What is problem management in ITIL?

Table of contents

1. Introduction
2. What is ITIL problem management?
3. Key objectives of problem management
4. Types of problem management in ITIL
5. Problem management process flow
6. Roles and responsibilities
7. Benefits of problem management
8. Practical example of problem management
9. Incident management vs problem management
10. Final thoughts
11. References

Introduction

Fixing the same IT issue repeatedly is frustrating, inefficient, and costly. While restoring service quickly is important, it does little to prevent the problem from happening again.

This is where problem management in ITIL becomes essential. Instead of focusing on speed alone, problem management aims to understand why incidents occur and how they can be prevented in the future. When applied effectively, it reduces downtime, improves service reliability, and strengthens long-term IT performance.

What is ITIL problem management?

In ITIL, problem management is concerned with addressing the causes behind repeated or significant incidents, rather than only dealing with their immediate effects. The focus is on understanding why issues occur, reducing the likelihood of them happening again, and limiting their overall impact on services.

To support this work, ITIL uses several commonly accepted terms. A problem refers to the reason incidents occur, even if that reason is not immediately known. An error describes a flaw within a system or component that can contribute to service disruption. When the cause of a problem has been identified and a temporary solution exists, it is recorded as a known error. The root cause represents the underlying factor that triggered the issue in the first place.

Using these concepts consistently allows IT teams to shift their focus from short-term fixes to sustainable improvements in service stability.

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Key objectives of problem management

Problem management in ITIL is guided by three primary objectives:

• Prevent incidents from occurring by identifying and eliminating root causes
• Reduce the impact of recurring incidents through workarounds and known error records
• Improve control and visibility over problems affecting IT services

Together, these objectives support service stability and continual improvement.

Types of problem management in ITIL

ITIL recognises two complementary approaches to problem management.

Proactive problem management

Proactive problem management focuses on preventing incidents before they occur. IT teams analyse historical data, trends, and system behaviour to identify potential weaknesses.

This approach:

• Identifies risks early
• Uses incident trends and monitoring data
• Reduces unexpected outages
• Improves overall service resilience

Proactive problem management is particularly effective in mature IT organisations with good data quality.

Reactive problem management

Reactive problem management is triggered after incidents occur. The focus is on identifying root causes and implementing permanent solutions to prevent recurrence.

This approach:

• Investigates recurring or major incidents
• Identifies and documents known errors
• Supports long-term service improvement
• Reduces repeated service disruptions

Most organisations start with reactive problem management and gradually expand into proactive practices.

Problem management process flow

While ITIL does not prescribe a rigid process, problem management typically follows a structured lifecycle.

The problem management process brings structure to how recurring or significant issues are handled, from early discovery to permanent resolution. Below are the key steps commonly involved.

Problem detection
Problems are identified either by analysing trends and patterns or by proactively looking for weaknesses in systems and services. The aim is to uncover issues early or define temporary solutions before incidents begin to affect users.

Categorisation and prioritisation
Once a problem is identified, it is classified and assessed based on impact and urgency. This helps teams stay organised and ensures effort is focused on the problems that pose the greatest risk or business impact.

Investigation and diagnosis
At this stage, teams analyse the problem in detail to understand what factors contributed to it. The goal is to determine the most appropriate long-term approach to addressing the issue and preventing recurrence.

Documenting known errors
When the cause of a problem is understood and a temporary solution exists, it is recorded as a known error. Capturing this information makes it easier to respond quickly if the problem leads to future incidents and helps reduce service disruption.

Defining workarounds
If a permanent fix is not immediately available, a workaround may be established. While not a final solution, workarounds help limit impact and keep services available until the root cause can be fully resolved.

Resolution and closure
The final step is implementing a permanent solution. Once the issue has been eliminated and verified, the problem is formally closed, ensuring it no longer poses a risk of causing further incidents.

Roles and responsibilities

Clear ownership is critical for effective problem management.

Problem manager

Responsible for overseeing the practice, ensuring problems are analysed, prioritised, and resolved effectively.

Problem-solving teams

Technical specialists who investigate root causes, test solutions, and implement fixes.

Service owners

Accountable for the overall health and performance of affected services.

Clear roles help reduce delays and improve collaboration across teams.

Benefits of problem management

When applied consistently, problem management delivers measurable benefits, including:

• Fewer recurring incidents
• Improved service stability and availability
• Reduced operational workload and firefighting
• Better use of IT resources
• Increased customer and user satisfaction

By preventing issues rather than repeatedly fixing them, organisations save time, cost, and effort.

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Practical example of problem management

An organisation experiences regular application outages every few weeks. Incident management restores service quickly each time, but the issue keeps returning.

Through problem management, the IT team analyses incident data and identifies outdated dependencies as the root cause. After updating and validating the configuration, the outages stop recurring.

This illustrates how problem management turns short-term fixes into long-term solutions.

Incident management vs problem management

Although closely related, the two practices serve different purposes.

• Incident management focuses on restoring service as quickly as possible
• Problem management focuses on preventing incidents from happening again

Both are essential and most effective when closely integrated.

Final thoughts

Problem management plays an important role in helping IT organisations move beyond constant firefighting. By taking the time to understand recurring issues, learn from past incidents, and apply long-term fixes, teams can create more stable and predictable services.

When problem management is embedded into everyday ways of working and supported by practices such as incident management and continual improvement, it contributes to stronger service performance, reduced disruption, and better outcomes for both users and the business.

Developing effective problem management skills often starts with formal ITIL knowledge. Structured ITIL training can help professionals apply best practices more consistently and progress in their service management careers.

References

Atlassian (2024). Problem management in ITSM. Available at: https://www.atlassian.com/itsm/problem-management (Accessed: 29 Dec 2025).

AXELOS (2019). ITIL® Foundation: ITIL 4 Edition. London: TSO.

IBM (2024). What is problem management? Available at: https://www.ibm.com/think/topics/problem-management (Accessed: 29 Dec 2025).

Ivanti (2024). Problem management definition. Available at: https://www.ivanti.com/glossary/problem-management (Accessed: 29 Dec 2025).

Nilex (2024). ITIL 4 problem management – an introduction. Available at: https://nilex.se/e-guider/nilex-guide-itil-4-problem-management-en-introduktion/ (Accessed:29 Dec 2025).