Problem Management Tools, Methods and Techniques
Tools and methods
This domain tests the tooling and analysis techniques that make problem management evidence-based. A problem record in an ITSM tool should hold symptoms, affected services and CIs, priority, investigation notes, workaround, root cause, known error status, linked incidents and changes, and closure details. A searchable known error database (KEDB), CMDB, monitoring and event tools, service analytics/AIOps and reporting support identification and trend analysis.
Common techniques include:
- 5 Whys for simple causal chains;
- Ishikawa/fishbone to explore people, process, technology and environment causes;
- Pareto analysis to focus on the few incident categories causing most volume or impact;
- Fault tree analysis for complex failure paths;
- Kepner-Tregoe problem analysis for structured specification and testing of causes;
- Brainstorming, hypothesis testing and chronological analysis for investigation;
- Component failure impact analysis for dependency risk.
Prioritise problems by impact, urgency and recurrence, and use trend analysis and major incident reviews to feed identification. Measure outcomes such as recurring-incident reduction and known error reuse, not only problem-record closure counts.
Worked example
A Pareto chart shows most incidents come from one application area. A fishbone session generates possible causes; 5 Whys narrows the likely cause to a scheduled batch job; a hypothesis test confirms it. The team documents a workaround, raises a change and monitors recurrence. Reasoning: Pareto directs effort, Ishikawa broadens causes, 5 Whys deepens one branch, and verification prevents premature closure.
Traps
Using 5 Whys as the only method; blaming individuals rather than systemic causes; mistaking correlation for cause; building a KEDB that is not searchable; and using closure counts as the main success measure.