By IT Brew Staff
less than 3 min read
Definition:
Problem management is the IT process of discovering the root cause of recurring incidents, with an eye toward stopping any future disruptions. Unlike incident management, which tackles an immediate issue such as wi-fi connectivity, problem management is targeted at underlying causes such as buggy software or misconfigured hardware.
Key takeaways
Problem management breaks down into several key processes:
Detecting the problem: Sometimes an IT problem is glaringly obvious, like a database crashing on a regular basis and throwing data-dependent teams into turmoil. Other anomalies are more subtle, such as a tool offering slightly incorrect outputs that could lead to a serious crisis if left unfixed. Whatever the flavor of the problem, detecting it in the first place is key. Quieter problems are often noticed via data analytics.
Assessing and logging the problem. Problem management can fall into two buckets:
- Reactive: This is when the IT team attempts to solve the root cause of an active incident, which not only solves the open ticket but also (hopefully) prevents similar tickets in the future.
- Proactive: With proactive problem management, IT teams rely on data analytics, information from vendors, and other sources to identify issues before they disrupt critical processes or systems.
As part of the analysis, IT teams might consider everything from user behavior (i.e., someone engaging in an activity that’s accidentally taking a system offline) to errors in software or existing procedures. Depending on the problem, investigative techniques might include everything from chronological analysis to the “Five Whys.”
Problem solving. IT teams then solve the root cause of the problem by applying a fix. This could be anything from a software patch to telling employees to adjust their workflows.
Big benefits. Problem management offers several key benefits to companies that engage in it, including fewer IT incidents as root causes throughout IT infrastructure are addressed. Fewer IT incidents also translates into boosted productivity, happier employees, and boosted
