What a problem manager does: Roles, responsibilities, and skills

Problem management is all about identifying, analyzing, and resolving the root causes of recurring issues and fixing them for good.

Sounds simple, right?

Unfortunately, this isn't always the case. Problem management has always been a tricky ITSM discipline for organizations to get a proper handle on. One crucial factor that often goes overlooked is that effective problem management goes beyond just tools and processes. It requires skilled individuals to lead the way. The problem manager plays a central role in this by overseeing and coordinating the efforts of the team.

In this article, we will delve into everything you need to know about the role of a problem manager.

Who is a problem manager?

A problem manager is the designated point of contact responsible for overseeing the life cycle of all problems that occur within the IT infrastructure of an organization.

For example, say an organization's mail server experiences frequent outages, causing disruptions to employee productivity. The incident manager and their team may resolve each outage as it occurs, but the problem manager drills down into why the outages are happening to prevent them from happening again.

Quickly finding the root causes of such recurring issues makes a real difference in terms of shortening the mean time to resolve (MTTR) and avoiding hours of costly downtime. Problem managers help facilitate just that by leading the process, right from problem identification to closure. They conduct thorough root cause analyses and coordinate cross-functional collaboration by bringing together the right information, tools, and people.

Let's take a closer look at how this is achieved.

The key roles and responsibilities of a problem manager

Problem managers play a pivotal role in maintaining the reliability of IT services by addressing the root causes of recurring incidents to ensure business continuity.

Here's a list of their key responsibilities.

• Problem managers strategically manage problem queues by prioritizing issues based on severity and business impact to minimize service disruptions.
• They assemble the right teams and expertise, ensuring that the resources at their disposal are managed well.
• They foster clear collaboration among stakeholders, coordinating efforts with incident and change managers to resolve known errors and prevent future incidents.
• They manage the Known Error Database (KEDB) for efficient resolution of recurring issues.
• They oversee the entire problem life cycle to make sure that the corrective actions are implemented properly and the problem at hand is effectively resolved.
• Beyond resolving IT issues, problem managers analyze data, track metrics, assess solution effectiveness, and identify areas for improvement to prevent future problems.

What are the skills required to be a problem manager?

Problems often present themselves in complex and multifaceted ways, making it essential for problem managers to possess a diverse skillset.

Here are some of the attributes of a good problem manager.

Technical proficiency: A solid grasp of their organization's IT infrastructure is paramount to help problem managers swiftly diagnose and address issues. They must have a comprehensive understanding of the technical aspects relevant to their role.

Problem-solving abilities: Problem managers must excel in problem-solving, showcasing a combination of creativity, critical thinking, and persistence in getting down to the root of issues. They should be well versed with different RCA methodologies, like fishbone diagrams and the 5 Whys model, to get to the core of problems rather than merely addressing their surface symptoms.

Analytical skills: Problem managers require astute analytical skills that allow them to approach issues with a rational mind. They must be able to analyze real-time metrics and data, spot trends, and draw insights to guide problem-solving efforts.

Communication skills: They must be adept at relaying information to technical teams, vendors, users, and other stakeholders to make sure that everyone is on the same page. They must effectively communicate the progress of resolution and the potential risks that may arise along the way.

What does a problem manager need in their toolkit?

Problem managers need a diverse toolkit tailored to address the multifaceted challenges that are inherent in IT problem management.

Here's what they should look out for in their ITSM tool.

1. A problem management module that tightly integrates with other key modules, including:

Incident management: Recurring incidents often reveal the need for problem management. That's why problem managers need a tool that offers a centralized repository for logging, tracking, and managing incidents effectively. This enables them to track the progress of incidents, analyze trends, and identify recurring issues that may require further investigation.

Change management: Problem management often prompts the need for the implementation of corrective measures. This is where a tightly integrated change management module comes into play, where new changes are rolled out to address the identified issues.

2. An integrated CMDB

The CMDB serves as a central repository of information about the IT environment, including hardware, software, relationships, and configurations. With an integrated CMDB, problem managers can understand dependencies and explore all the interrelated components of the affected service and pinpoint what caused the failure in the first place.

3. An easily accessible KEDB

With an up-to-date KEDB that has detailed records on the symptoms, root causes, and potential solutions or workarounds for known issues, problem managers can expedite their resolution process and mitigate the recurrence of known issues.

4. Watertight integrations with:

Monitoring tools: By integrating with robust monitoring tools, problem managers can analyze data from disparate sources to detect anomalies that may indicate underlying problems. They can configure alerting mechanisms that wil notify them of deviations from predefined performance thresholds. These alerts enable timely intervention, helping problem managers proactively address imminent issues.

Analytics and reporting tools: With analytics and reporting tools, problem managers can create comprehensive dashboards and reports that will help them extract actionable insights from their problem records. This will not only help problem managers drive informed decision-making in their resolution process but also help foster effective communication of their findings to stakeholders.

5. AI and automation capabilities

AI technologies can augment problem managers' capabilities by offering advanced analytics, automation, and predictive capabilities. AI-powered problem management systems can analyze data from various sources, including incident and problem records, system logs, and performance metrics, to identify patterns and trends. They can also be trained to trigger notifications automatically or create problem tickets for those anticipated issues. GenAI can be leveraged to query about past incidents and their resolutions, allowing for quick retrieval of information and clearer context around the problem at hand. GenAI can also aid in root cause analyses by offering plausible explanations and challenging prevailing narratives to ensure a more comprehensive exploration of underlying issues.

Does your organization need a problem manager?

No matter how well prepared you are, problems are bound to arise. But without dedicated resources, organizations find themselves grappling with recurring IT issues, leading to disruptions in business operations.

Introducing a problem manager role can fill this gap by providing a dedicated individual with the expertise to methodically identify and resolve complex issues. While its clear that problems are unavoidable, problem managers, with their skills and knowledge, can make recurring incidents decline and user productivity increase. Don't let your problems become roadblocks, but consider having a problem manager—they might just be the piece you were missing.