Incident management is an ITIL practice addressed to IT specialists responsible for minimising the negative impacts of events and restoring normal service operations in the shortest time. This practice constitutes a fundamental pillar in service support.
Practices and Incidents in ITIL: Definition
A Practice is a set of organisational resources designed to perform a job or achieve a goal. These resources are grouped into the 4 Dimensions of Service Management.
Each practice supports several activities of the Service Value Chain (SVC) and includes resources based on the 4 Dimensions of Service Management.
The definition of an incident is whenever an unplanned interruption of a service, or reduction in its quality, occurs.
It is a reactive process, used to diagnose and restore service procedures in response to events. It is therefore not a proactive measure.
The aim of this practice is to minimise the negative impact of incidents by restoring normal service operations as quickly as possible.
The scope of Incident Management begins with the reporting of a problem by an end user and ends with the resolution of the problem by a member of the Service Desk team.
The 5 Steps of Incident Management
Fast and efficient Incident Management is crucial for any organisation aiming to restore services in the shortest possible time. This requires a structured process supported by a robust system.
Incident Management focuses on addressing and resolving incidents in order to restore services to the levels set by Service Level Agreements (SLAs). It is a reactive approach, focused on restoring normal operations after an incident, rather than investigating root causes.
Incident management processes follow a series of well-defined phases designed to successfully deal with incidents. According to the ITIL methodology, there are five basic Incident Response phases used to effectively manage serious incidents. These phases constitute the Incident Management Lifecycle and help teams monitor and manage project risks effectively through an Incident Response Plan.
1. Incident Identification
In Incident Management, the first step is to recognise the incident, reported by employees or customers through various channels. The Service Desk team determines whether it is an incident or a request (they have to be handled differently). Service requests concern non-urgent support, while incidents involve critical system problems.
2. Incident Categorisation
After the incident has been identified, the Service Desk registers it as a ticket. The ticket should contain: name and contact details of the person reporting it, date and time of the report, description of the incident, and a unique identification number (if applicable). A detailed log enriches the knowledge base, helps in the analysis of causes and simplifies the resolution of similar incidents with templates and guidelines.
3. Incident Prioritisation
After the incident has been identified and classified, priorities are set. Some key points to consider include:
- The importance of other ongoing incidents
- The other tasks to be completed
Since Incident Management aims to provide immediate solutions, it is essential in addressing problems with immediate consequences. Furthermore, it is necessary to prioritise incidents in relation to other project activities.
Priorities are divided into various levels:
- Low: They cause minor disruptions, the team can resolve them without affecting services.
- Medium: Involves employees, causes moderate disruptions, minor inconvenience to customers.
- High: Involves many users, severe disruptions, significant financial impact, such as system outages.
4. Incident Response and Recovery
Once the incident has been correctly labelled and classified as a priority, the problem can be addressed. Depending on how it has been labelled, the incident should be sent to the team best prepared to solve the problem. Usually, the appropriate team will be able to handle the problem quickly. Fast response times are crucial for incident management.
Once the problem is identified, the team takes action and notifies the users and resources involved in the incident and its status.
If the incidents escalate and its resolution becomes too complex, the Service Desk staff outsources the incident to more advanced technicians or certified support, ensuring smooth handling of the problematic situation. With a focus on the root cause, investigation and diagnosis are followed by examination and resolution of the problem.
5. Closing the Incident
Once the problem has been resolved to the satisfaction of all parties involved, the ticket can be closed and the incident recorded as completed. Documentation generated in the previous steps should be archived in a shared work environment for future reference.
During the post-project evaluation meeting, all incidents that occurred during the project are considered.
The Benefits of Incident Management
Incidents can cause project delays and waste valuable resources, sometimes interrupting operations and leading to the loss of crucial data. Therefore, efficient Incident Management is key.
The main benefits of Incident Management include increased team efficiency and productivity, prevention of future incidents, reduced downtime and improved customer experience. It also provides visibility and transparency within the organisation, enabling smooth business operations and a quick return to normal service.
With an effective plan to address and resolve current and future incidents, the organisation will be able to mantain its position and operate more efficiently and effectively.
Problem Management vs Incident Management
Although there are some differentiating factors between problem management and incident management, one fundamental difference stands out: Problem management focuses on resolving the root cause of a project risk, whereas incident management aims at resolving a sudden project interruption with an immediate solution.
Here is a clear distinction:
- Incident management: A single unforeseen event is dealt with quickly.
- Problem management: A comprehensive solution to a large-scale problem hindering business operations.
While both are essential, these approaches produce different results and intervene at different stages of the project life cycle. Incident Management is triggered when the event occurs, while Problem Management seeks to address the root of the problem after it has occurred, to prevent its recurrence.
A problem is:
- The result of multiple events.
- A stoppage of business activities.
- Resolved by investigating and resolving the root cause.
An incident is:
- A sudden, isolated event.
- An unplanned interruption.
- Tackled with rapid solutions in real time.
The 7 Best Practices of Incident Management
Once the incident response plan has been defined and successfully applied, it can be added to a response register. By using best practices and consulting an incident response register template, it will be possible to acquire the competences to effectively document and manage incidents as soon as they occur, thus facilitating their orderly and smooth handling.
The best practices that can be found in this practice are:
- Rapid and Frequent Identification: Once an incident has been identified, it is advisable to document it in the incident register.
- Detailed Organisation: It is essential to maintain an orderly record of incidents, to regularly clean descriptions and keep them concise.
- Educating the Team: It is important to educate the team about potential incidents and the processes to be followed in the event of an emergency, thus facilitating the timely reporting of incidents.
- Automation of Activities: Business process automation, if well configured, can greatly simplify Incident Management, saving time and reducing errors.
- Centralised Communication: It is crucial to maintain organised communication between team members, preferably in a shared online space, to avoid duplication and facilitate future reference.
- Use of Project Management Tools: Dedicated Project Management tools can help to organise work and coordinate team efforts, facilitating incident resolution.
- Continuous Improvement: It is important to constantly adapt and improve the incident response plan over time, learning from past mistakes and updating practices as experience is gained.
ITIL Incident Management Training
After the ITIL Foundation training, IT professionals that work on Incident Management can continue their ITIL journey with the Monitor, Support & Fulfil course.
This is a combined course, consisting of practical modules that offer shorter and more flexible training. The course includes the 5 practices:
- Incident Management
- Service Desk
- Problem Management
- Service Request Management
- Monitoring and Event Management
Are you interested in learning more about the course? Visit our ITIL Monitor, Support & Fulfil page or contact us!
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