What is the definition of a problem?

The concept of a problem is best defined as the root cause of one or more incidents. In IT service management, understanding a problem is critical for effectively addressing and resolving recurring issues. Problems can lead to multiple incidents over time, indicating that there is an underlying issue that needs to be identified and rectified.

For instance, if a service experiences multiple outages, each of these outages is an incident triggered by a common underlying problem. By focusing on identifying and addressing the root cause, organizations can reduce the frequency and impact of incidents, leading to improved service reliability and enhanced customer satisfaction.

In contrast, the other options refer to various aspects of IT service management but do not capture the essence of what constitutes a problem. For example, a change implemented as soon as possible might be a response to a problem but does not define the problem itself. Similarly, a workaround for an incident does not address the root cause, and an unexpected service interruption is simply an incident that may or may not relate to a problem. Understanding this distinction is key in service management to minimize incidents and enhance overall service delivery.