Problemstyring

Problemstyring, the Danish term for problem management, is a discipline within IT service management (ITSM) that aims to identify, document, and remove the root causes of incidents to prevent their recurrence. It sits alongside incident management and change management in ITIL-based practice, focusing on eliminating underlying issues rather than solely restoring service after an interruption.

The core activities of problemstyring include detecting problems through trend analysis of incidents or proactive monitoring, logging and categorizing them, performing root cause analysis (RCA), and developing workarounds to reduce impact. When a root cause is identified, a known error record is created and coordinated with change management to implement a permanent fix. The process also involves validating and documenting solutions, updating the knowledge base, and closing problems once fixes are verified.

Key outputs of problemstyring are known error records, documented workarounds, and change requests for permanent resolution. The Known Error Database (KEDB) or similar repositories store known errors and their workarounds, enabling faster response to recurring incidents. Problemstyring requires collaboration among the service desk, technical support groups, and change management, supported by incident data, monitoring tools, and a centralized knowledge base.

Metrics used to evaluate problemstyring include the number of problems resolved, the time to identify root causes, the effectiveness of workarounds, and recurring incident rates. Common goals are to reduce incident frequency, shorten downtime, and improve service availability. Problemstyring can be conducted reactively, addressing problems after they occur, or proactively, seeking to prevent issues before incidents arise.