Problem Management Process
4 Communication and training There are various forms of communication that must take place for the problem management process to be effective. These are described below.
4.1 Communication with users It is likely that many of the incidents that give rise to the identification of a problem are reported by users. If such incidents are not able to be closed via the use of a workaround then it will be appropriate to keep these users informed about the progress of the investigation of the problem. In the event that such incidents can be closed but reoccur on a regular basis then users will still want to be kept informed about when the underlying problem will be fixed, and the frequent incidents can be expected to cease. Emails and other communications that are exchanged with the user should be incorporated into the request record so that a full audit trail of all communication is kept and is available to whoever is working on the problem. It may be appropriate to invite selected users to sessions organized to investigate problems via the various techniques available. Users who have first-hand knowledge of the symptoms and circumstances of a problem can provide valuable insight into its causes and may speed up its resolution.
4.2 Communication with customers Even where there is no formal SLA associated with the resolution of problems, customers should be kept informed about the progress of high priority problems affecting their business area, including what is being done to resolve them and the resources dedicated to their investigation.
4.3 Communication with IT teams Problem management needs the support of technical specialists to identify and resolve sometimes complex problems for the benefit of the business and often the IT team itself. The problem manager will foster close relationships with key teams within the IT organization so that the benefits of effective problem management are understood and demonstrated. IT specialists will be involved in investigative sessions and are likely to be key contributors to the use of techniques such as chronological analysis and fault isolation. Version 1
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