Incident Management
Managing Director
Incident Management: Incident management encompasses all measures and processes that companies use to systematically record, prioritize and efficiently resolve unplanned IT faults or service interruptions in order to restore regular service operations as quickly as possible.
- Letztes Update: 21.10.2025
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Faults are rectified according to clear processes so that business-critical processes are quickly up and running again and downtimes are reduced to a minimum.
The incident management process follows standardized steps such as logging, classification, prioritization, diagnosis and resolution to ensure consistent handling.
Every incident is recorded and documented centrally, creating clear responsibilities and ensuring traceable processes at all times.
Routine tasks run automatically, while machine learning supports the correct assignment and thus noticeably shortens processing times.
Incident Management is closely linked to modules such as Problem Management, Change Management and the CMDB and enables seamless end-to-end processing of IT incidents.
What is incident management?
Incident management refers to all measures and processes aimed at quickly identifying, analyzing and resolving unplanned incidents or faults in IT.
A Incident is any event that leads to an interruption of an IT service or restricts the quality of service. The aim is to restore normal service operations in the shortest possible time in order to minimize negative effects on business operations.
As a central component of IT Service Management (ITSM), Incident Management is closely linked to the ITIL framework (IT Infrastructure Library). ITIL defines an incident as "any unplanned interruption or reduction in quality of an IT service". Incident Management provides IT teams with clear processes for identifying, categorizing, prioritizing and resolving incidents.
In addition to the rapid response to acute problems, incident management also supports the logging and analysis of incidents in order to systematically reduce recurring faults. This makes it a central tool for Ensure sustainable service quality and availability.
Typical examples of incidents
Password resetA user has forgotten their password and requests a reset via the Service Desk.
Failure of an applicationAn e-mail software or database is no longer accessible and prevents normal use.
Network interruptionAccess to central systems is interrupted due to a connection error.
Major IncidentA business-critical service fails completely and paralyzes parts of the company.
Error after software updateAfter an update, malfunctions occur that impair regular operation.
Optimize IT processes with incident management!
The incident management process according to ITIL
The ITIL incident management process ensures that incidents are recorded, evaluated and resolved efficiently. The main objective is to restore normal service operation as quickly as possible and thereby minimize the impact on the company.
ITIL defines several steps that every incident goes through:
Incident logging: Every incident is recorded, manually by users via the service desk or automatically by monitoring tools. A precise description is crucial to enable subsequent analyses.
Categorization and classification: The incident is assigned to a suitable category and sub-category. This allows similar faults to be identified more quickly and appropriate solutions to be derived.
Prioritization: Incidents are categorized according to their severity and business relevance. Critical cases (so-called major incidents) are given the highest priority.
Examination and diagnosis: The responsible team analyzes the incident and initiates suitable measures to rectify the problem.
Solution and recovery: The service is restored to normal operating status. Documented standard solutions or automated workflows can significantly shorten the processing time here.
Conclusion and documentation: Once the ticket has been successfully processed, it is closed. All relevant information is documented so that future incidents can be resolved more quickly or avoided altogether.
Advantages of incident management for companies
A professionally set up IT incident management system is a Central success factor in IT operations. It ensures that incidents are handled in a structured manner and according to a defined process. The aim is to, Minimize downtimes and ensure service quality in the long term.
This results in numerous advantages for companies:
Faster restoration of services: Standardized workflows and clear escalation paths allow incidents to be resolved much faster. This reduces the impact on business-critical processes.
Reduction of failures and malfunctions: Thanks to a systematic incident response, faults can not only be resolved more quickly, but also prevented (e.g. by analyzing recurring problems).
Increased efficiency for IT teams: Clear roles, structured tickets and documented standard solutions take the pressure off the organization. This leaves more time for strategic issues instead of recurring routine tasks.
Transparency through centralized documentation: Every incident is recorded and evaluated. This generates valuable data for the optimization of service management processes and compliance with service level agreements.
Better user and employee experience: Users receive quick feedback on the status of their requests and benefit from shorter response times. This strengthens trust in IT and increases day-to-day satisfaction.
Long-term optimization of the IT infrastructure: Through continuous analysis and documentation, weak points can be uncovered and rectified in a targeted manner. This makes the entire organization more resilient to future incidents.
Incident Management in ServiceNow
In ServiceNow Incident Management is an important module of IT Service Management and forms the basis for a Fast, consistent and transparent processing of IT faults. All incidents are documented, prioritized and processed in a standardized manner from recording to resolution.
In close connection with change management, problem management and the Configuration Management Database (CMDB) the module ensures that IT teams can seamlessly control overarching processes. This allows dependencies between services, applications and infrastructures to be recognized immediately and faults to be rectified efficiently.
ServiceNow offers an integrated interface that provides clear benefits for both users and IT teams:
Omni-channel self-serviceEmployees can report incidents via the service portal, email, chatbot or mobile app and view the status at any time.
Automated workflowsStandardized processes and playbooks speed up processing, reduce errors and ensure consistent quality.
Intelligent assignmentMachine learning is used to automatically assign incidents to the appropriate group or incident manager.
Central transparencyAll data is recorded in the Configuration Management Database, making dependencies between services, applications and resources immediately visible.
Best practices in incident management
Incident management is the basis for fast, consistent and traceable processing of IT faults. When implemented correctly, it improves internal company collaboration and ensures that outages are kept to a minimum. Here are some best practices:
Protocol management: Every incident should be recorded centrally - regardless of severity or cause. This ensures traceability and facilitates analysis.
Standardize categorization: Standardized categories and priorities ensure that incidents can be classified consistently and processed efficiently.
Use standard solutions: Frequent incidents can be resolved quickly and reliably with predefined solutions or automated workflows.
Structure communication: Clear escalation rules and regular status reports create transparency and improve coordination between all parties involved.
Use automation: Routine tasks, such as password resets, should be performed with Workflow Automation be automated to free up capacity for more complex incidents.
Document causes and measures: After completion, causes and measures are recorded so that similar incidents can be resolved more quickly or prevented altogether in future.
Frequently asked questions and answers
What is incident management?
Incident management encompasses all processes with which unplanned IT faults or service interruptions are quickly recorded, prioritized and resolved. The aim is to restore normal service operations as quickly as possible and minimize the impact on business operations.
What is the difference between an incident and a problem?
An incident is a Acute disruption or reduction in quality of an IT servicethat must be resolved immediately. A problem, on the other hand, describes the underlying cause of one or more incidents and is analyzed and sustainably resolved as part of problem management.
What is an incident according to ITIL?
According to ITIL, an incident is "any unplanned interruption or reduction in quality of an IT service". Incident management aims to restore service quality in a timely manner and limit negative effects on business processes.