Problem Management
Problem Management is where ServiceCore stops fighting the same fire twice. While Incident Management restores service fast, this module exists to find and remove the underlying cause — running root cause analysis, recording known errors, and binding each problem to the incidents it explains so a single fix can close a whole pattern. Reactive problems raised from recurring incidents and proactive problems opened from trend analysis live on the same record and the same lifecycle, giving the desk one place to investigate, document, and resolve.
Built for the way problem management should work
Problem Management is where ServiceCore stops fighting the same fire twice. While Incident Management restores service fast, this module exists to find and remove the underlying cause — running root cause analysis, recording known errors, and binding each problem to the incidents it explains so a single fix can close a whole pattern. Reactive problems raised from recurring incidents and proactive problems opened from trend analysis live on the same record and the same lifecycle, giving the desk one place to investigate, document, and resolve.
Inside ServiceCore, a problem is never an island. Multiple incidents can be grouped under one problem in a click, so scattered tickets that share a cause collapse into a single investigation with one owner. As analysts work the root cause, findings, hypotheses, and impact are captured on the record, and confirmed causes are flagged as known errors — turning each diagnosis into reusable organizational memory rather than a note that disappears when the ticket closes.
Because every module runs on one shared data model, the problem record reaches across ServiceCore without exports or sync. A workaround documented here surfaces to the desk and the self-service portal through Knowledge Management; a permanent fix opens a change request directly in Change Management with the problem linked for traceability; affected configuration items connect the problem to the asset and CMDB graph. When the problem is resolved, the fix and status can cascade to every linked incident automatically, so the team closes a pattern instead of updating tickets one by one.
Trend detection watches incident volume by category, service, and configuration item, surfacing repeat patterns that warrant a proactive problem before users feel the next outage. Effort and time on each problem are tracked through ServiceCore's automation, and reporting rolls problem activity into the same dashboards that cover incidents and changes — so leadership sees not just how fast service was restored, but how many root causes were permanently removed.
- Root cause analysis
- Known error database
- Incident-to-problem linking
- Workarounds & fixes
- Trend detection
- Permanent resolution tracking
What you can do with it
Root cause analysis
Structured RCA on each problem record captures symptom, scope, business impact, hypotheses, and confirmed cause so diagnosis is consistent and auditable across teams.
Known error database
Confirmed causes are flagged as known errors with their workarounds, building a searchable library the desk can reach the next time the same fault appears.
Incident-to-problem linking
Promote a recurring incident to a problem in one click and group many incidents under a single problem so shared causes are investigated once, not repeatedly.
Workaround capture
Temporary and permanent solutions are recorded on the problem and published through Knowledge Management so first-line agents can keep service running while a fix is pending.
Change-driven resolution
Raise a change request straight from the problem record, keeping the permanent fix linked to its cause and traceable end to end through Change Management.
Cascading closure
When a problem is resolved, the resolution and status can apply automatically to every linked incident under rules you define, closing the whole pattern at once.
Why teams adopt it
Fewer repeat incidents
Removing the cause instead of the symptom cuts the volume of recurring tickets, freeing the desk from rework on faults it has already seen.
Faster first response
A populated known error database lets agents apply a proven workaround in minutes, shortening user-facing downtime before the permanent fix lands.
Auditable accountability
Every problem carries its analysis, linked incidents, change, and closure history on one record, giving auditors and leadership a clear trail from cause to resolution.
Lower operational cost
Grouping incidents, reusing known errors, and cascading closure remove duplicated investigation and manual ticket updates, reducing the effort spent per resolution.
Where it fits
Recurring outage
A weekly VPN failure generates a dozen incidents; the team groups them under one problem, runs RCA, and a single change fix closes them all at once.
Proactive trend catch
Trend detection flags a rising cluster of print-service incidents, so a problem is opened to investigate the driver before it escalates into a major outage.
Workaround while fixing
An RCA confirms a memory leak that needs a vendor patch; the documented workaround is published so the desk keeps users productive until the patch is scheduled.
Post-incident root cause
After a major incident is restored, a problem is raised to find the true cause, link the original incident, and drive a permanent change so it cannot recur.
Common questions
Incident Management restores service as fast as possible and treats the symptom; Problem Management investigates the underlying cause so the incident stops returning. They share one data model, so incidents promote to problems in a click and link bidirectionally — the problem explains the incidents, and resolving it can cascade closure back to every linked incident.
Part of these solutions
Related modules
See Problem Management in action.
Book a demo and we'll show problem management working alongside the rest of the platform — on one shared data model.