Problem Management Software for Identifying Controlling Problems

Problem Management Software

A ‘Problem Management Software’ is a comprehensive collection of system programs designed to identify, manage, and control problems. The primary objective of Problem Management is to prevent or minimize the impact of incidents.

The CENTRE Problem Management Software features within IT Service Management and Measurement & Analysis provide records as evidence of compliance with the namesake ITIL Process and the Causal Analysis and Resolution, CMMI Process Area. ITG’s CENTRE ERP can provide any organization an automated system to manage incidents, problems, and changes customized to the organization’s needs.

Key Features of CENTRE’s Problem Management Software

• Maintains the association and relationships between incident and problem records
• Maintains links to change requests and configuration items (assets)
• Supports automatic threshold escalation and notification
• Facilitates customizable reports
• Maintains historical records for support staff
• Tracks ownership and problem responsibility
• Maintains free text areas to define problem descriptions and resolution
• Automatically increases problem priorities based upon the number of end users affected

Problems and Known Errors may be defined at the Service Record level and be available to all ITSM users, while Potential Problem Scan Requests are crawling the database(s), connecting the dots.

Embedded Workflow for Problem Management

• Document problems, provides ability to distinguish between incident and problem and links problems to related incidents.
• Facilitate the automatic detection of incidents to problems and Known Errors.
• Apply and classify the priority, impact, and urgency of problems and relationship to configuration items.
• Provide thresholds for customizable escalation based on Service Level Agreements.
• Define problem ownership, monitoring, tracking and communication.
• Provide modifiable automated alerts and customizable reports.
• Create the ability to find quick workarounds for corrective action.
• Establish root cause for trending and a proactive approach to preventing problems.

Causal Analysis and Resolution

• Automated generation of Potential Problems Level I:
  • Constants: Manufacturer, Model, Description, Equipment Type
  • If more than 3 incidents are found in a given week (7 day period) where at least 3 of the constants match, a Potential Problem Record is created.
• Automated generation of potential problems Level II:
  • Constants: Equipment Type=Networking Devices + State
  • If more than 2 incidents occur in a week within the same geographic area and Equipment Type=Networking Devices generate a Potential Problem Record
• Automated generation of potential problems Level III:
  • Constants: Subcontractor name, Number of Part Orders
  • If a subcontractor name appears in more than 3 incidents within a 10 day period, and with more than one Part Order associated with each incident, a Potential Problem Record (PPR) is created.

Rationale: Proactively identify problem trends.
Stakeholders: Service Agents, Problem Manager, Service Manager

Questions and Answers

Does the tool facilitate the creation, modification, and closure of Problem records?
Yes. The tool provides two (2) methods in which to create a problem record. The record can be created manually via the ‘Search Problems’ “New” tab and, the problem record may be created directly from the Incident Record. The 2nd method will also populate Incident data into the Problem Record and generate the linkages between them. All modifications of the Problem record (including closure) are permanently logged.

Does the tool support the ability to distinguish between an Incident and Problem Records?
Yes. The Problem and Incident Record are independent records. The Problem record maintains the ability to distinguish between Problem, and Known Error. The ‘Related Incidents’ field identifies all associated Incident records if applicable.

Does the tool facilitate the automated matching of Incidents to Problems and Known Errors?
Yes. The tool matches Incidents to Problem records which may be identified as a Problem or known error.

Does the tool support the ability to route and assign Problem records to pre-defined support staff or groups?
Yes. The Problem record is assigned to the Individual who created the Problem record. It may be modified to identify a support staff member or support group.

Does the tool enable impact and urgency codes to be assigned to Problem records?
Yes. Impact and Urgency are assignable.

Does the tool facilitate progress tracking and monitoring of Problems? For example, tracking ownership and responsibility for establishing root cause.
Yes. The Manager of the record (assigned during the creation of the record) is assigned ownership and responsibility for establishing the Root Cause.

Does the tool facilitate the escalation of Problems after pre-defined thresholds have been breached?
Yes. There are several methods to facilitate the escalation of Problems. Using the ‘Notification Events’ module, notices to users, stakeholders, or any other individual email addresses may be generated via a query designed to compare threshold values.
Additionally, the Potential Problem Management System (PPMS) has the capability to run ad-hoc scans against Problem records. The combination of the PPMS Scan Request and the ad-hoc system provides infinite methods in which to define thresholds and send notifications.

Does the tool provide historical data on Problems and Known Errors for use by support staff during the investigation process?
Yes. Support Staff may interrogate historical data by using the Problem search screen or the ad-hoc reporting system. Using the search screen, any single field or combination of fields may be interrogated. Using the ad-hoc reporting system, reports tailored to ones needs may be executed and saved for future requirements. The ad-hoc reporting system has the capability of combining multiple tables (Problem and Incident tables) for in-depth analysis.

Does the tool facilitate the generation of customizable management reports?
Yes. CENTRE facilitates the generation of customizable management reports through the use of the Ad-hoc Reporting system.
Additionally, CENTRE maintains a Potential Problem Management System (PPMS) to identify trends and notify individuals or groups as stated thresholds’ breach. The PPMS tool is built upon the ad-hoc reporting system criteria, and allows one to select any field or group of fields from the Problem and Incident records. Using the Problem entry screen combined with the ad-hoc selection criteria provides the user with infinite methods to select records to identify potential issues before they become problems.

Integration Criteria

Does the tool’s use of terms and definitions align with ITIL terms and definitions?
Yes

Change Management: Does the tool facilitate the association of Problem records to Change records?
Yes. The relationships between the Problem Record and RFC’s are maintained on the Problem and Change Records accordingly.

Configuration Management: Does the tool integrate with CMDB to support the association of Problem records to CI records?
Yes. CI records may be integrated to the associated Problem record via the Change Record.

Incident Management: Does the tool facilitate the association and maintenance of the relationships between Incident and Problem records?
Yes. Incident Records are linked to their associated Problem record.

Does the tool enable the Problem Management team to communicate status and progress reports, as well as temporary solutions and workarounds to the Service Desk staff?
Yes. The Problem Management team has the capability to enter status, progress information, and, workaround solutions into the Problem record for Service Desk review.

Is the tool able to automate the increase in the severity or impact classification of a Problem according to the number of associated Incidents and/or the number of End Users affected?
Yes. The Problem record is associated to an Incident-Impact-Urgency Matrix. This configurable matrix is triggered by the number of incidents. As thresholds are reached, the Impact and Urgency may be adjusted. If desired, alert recipients may be added to the matrix. The Impact and Urgency values modify the priority value and are configurable.