can put you one step closer to meeting your goals. After all, if you have a solution that can help you manage and define SLA service targets at your fingertips, you’ll know where you need to improve and can take action quickly. Sometimes, you can even configure your problem management software to automatically escalate high-priority tickets and alert agents.
Problem management isn’t as straightforward as you might hope. Instead, you’ll need to achieve the perfect balance and coordinate your teams carefully to ensure your ITIL problem management process is as effective and efficient as possible. Some problem management ITIL best practices to consider include:
Ensure everyone understands the difference between incidents and problems. Incident management and problem management are closely related, but they aren’t the same — and employees shouldn’t record them the same way. Make sure people know how to record and handle incidents vs. problems.
Maintain an up-to-date known error database. Keeping and regularly updating a Known Error Database (KEDB) can help save everyone time. After all, your IT team can view existing records, meaning they won’t have to start from scratch when facing a problem someone else on the team has already dealt with. Instead of wasting time searching for the root cause or discovering a workaround, they can consult the KEDB.
Prioritize permanent solutions. Sometimes, a temporary workaround is the best you can do, but it’s best to prioritize permanent solutions when possible. After all, while delivering a quick workaround solution will do the trick in a punch, taking the time to create a permanent solution can pay off over time, decreasing the number of recurring incidents your team faces on a regular basis.
Invest in the right tools. The last thing you want to do is prevent your IT problem management team from responding quickly and effectively, which means you need to invest in tools that support them. With the right tool, your IT team can excel and spend their time focusing on solving problems instead of dealing with never-ending manual and administration burdens.
Put people first. Don’t lose track of the customer journey. Remember, problem management ITIL should be about providing the people with the best possible service experiences, so don’t become too wrapped up in the technology. Instead, prioritize the problems that are impacting end-users the most.

“SolarWinds Service Desk is acting as a multiple solution platform for us. We’ve gone from six different platforms to one. It brings our departments much closer together.”

Gilad Vinitsky

CTO

The BLOC