BCS Specialist: Problem Management

ITIL® is recognised internationally as the best practice approach to IT Service Management (ITSM) aligning the provision of IT Services with the needs of the business. It is used globally by thousands of organisations throughout the private and public sectors to improve the way in which they implement and manage IT Services.

The ITIL qualification scheme also recognises other certifications which add value to ITIL best practices and its own certification portfolio. These certifications are recognised under the ITIL Complementary Qualifications Scheme. Such certifications are given a credit value which successful delegates can add to the credits gained from other ITIL certifications and use towards their ITIL Expert Level qualification.

The BCS Specialist certifications focus on a single IT service management job role and provide in-depth information and knowledge on how that job role operates within an organisation. They enable delegates to develop their job specific skills using industry best practices.

The BCS Specialist Certificate in Problem Management provides a comprehensive understanding of the principles required and practical experience of developing, maintaining, operating and improving problem management processes.

To find when the next course is running in your area, please contact us on 0845 467 7029.

Audience: Who is the course for?

• Those working within a problem management area at either a technical, operational, supervisory or managerial level
• Project managers, business managers and business process owners
• Those who require a working knowledge of the industry best practice used in Problem Management and how it can be used to improve the quality of ITSM within an organisation
• Those who are working within an organisation which has adopted these practices and are required to deliver or improve Problem Management within an on-going Service Improvement Programme (SIP)

Course duration:

This is a three day course. The exam is taken on the third day.

Benefits to the individual:

• Recognised professional qualification
• Understand the application of BCS Problem Management principles that contribute to industry best practice
• Understand the BCS Problem Management processes and how they may be used to enhance the quality of IT service support within an organisation
• Gain credits towards the ITIL Expert certification in IT Service Management

Benefits to the business:

• The adoption and application of proven best practice processes results in improved IT services and increased productivity throughout the business
• Practical analysis of problem records and reports allows steps to be taken to reduce the number of potential future problems which in turn leads to greater productivity
• Improved customer satisfaction and less down time through quicker fixes
• Better process management leads to increased efficiency and reduced costs
• The framework is flexible, scalable, and systematic and can be used within different organisations irrespective of size or industry

Prerequisites:

Delegates must hold the Foundation Certificate in IT Service Management and will need to present their certificate as documentary evidence to gain admission. It is also recommended that delegates have:

• A minimum of one year's experience in an IT Service Management environment either as a practitioner, supervisor or manager
• Several years' experience in a specialist service management area aiming to take on a supervisory or managerial role
• Responsibility for the delivery and maintenance of a specific service management process

Course outline:

The objectives of this course are:

• To enable delegates to apply industry best practices in their working environment
• Develop and improve the customer and business focus of Problem Management
• Understand the interdependencies between Problem Management and other IT areas and processes
• Assist with the planning and implementation of Problem Management

The course is conducted through interactive group study using practical examples and activities. Delegates will sit a mock exam in order to help them prepare for and successfully pass the real exam. After completing the mock exam, delegates and the tutor will review the mock exam paper as a group. Over the three day course, the following topics are covered:

Introduction

• Overview of course structure, objectives, exam format and agenda
• History of ITSM, introduction to ITSM in general, including standards, good practice and frameworks such as ISO/IEC 20000, ITIL and COBIT® and the differences in approach
• The goal and objectives of the Problem Management process, and an outline of the related functions, roles and processes

Problem Management processes. Problem Management concepts and principles:

• The responsibilities and objectives in support of generic Problem Management
• Definition and use of problems, known errors, incidents, requests, changes and events
• The problem lifecycle
• The known error lifecycle
• Reactive and proactive Problem Management activities
• Problem Management techniques, such as Kepner-Tregoe and Ishikawa (Fishbone diagrams)

The how - ITIL and its application to Problem Management:

• The structure intent and use of ITIL
• The key Problem Management guidelines within ITIL
• Interfaces with and dependencies on other areas of ITIL and ISO/IEC 20000 especially , Service Desk, Incident Management, Event, Availability, IT Service Continuity, Capacity, Security, Change and Service Asset and Configuration Management

A generic Problem Management process, including:

• Problems and known errors and their management
• The problem lifecycle (i.e. identify, record, assess, classify, update, analyse, escalate, resolve, close, review)
• Technical support and escalation
• Support of the Incident Management process and the managing of Major Incidents
• Other associated areas and processes e.g. management of events, incidents, requests, changes, projects and known errors

The what – the requirements of the ISO/IEC 20000 standard:

• The structure, intent and use of ISO/IEC 20000
• The key Problem Management requirements of Part 1 of the standard
• Supporting material from Parts 2 and 3 of the standard
• The overall Service Management System
• Interfaces with and dependencies on other areas of the standard

Tools, methods and techniques

• Awareness, knowledge and use of Problem Management support tools and techniques
• Generic requirements for Problem Management toolsets
• Integration with other areas, processes and functions
• The benefits of automation

Problem Management roles and responsibilities – SFIA and ITIL. Skills Framework for the Information Age (SFIA) and its use with defining Problem Management roles:

• Overview of the structure and content of the SFIA framework
• Problem Management roles, levels of responsibility and work activities

ITIL and its use in defining Problem Management roles:

• Problem Management roles and responsibilities

Control, measurement and reporting activities. COBIT® and its application to Problem Management:

• The structure intent and use of COBIT®
• The key Problem Management requirements of COBIT® DS 8 and DS 10
• Interfaces with and dependencies on other areas of COBIT®

The preparation of Problem Management reports for dissemination:

• The purpose of service reports, management reports and reporting. What to report on and what not to?
• Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and Critical Success Factors (CSFs)
• How statistics can be used and abused
• Common categories of problem classification and analysis

Analysis of problems, incidents, statistics and trends. The analysis of problems, incidents, statistics and reports, identifying trends:

• Identification of areas of weakness and proposing resolutions for the proactive prevention of possible incidents

Interfaces and dependencies

• The appreciation and understanding of the interfaces and dependencies Problem Management has with other areas, functions and processes, including.
  • Incident Management
  • Service Level Management
  • Request Fulfilment
  • Change and Release Management
  • Service Asset and Configuration Management
  • IT Security Management
  • Capacity, Availability, Finance and Continuity principles
  • Projects and major changes
  • Supplier Management
  • Technical, Support, Operations and Applications Management teams

Planning, improvement and implementation

• The planning, implementation and continual improvement (Plan/Do/Check/Act ) of Problem Management

Exam details:

The 90 minute exam consists of 25 multiple choice questions. The questions are based on a number of scenarios and the pass mark is 16/25 or 64%. This is a closed book exam i.e. entrants may not refer to any course materials or their own notes.