Problem Management Launch Michael Hall Real-World IT

© Real-World IT 2014 All rights reserved What We Cover  Incidents and Problems – What’s the Difference?  Definition of Problem Management  Difference from Incident Management  Keys to Success  Advantages of structured problem solving  Benefits to the business and IT teams  The ‘Rules of Engagement’ – how we work together  Key Performance Indicators 2

© Real-World IT 2014 All rights reserved Incidents and Problems – What’s the Difference? 3 ITIL® 2011 defines an incident as:  An unplanned interruption to a business service,  A reduction in the quality of a service, or  The failure of a CI that has not yet impacted a service (2011, Service Operations, p 72) While a problem is defined as:  The underlying cause of one or more incidents (2011, Service Operations, p 97) In other words:  Incidents stop services being useful  Problems are why they happen ITIL® is a Registered Trade Mark of AXELOS Limited

© Real-World IT 2014 All rights reserved So what is Problem Management? ITIL® 2011 defines the objectives of Problem Management as:  “Prevent problems and resulting incidents from happening  Eliminate recurring incidents  Minimise the impact of incidents that cannot be prevented” (2011, Service Operations, p 97) In other words:  Finding the cause and  Fixing it so it cannot happen again  Will make a difference to stability ITIL® is a Registered Trade Mark of AXELOS Limited 4

© Real-World IT 2014 All rights reserved How is it different from Incident Management?  Incident management is focused on restoring service Reactive by nature Minimise time to restore Minimise business impact But by itself does not reduce the long term incidence of service interruptions  Problem management is focused on identifying the root cause Establish the real reason for the incident Execute a plan to fix the cause permanently 5

© Real-World IT 2014 All rights reserved  Keys to success: Good handover from Incident Mgmt Structured investigation methods Key staff collaborate on investigation Confirm root cause, then work out how to fix it Fully costed solution options Only proceed with fixes when approved Check solution really has fixed the cause Only close problems when definitely fixed Report on success – what won’t happen again 6 Problem Detection Problem Investigation Error Resolution Review and Closure Root Cause Confirmed What Makes Problem Management Successful?

© Real-World IT 2014 All rights reserved  Use structured methods to improve Speed to root cause - standard approach Consistency - based on evidence Certainty that real causes are found Collaboration – teams know what to expect  Repeatable process* used every time: Define the problem precisely Use rapid analysis first for root cause ◦ Why did that object have that fault? ◦ Repeat until cause is clear – 4 to 6 questions If rapid analysis does not reveal cause, move to IS/BUT NOT and possible causes ◦ Identify more about the problem ◦ Find possible causes ◦ Test each logically to confirm true cause Decide how to fix the problem ◦ Develop options and choose most effective ◦ Confirm actions and costs with customer Implement the solution Verify the problem has been eliminated *This is KEPNERandFOURIE, insert your preferred method here 7 62%  Clear communication to customers of what happened and why, plus how and when a permanent fix will be deployed Why Adopt Structured Problem Solving?

© Real-World IT 2014 All rights reserved What are the Business Benefits?  Problem management increases the overall stability of systems supporting business operations  Directly Fixing problems – finding root causes and resolving them Not just visible problems – potential problems as well Reducing the number of recurring incidents  Indirectly Influence design of applications and infrastructure Improved audit and regulatory compliance – effective governance seen to be done  Cross silo and cross regional resolutions Problems addressed comprehensively ◦ Identify all instances that could be affected ◦ Resolution plans with global reach  Improve visibility of problems Regular reporting to senior management ◦ Accountability for driving improvement KPIs in place to measure success ◦Make performance visible to all 8

© Real-World IT 2014 All rights reserved  Improved stability Gets rid of recurring problems Reduces fire-fighting – more time for “value-add” work  Framework for problem solving Gives more confidence when attacking problems Makes engaging the right people much easier Clarifies which problems are being worked on And who owns each problem Results in happier customers and colleagues  Satisfaction Finds the cause without witch hunts or blame Quickly shares knowledge about problems for everyone’s benefit Makes working together across teams much easier Delivers a higher success rate and a faster turn around Automates reporting to replace tedious manual work And what are the Benefits for IS Teams? 9

© Real-World IT 2014 All rights reserved The ‘Rules of Engagement’ – how we work together  Assign no blame What happened and why? What can be done to stop it happening again? Human error? No such thing!  Attend problem sessions Problem solving as a group of experts Clear statement of the problem Gather all the facts List all possible causes  Suspend Judgement Keep an open mind Assume you do not know cause Fit theories to facts, not the other way around  Make problem tasks a priority Take responsibility for your tasks Make your management aware Raise conflicts to the problem manager Don’t close tasks without review and approval 10

© Real-World IT 2014 All rights reserved Measuring the difference we make – Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)  % of root cause being found: 95% of root causes will be found  % root cause found within 5 working days: Root cause will be found within 5 working days 80% of the time  Number of recurring problems: Zero recurring problems  % of problems resolved within agreed time frame: 90% of problems will be resolved in the time frame agreed by management  % reduction in incidents from agreed baseline: 25% reduction in incidents per period These KPIs are proposed for adoption in They will go live with looser targets that will tighten as the problem management implementation progresses 11