ITIL4F ITIL Management Practices Practice Question
An IT team is investigating recurring network outages. They identify the root cause as a faulty switch and record the issue as a known error with a workaround. Which ITIL 4 practice is being applied?
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Problem Management
Problem Management includes three phases: problem identification, problem control (root cause analysis), and error control (known errors, workarounds). The scenario describes error control, which is part of Problem Management. Incident Management focuses on restoring service quickly, not root cause analysis. Service Desk handles user communication and initial support, not deep investigation. Supplier Management deals with vendor relationships, not internal root cause analysis. Therefore, option C (Problem Management) is correct.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
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Supplier Management
Why it's wrong here
Supplier Management focuses on establishing and maintaining relationships with third-party vendors to ensure the effective delivery of goods and services. It involves contract negotiation, performance monitoring against service level agreements, and managing the overall supplier lifecycle. This practice does not involve the internal technical investigation of an organization's own network infrastructure for recurring outages, as the team is investigating their internal systems.
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Service Desk
Why it's wrong here
The Service Desk serves as the single point of contact for users, primarily responsible for logging incidents, fulfilling service requests, and providing initial support. While they facilitate the reporting and escalation of issues, their core function is not to conduct deep-dive root cause analysis or implement permanent solutions for underlying systemic problems. Their role is to restore service quickly or escalate to appropriate technical teams for resolution.
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Problem Management
Why this is correct
Problem Management is the ITIL practice dedicated to reducing the likelihood and impact of incidents by identifying and resolving their underlying causes. Investigating recurring network outages directly aligns with its objectives, which include performing root cause analysis, managing known errors, and implementing permanent solutions. This proactive approach aims to prevent future incidents and improve overall service stability, making it the correct practice for this scenario.
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Incident Management
Why it's wrong here
Incident Management's primary objective is to restore normal service operation as quickly as possible, minimizing the adverse impact on business operations. While it addresses immediate service disruptions, its focus is on rapid restoration, often through temporary workarounds, rather than the detailed investigation into the fundamental causes of recurring issues. The practice prioritizes speed of recovery over comprehensive root cause analysis, which is needed for recurring problems.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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