What is the primary function of the Problem Management practice?

The primary function of the Problem Management practice is to minimize the adverse impact of incidents and problems on the business. This practice focuses on understanding the root causes of incidents to prevent them from recurring and to manage problems effectively within the IT service lifecycle. By identifying and addressing underlying issues, Problem Management helps organizations maintain service quality and reliability, which ultimately contributes to better business outcomes.

In this context, minimizing adverse impacts involves analyzing data from incidents and trends to implement corrective actions and improve processes. The goal is to ensure that services remain available and performance remains optimal, thus supporting business objectives.

Other options involve different aspects of IT service management that do not encapsulate the core purpose of Problem Management. For instance, avoiding all incidents entirely is unrealistic and not the primary aim; instead, the focus is more on management and mitigation. User training programs are crucial for improving user skills and reducing user-related incidents but are not within the scope of Problem Management. Similarly, managing software licensing issues pertains to asset management rather than to solving problems or incidents affecting service delivery.