Why service management has its own vocabulary
IT service management, often shortened to ITSM, treats IT as a set of services delivered to the rest of the organization rather than as a collection of machines. Its vocabulary is mostly an agreement about what to call different kinds of work, so that a request for a new laptop is not handled like a failed server.
Several published frameworks use these words, and each defines them in its own way. The entries below describe common, general usage and may differ in detail from any one framework or tool. Where precision matters, check the definitions your own organization or provider uses.
Core work types
Service. Something IT provides that delivers value to users, such as email, payroll access or a remote working setup. A service is described by what the user gets, not by the technology behind it.
Incident. An unplanned interruption to a service, or a drop in its quality. A user who cannot log in, or an application that runs very slowly, has an incident. The first goal is usually to restore normal service quickly, even if the underlying cause is not yet understood.
Problem. The underlying cause of one or more incidents. If the same application keeps freezing, each freeze is an incident, and the shared cause being investigated is the problem. Problem work is about preventing repeats rather than restoring service quickly.
Workaround. A temporary way to get around a fault while a permanent fix is developed, such as using a different route to complete a task. A known workaround lets the service desk help people faster.
Known error. A problem whose cause has been identified and for which a workaround, or sometimes a fix, is documented but not yet applied.
Service request. A user’s request for something standard and expected, such as a new account, access to a folder or a replacement mouse. Requests are not faults, so they usually follow a pre-agreed process with defined approvals.
Change. The addition, modification or removal of anything that could affect a service, such as a software update, a new network setting or a retired server. The reason for formal handling is that changes are a common cause of incidents, and IT change control exists to lower that risk through review, approval and records.
Standard change. A low-risk, routine, pre-approved type of change that follows an agreed procedure without a fresh decision each time.
Emergency change. A change that needs to be made urgently, often to resolve a serious incident, with a faster approval route. Organizations typically review these afterwards.
Release. A planned bundle of one or more changes made available for use, such as a new version of an application.
Tracking and prioritizing
Ticket. The record of an incident, request, problem or change, from its opening to its closure. Tickets hold the history, so the next person does not start from zero.
Service desk. The main point of contact between users and IT. It is sometimes described as a help desk, though service desk often implies a broader role that includes requests and communication. The experience users have here is covered under help desk experience.
Escalation. Passing a ticket to someone with more skill or authority. Functional escalation moves it to a more specialist team, and hierarchical escalation brings in more senior management attention.
Tier or line of support. A level in the support structure. First line commonly takes initial contact and resolves simple matters; second and third lines handle more complex ones. Terms vary between organizations.
Impact, urgency and priority. Impact is how many people or how much of the business is affected. Urgency is how quickly the issue needs attention. Priority is the resulting order of work, usually derived from the two together.
Resolution and closure. Resolution means the issue is fixed or a solution is provided. Closure is the formal end of the ticket, often after the user confirms or a set time passes.
Agreements and measures
Service level agreement (SLA). A written commitment about the level of service, such as target response times. Within a company, similar commitments between IT and a business unit are described in discussions of internal service levels.
Service catalog. A list of the services available and how to request them. An internal service catalog also helps a central team explain what it does and does not provide.
Response time and resolution time. Response time is how long before someone first acts on a ticket. Resolution time is how long before it is solved. They measure different things and both can be reported, as discussed in material on service desk metrics.
First contact resolution. The share of issues solved at the first interaction with the service desk, without being passed on.
Knowledge and records
Knowledge base. A collection of articles that explain how to solve common issues or complete tasks. Well-written knowledge base articles let users help themselves and help the service desk answer consistently.
Configuration item (CI). Any component that needs to be managed to deliver a service, such as a server, application or network device.
Configuration management database (CMDB). A store of information about configuration items and how they relate to each other. It is useful for judging what a change might affect, but it takes ongoing effort to stay accurate.
Asset. Something of value owned or managed, such as hardware or software licenses. IT asset management concerns tracking these through their lifecycle, which overlaps with but is not the same as configuration management.
Other terms worth knowing
Root cause analysis. A structured effort to find the underlying reason something went wrong, rather than only its visible symptoms.
Post-incident review. A discussion held after a significant incident to understand what happened and what to improve, often written to avoid blaming individuals.
Major incident. An incident with significant business impact that is handled through a faster, more coordinated process than normal.
Remote support. Helping users without being physically present, for example through screen sharing, which matters more for dispersed teams and is covered under remote IT support.
Readers who want a short walk through how incidents, problems and requests relate in practice can look at material on ITSM basics before going further. These definitions are general information and are not a substitute for the guidance of the framework, provider or professional you work with.