# **Incident Management Document**
**Purpose:**
To establish a standardized process for **logging, categorizing, prioritizing, resolving, and
documenting** IT incidents to minimize downtime and ensure business continuity.
---
## **1. Incident Definition**
An **incident** is any unplanned disruption or degradation of IT services affecting users,
including:
- Hardware failures (e.g., laptop not powering on)
- Software crashes (e.g., Outlook not opening)
- Network outages (e.g., Wi-Fi down)
- Security breaches (e.g., malware infection)
---
## **2. Roles & Responsibilities**
| **Role** | **Responsibilities** |
|----------|----------------------|
| **Helpdesk Team** | Log tickets, initial triage, basic troubleshooting |
| **IT Technicians** | Escalated troubleshooting, hardware repairs |
| **IT Manager** | Major incident coordination, vendor communication |
| **End Users** | Report incidents promptly, provide details |
---
## **3. Incident Classification**
### **3.1 Categories**
| **Category** | **Examples** |
|-------------|-------------|
| **Hardware** | Printer jam, faulty RAM |
| **Software** | App crashes, license issues |
| **Network** | VPN failure, slow internet |
| **Security** | Phishing attack, ransomware |
### **3.2 Priority Levels**
| **Priority** | **Impact** | **Resolution Time** |
|-------------|-----------|--------------------|
| **P1 (Critical)** | Company-wide outage | ≤1 hour |
| **P2 (High)** | Departmental disruption | ≤4 hours |
| **P3 (Medium)** | Single user affected | ≤24 hours |
| **P4 (Low)** | Minor inconvenience | ≤72 hours |
---
## **4. Incident Management Workflow**
```mermaid
graph TD
A[Incident Reported] --> B(Helpdesk Logs Ticket)
B --> C{Can it be resolved remotely?}
C -->|Yes| D[Resolve & Close]
C -->|No| E[Assign to Technician]
E --> F[On-site Diagnosis]
F --> G{Resolution Found?}
G -->|Yes| H[Implement Fix]
G -->|No| I[Escalate to Vendor/IT Manager]
H --> J[User Verification]
J --> K[Document & Close Ticket]
```
---
## **5. Incident Resolution Steps**
### **5.1 Triage & Logging**
1. **User reports incident** (via email/helpdesk portal/phone).
2. **Helpdesk logs ticket** with:
- User details (Name, Department, Contact)
- Incident description (Error messages, screenshots)
- Priority & category (P1-P4)
### **5.2 Initial Response**
- **P1/P2:** Immediate phone call + email acknowledgment.
- **P3/P4:** Email response within 1 hour.
### **5.3 Resolution & Escalation**
- **Level 1 (Helpdesk):** Basic fixes (password reset, reboots).
- **Level 2 (Technician):** Advanced troubleshooting (hardware repairs).
- **Level 3 (Vendor/IT Manager):** Critical outages or warranty claims.
### **5.4 Closure**
- **User confirmation** (Email/verbal sign-off).
- **Document solution** in knowledge base for future reference.
---
## **6. Communication Plan**
| **Scenario** | **Communication Method** | **Audience** |
|--------------|--------------------------|--------------|
| **Critical Outage (P1)** | Slack/Teams alert + Email blast | All employees |
| **High Priority (P2)** | Department heads + affected users | Relevant teams |
| **Routine Updates** | Ticket comments + email | Requestor only |
---
## **7. Tools & Templates**
### **7.1 Incident Report Template**
| **Field** | **Details** |
|-----------|------------|
| Ticket ID | INC-2024-001 |
| Reported By | John Doe (Finance) |
| Date/Time | 2024-06-15 10:30 AM |
| Priority | P2 (High) |
| Category | Software (Outlook crash) |
| Root Cause | Corrupt OST file |
| Resolution | Recreated Outlook profile |
| Time to Resolve | 2 hours |
### **7.2 Recommended Tools**
- **Ticketing System:** Freshservice, Jira, Zendesk
- **Remote Support:** TeamViewer, AnyDesk
- **Monitoring:** Nagios, SolarWinds
---
## **8. Post-Incident Review**
For **P1/P2 incidents**, conduct a **Root Cause Analysis (RCA)** within 48 hours:
1. **What failed?** (Hardware, process, human error)
2. **How to prevent recurrence?** (e.g., firmware updates, training)
3. **Update policies** if needed.
---
## **9. Key Metrics (KPIs)**
| **Metric** | **Target** |
|------------|------------|
| First Response Time | <30 mins for P1/P2 |
| Resolution Time | Meet priority SLA |
| User Satisfaction | >90% (Post-ticket survey) |
---
### **Appendix**
- **A1:** [Incident Report Template](#)
- **A2:** [Escalation Contacts](#)
- **A3:** [Knowledge Base SOPs](#)
**Approval:**
| **Role** | **Name** | **Date** |
|----------|----------|----------|
| IT Manager | [Name] | [Date] |
---
**Notes:**
- **Version Control:** Review annually or after major incidents.
- **Training:** Conduct drills for helpdesk staff biannually.
Would you like this customized for a **specific industry** (e.g., healthcare, education)?
