Major Issue Management vs. Problem Management

[Filipa Raquel]

Hey everyone, 

What is the difference between Major Issue Management and Problem Management?

I know that one is more for CSM and the other one for ITSM, but besides that what's the big difference, and how do I know which one should I apply?

At the moment we are using Problem Management to address problems that affected several customers / products. But these problems are supported by Cases (CSM) and not by INC's or other ITSM tickets.

Are we using it correctly? What should be the best pratice here?

Thanks, 

Filipa

[Community Alums · Accepted solution]

Major Issue management comes into picture where there is surge in issues reported by the end customers while Problem management deals with any major impact within the IT Infrastructure of an organization.

• CSM Major Issue Management is customer-facing, focused on customer  communication and perception.

Refer the below servicenow doc:-

https://www.servicenow.com/docs/bundle/xanadu-customer-service-management/page/product/customer-serv...

• Problem Management is IT infrastructure-focused, concerned with root cause analysis.

[Ehab Pilloor · Accepted solution]

Hi @Filipa Raquel,

Major Issue Management in CSM helps handle widespread issues affecting multiple customers by linking related cases to a single major issue record. This allows centralized tracking, bulk updates, and consistent communication. It reduces redundant work and improves visibility for agents and customers. It's best used when several customers are impacted by the same root problem.

Problem Management (PRB), on the other hand, is not explicitly detailed in the provided context, but traditionally, it involves the process of identifying, documenting, and ultimately resolving the root causes of incidents to prevent future recurrences. While MIM is concerned with the rapid response and management of significant incidents to minimize impact, Problem Management is focused on the long-term resolution of underlying issues that cause these incidents.

You're currently using Problem Management (an ITSM process) to address issues that are reported through CSM Cases, not Incidents. This is not the standard approach, as Problem Management is typically tied to Incidents in ITSM, where technical root cause analysis and resolution tracking are the focus.

In your case, a better practice would be to use Case Management workflows within CSM to track customer-facing issues, and only link them to ITSM Problems when a deeper technical root cause needs analysis. This ensures proper separation of customer service and backend IT resolution while still enabling cross-functional collaboration.

Regards,

Ehab Pilloor

[Community Alums · Accepted solution]

Major Issue management comes into picture where there is surge in issues reported by the end customers while Problem management deals with any major impact within the IT Infrastructure of an organization.

• CSM Major Issue Management is customer-facing, focused on customer  communication and perception.

Refer the below servicenow doc:-

https://www.servicenow.com/docs/bundle/xanadu-customer-service-management/page/product/customer-serv...

• Problem Management is IT infrastructure-focused, concerned with root cause analysis.

[Ehab Pilloor · Accepted solution]

Hi @Filipa Raquel,

Major Issue Management in CSM helps handle widespread issues affecting multiple customers by linking related cases to a single major issue record. This allows centralized tracking, bulk updates, and consistent communication. It reduces redundant work and improves visibility for agents and customers. It's best used when several customers are impacted by the same root problem.

Problem Management (PRB), on the other hand, is not explicitly detailed in the provided context, but traditionally, it involves the process of identifying, documenting, and ultimately resolving the root causes of incidents to prevent future recurrences. While MIM is concerned with the rapid response and management of significant incidents to minimize impact, Problem Management is focused on the long-term resolution of underlying issues that cause these incidents.

You're currently using Problem Management (an ITSM process) to address issues that are reported through CSM Cases, not Incidents. This is not the standard approach, as Problem Management is typically tied to Incidents in ITSM, where technical root cause analysis and resolution tracking are the focus.

In your case, a better practice would be to use Case Management workflows within CSM to track customer-facing issues, and only link them to ITSM Problems when a deeper technical root cause needs analysis. This ensures proper separation of customer service and backend IT resolution while still enabling cross-functional collaboration.

Regards,

Ehab Pilloor

[pavani_paluri · Accepted solution]

Hi, Below are major differences between

 Major Issue Management

• For customer-facing issues

• Used when many customers are affected

• Helps your support team communicate status updates and manage customer impact

• Works with Cases (from Customer Service)

 Problem Management

• For internal technical investigations

• Used to find the root cause of issues in IT systems

• Works with Incidents (from IT Support)

If you’re dealing with customer issues that come through Cases, and not Incidents use Major Issue Management. That’s what it’s built for — grouping customer cases, sending updates, and tracking customer impact.

Mark it helpful if this helps you to understand. Accept solution if this give you the answer you're looking for
Kind Regards,
Pavani P