Physical Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
1. Problem Management Foundation
Core Objectives
Problem Management aims to minimize the adverse impact of incidents and problems on the business by identifying and eliminating their root causes. The process focuses on:
- Proactive identification of potential issues
- Systematic root cause analysis
- Implementation of permanent solutions
- Knowledge sharing and documentation
Key Differences from Incident Management
- Focus on root cause vs. immediate resolution
- Long-term prevention vs. short-term fixes
- Trend analysis vs. individual events
- Proactive approach vs. reactive response
2. Problem Detection and Recording
Problem Identification Sources
- Incident Trend Analysis
- Recurring incidents patterns
- Service degradation trends
- Performance bottlenecks
- Event Management
- System alerts and warnings
- Capacity thresholds
- Security events
- Service Performance Monitoring
- SLA breaches
- Quality metrics
- User feedback
Problem Classification
- Critical
Severe business impact requiring immediate attention - High
Significant impact on multiple users or services - Medium
Moderate impact with workarounds available - Low
Minor impact on business operations
3. Root Cause Analysis
Investigation Techniques
- Ishikawa (Fishbone) Analysis
- Systematic cause categorization
- Visual relationship mapping
- Multi-factor consideration
- 5 Whys Technique
- Deep-dive questioning
- Layer-by-layer analysis
- Core cause identification
- Fault Tree Analysis
- Logical relationship mapping
- Failure path identification
- Probability assessment
Analysis Best Practices
- Document all investigation steps
- Involve subject matter experts
- Consider multiple perspectives
- Validate findings through data
4. Solution Development
Solution Types
- Permanent Solutions
- System modifications
- Process improvements
- Infrastructure upgrades
- Workarounds
- Temporary fixes
- Performance optimization
- Alternative procedures
Implementation Considerations
- Risk assessment
- Cost-benefit analysis
- Resource requirements
- Implementation timeline
- Testing procedures
5. Known Error Management
Known Error Database (KEDB)
- Documentation Requirements
- Problem description
- Root cause findings
- Workaround procedures
- Permanent solution status
- Usage Guidelines
- Search procedures
- Update protocols
- Access controls
6. Continuous Improvement
Improvement Metrics
- Performance Indicators
- Problem resolution time
- Recurring incident rate
- Solution effectiveness
- Quality Measures
- Root cause identification accuracy
- Solution implementation success
- Knowledge base utilization
Process Enhancement
- Regular process reviews
- Stakeholder feedback integration
- Tool optimization
- Training program updates
