🔍 Problem Management
Problem Management identifies and eliminates the root causes of recurring incidents, preventing them from re-occurring. ITIL 4 distinguishes between reactive (triggered by incidents) and proactive (triggered by trend analysis) problem management.
Key Concepts
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Problem | A cause (or potential cause) of one or more incidents |
| Known Error | A problem with a documented root cause and a workaround |
| KEDB | Known Error Database — library of known errors and workarounds |
| Workaround | Temporary measure reducing impact while permanent fix is applied |
| Root Cause | The fundamental reason a problem exists |
Root Cause Analysis Techniques
- 5 Whys — Simple, fast, effective for straightforward problems
- Fishbone (Ishikawa) Diagram — Structured for multi-cause problems
- Fault Tree Analysis — Top-down logical diagram of failure causes
- Timeline Analysis — Reconstructs events to identify triggering factors
- ITIL 5 AI-Assisted RCA — ML correlates CI changes, events, and incidents
Section Contents
Downloadable Templates
| Template | Format | Download |
|---|---|---|
| Problem Register | Excel | ⬇ Download |
| RACI Matrix | Word | ⬇ Download |
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