5 Tips for a Better Problem Management Process in Your IT Support

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Unsurprisingly, many IT departments try to resolve the incidents at hand rather than focusing on the deep, underlying problems. Agreeably, the time and budget constraints in modern IT support prevent them from doing so, however, if left unchecked, such problems give birth to other incidents.

If you want to improve and sustain your company’s problem management process and take care of the incident management at the same time, then finding the right blend is important. Fortunately, it’s not that difficult as anyone might have initially imagined.

Yes, setting up and maintaining a problem management process might seem like an added burden in an already packed schedule. But with an agile approach along with reactive and proactive traits, you can accomplish the objective.

Given the importance and acknowledgment of incident reporting in IT support services, several certifications including Microsoft azure trainings talk about automating incident and change management through optimized architecture.

Here are the five steps that are going to help you in your quest for a better problem management process covering your IT support services.

Keep your incidents and problems apart

The idea of storing everything at a single place is encouraging. A location that serves as a one-stop shop, especially at times of handling a call. But it is better to separate the problems from incidents and logging them from their respective individual spaces.

This will indicate that the user is well-acquainted and clear with the problem details, an accessible record of your inquiry, and has in-depth knowledge regarding the resources needed to handle it.

Keep a known error database in place

Once you have warmed up your inquiry skills and recognized the fundamental cause of the problem, you will acquire a “known error”. Similar to incidents, known errors too should be placed away from the problems. Reason being it allows the user to become more dynamic in the categorization activity.

In doing so, you have the freedom to recategorize an error for something more appropriate post-investigation. As you keep on discovering the new details about the existing problems, your IT service management (ITSM) tool will acquire an updated record taking your thoughts and shifting priorities.

The known error database then transforms into an accessible and necessary archive of problems along with their solutions for future execution. And after all the known errors are resolved, you may easily conclude them and have everything separated at the time of reporting.

Apply the 5 “Whys”

You need to step out of the typical processes and proactively research various techniques for locating and inquiring problems. Questioning your tried and tested techniques will provide you a new perspective, additionally, a new course to identify the root causes of different problems.

Apparently, there are more advanced techniques to tap into the core of the problem. But we are not here to make things more complex, especially you have the 5 whys to cater the problems.

Instead of coming up with a straightforward, basic conclusion, it tempts you to inquire further questions to better understand the root cause of the problem.

The idea is to stay persistent in asking “Why this thing is happening?”, as the consistent probing will give you valuable insights into the problem.

Step in the role of a problem manager

Designating someone as the responsibility holder of the problem management makes the entire process easier and improved. It also suggests that you have a colleague in the position who is more interested in solving problems and motivating the team to share the same objectives and vision.

Furthermore, the professional will also possess the valuable insights to examine and analyze trends, which will come useful in affirming the efforts and upfront energy invested in the problem management process.

In short, the problem manager will be inclined to step up and stimulate the momentum in the team, while solving internal organizational issues wherever required.

Allow the operators to contribute by sharing knowledge

Only having a problem manager is not enough, but a sound collaboration is essential. Ask your team to share their experience, knowledge and useful insights as a contribution to the problem management process.

This will add some really interesting roles in their job descriptions, eventually working more smoothly and quickly in digging the root causes at the hands of personnel who have a keen sense of error catching observation.

If they have been the first ones to react to incidents, apparently, they will have some powerful, thought-provoking insights considering the underlying issues. Using the best of your team’s knowledge and skills also calls for a positive culture change, a trait which proceeds on for a better problem management.

It doesn’t matter if you are an experienced IT professional or want to clear your Microsoft azure training for learning how to build, test, deploy, and manage applications and services from the basics, a better problem management process is a lifesaver in most situations.