Problem Management

1. Roles & Responsibilities

IT Team

• Problem Manager
  • Owns the Problem Management process.
  • Ensures root cause analysis (RCA) and permanent fixes.
• IT Admin / Network Engineer
  • Investigates technical issues (network outages, system failures).
  • Implements corrective actions.
• Helpdesk
  • Escalates incidents that indicate underlying problems.
  • Maintains problem records in ITSM tools.

Facilities Team

• Facility Problem Coordinator
  • Handles recurring physical issues (HVAC failures, power outages).
  • Coordinates with vendors for permanent resolution.
• Safety Officer
  • Ensures compliance and safety during problem resolution.
• Vendor Managers
  • Validate vendor fixes and preventive measures.

2. How to Manage Problems (Step-by-Step)

A. Problem Identification

• Analyze incident trends from ITSM or ticketing systems.
• Identify recurring issues (e.g., frequent ISP downtime, HVAC breakdowns).

B. Problem Logging

• Create a Problem Record in ITSM tool (ServiceNow, Jira, etc.).
• Include details: symptoms, impact, suspected root cause.

C. Root Cause Analysis (RCA)

• Use techniques like:
  • 5 Whys
  • Fishbone Diagram
  • Fault Tree Analysis
• Document findings.

D. Workarounds

• Provide temporary solutions to reduce impact until permanent fix is implemented.

E. Permanent Fix

• Implement changes (patches, hardware replacement, vendor upgrades).
• Validate fix in production.

F. Problem Closure

• Update records, communicate resolution.
• Conduct Post-Implementation Review.

3. Best Practices

• Maintain a Known Error Database (KEDB) for quick reference.
• Link Incidents → Problems → Changes for traceability.
• Regular trend analysis to spot emerging problems.
• Vendor SLAs should include problem resolution timelines.

4. Tools & Templates

• Problem Register (Excel or ITSM tool).
• RCA Template.
• KEDB for known issues and workarounds.