You Can't Improve What You Don't Measure — The Key Metrics for Problem Management Success
Why Measurement Matters
Measuring problem management effectiveness helps organizations:
- Identify areas for improvement
- Demonstrate the value of problem management
- Make data-driven decisions
- Track progress over time
Key Metrics
Process Effectiveness Metrics
|
Metric |
Purpose |
|
Total number of problems, by priority |
Control measure for level of problems. The change in level over time can be considered both positive and negative |
|
% of problems with workaround defined |
Measure the effectiveness of problem management in defining and communicating workarounds |
|
% of problems with a root cause identified |
Measure the effectiveness of problem management in defining root cause |
|
Mean time to first respond to problems |
Measure of how well response SLAs are achieved |
|
Average time to determine root cause |
This is about identifying and not resolving root cause as this could take a considerable time |
Outcome Metrics
|
Metric |
Purpose |
|
% of problems that recur |
Measure of recurring problems that have a business impact |
|
Number of incidents related to closed (or open) problems |
Indication of how much problem management reduces disruption. Indicator of avoided outages |
|
% of incidents resolved by fixing known errors |
Measures the effectiveness of problem management in supporting the timely resolution of incidents |
Why Speed of Resolution Shouldn't Be a Metric
With problem management, the purpose is to understand the underlying cause of issues and permanently fix them no matter how long that takes or if it is even possible. Therefore, in problem management speed of resolution is not something that should be measured. This would drive the wrong behavior for the process and focus on closing records rather than finding the permanent fix. Process Owners need to feel comfortable with problem records potentially remaining open for months or even years .
Direct and Indirect ROI
Direct ROI:
- Reduction in incident solving costs
- Savings on SLA breach penalties
- Reduced higher-level support involvement
Indirect ROI:
- Improved service quality leading to higher employee satisfaction
- Reduced risk of incidents impacting the business
Measuring Success
- Track metrics as trend lines over time, not snapshots
- Monitored by the Process Owner
- Use data for improvement - identify areas for investment
- Demonstrate value - show the ROI of problem management
Conclusion
Effective measurement is essential for problem management success. By tracking the right metrics and using them to drive improvement, organizations can reduce incident volume, improve service quality, and demonstrate the value of problem management.
Action Items for Your Organization
- Define your problem management metrics
- Set up measurement and reporting
- Establish baseline measurements
- Review metrics regularly
- Use data to drive improvement
