{"id":1470,"date":"2023-11-22T09:01:41","date_gmt":"2023-11-22T09:01:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/leantree.co.uk\/?p=1470"},"modified":"2024-02-16T09:03:35","modified_gmt":"2024-02-16T09:03:35","slug":"what-is-an-itsm-incident","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/leantree.co.uk\/what-is-an-itsm-incident\/","title":{"rendered":"What is an (ITSM) Incident?"},"content":{"rendered":"
In IT Service Management (ITSM), the term “incident<\/strong>” is a key concept. It’s not just a random event or mishap but a well-defined concept with implications for the smooth functioning of an organisation\u2019s technical systems. Sometimes the term \u201cmajor incident<\/strong>\u201d will be used, this is typically to cover a more severe incident – perhaps a P1 (Priority 1) incident that has a significant impact on the business or its operations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n An incident should also not be confused with routine service requests or planned changes. Unlike service requests, which involve standard, pre-approved actions like password resets or access permissions, incidents are unexpected and disruptive events that require immediate attention. Incidents are also not part of planned changes or scheduled maintenance activities. They are unscheduled, unplanned, and often occur abruptly, leading to disruptions in IT services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While planned changes may often follow a structured process with approvals, incidents demand a rapid response and effective resolution to minimise impact. It’s therefore essential to distinguish between incidents and service requests to ensure that each receives the appropriate attention and treatment in alignment with ITSM principles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Let’s dive deeper into what constitutes an incident, why it matters, and how it is managed to ensure uninterrupted business operations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Within ITSM, an incident is usually defined as any unplanned interruption or disruption to an IT service that affects the normal course of business. These interruptions can be caused by a variety of factors, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Further to this, in ITSM the concept of a \u201cproblem\u201d is used to discuss the root cause of one or more incidents. Another way to think about the difference between incidents and problems is that incidents are symptoms, while problems are the underlying causes. Incident management is focused on treating the symptoms (i.e., restoring IT service as quickly as possible), while problem management is focused on curing the root cause.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In many organisations, Problem Management is often expanded into a full-time function, with its team members performing trend analysis to identify recurring issues needing attention, or managing long-term, chronic issues where the permanent fix is not straightforward or to ensure sufficient resources are allocated to solving the problem.<\/p>\n\n\nDefining an incident in ITSM<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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