Service Operation and Support Processes
Running services day to day
Service operation is where value is actually realized. Core support processes must be distinguished sharply because exam questions probe the boundaries.
Incident management restores service as quickly as possible. It is about speed and workaround, not root cause. Problem management finds and removes the underlying cause of incidents. An incident can exist without a known problem; a problem can exist without a current incident (a known error with no live impact).
Request fulfillment handles standard, pre-approved user requests (access, information, standard changes) - not breakages. Access management grants and revokes rights. Event management detects and triages state changes; an event is not automatically an incident.
Service desk and the major incident
Know the service desk as the single point of contact (SPOC) for users. Major incidents get dedicated coordination and communication, often with a defined escalation path. Distinguish hierarchical escalation (up the management chain for authority) from functional escalation (to a specialist for expertise).
Traps to watch
- Logging a request as an incident because it came through the service desk.
- Closing a problem when the incident is resolved - resolution is an incident outcome; root cause removal is a problem outcome.
- Treating event management as incident management.
Worked example
A user cannot log in. The service desk restores access with a password reset - that is incident management (restore service fast). If the same fault recurs weekly, problem management investigates the cause and may record a known error with a documented workaround. The request for a new laptop, by contrast, is request fulfillment.