The significance of Getting an Escalation Management Process

“Escalation” is frequently pointed out when confronted with Incident and Problem Management processes. The ITIL Incident Management process discusses Hierarchical and Functional escalations but didn’t on-site visit “escalation management” like a separate and important ITIL process within Service Operation.

Within my previous organization, escalation management is really a well-defined and documented process. It’s even handled or managed with a separate dedicated group of people. This “escalation center” function works carefully using the Service Desk function. Additionally, it props up field or on-site support engineers who dealing with Maintenance and Support roles.

After I began out like a rookie service engineer, the understanding that there’s a group of experts that we can make use of propose in main occurrences or problems is frequently reassuring. The truth that the Service Desk or perhaps an on-site technical or application support engineer has escalated a significant incident or problem towards the “escalation center” function and there’s a group of experts taking care of the escalated incident or issue is also reassuring towards the Customer.

Escalation Management would be to bring order, structure, focused management attention and extra sources to individuals customer situations that could otherwise create a higher level of customer dissatisfaction and/or harm to the Service Provider’s status. They are situations which can lead to significant lack of business towards the Customer or IT Company or where significant costs might be suffered by IT Company to solve the client situation. The factors to trigger an escalation rely on the business or company. But it ought to be well defined.

The procedure could contain the next activities:

Initiate an Escalation, according to meeting specific escalation criteria

Assign an Escalation manager for that escalation

Log the Escalation and link the Escalation record to related Incident or Problem records

Escalation manager assigns or appoints the escalation team. The escalation team will include the Incident owner, Problem owner, along with other subject material experts, as needed

Identify appropriate Company and Customer management contacts

Conduct an in depth situation evaluation and review, brought through the escalation manager

An escalation management plan of action, including additional sources needed, is developed with the Customer. The escalation management plan will be performed in parallel using the detailed technical plan of action (according to Incident/Problem Management)

The escalation management plan of action is reviewed and adjusted as needed

A Hierarchical Escalation (according to Incident Management process) is initiated, if appropriate. Senior management and executives are alerted.

Escalation team activly works to resolve the issue. Each and every stage, records are updated and management contacts and team are informed from the progress and escalation plan reviewed and adjusted as needed.

Once resolved towards the Customer’s satisfaction, everything is monitored to have an agreed period

The escalation team remains on standby and obtainable in situation the issue recurs throughout the monitoring period

When the monitoring period is effectively completed, the escalation is closed through the escalation manager, after seeking agreement using the Customer

When the escalation is closed, a publish escalation review is carried out and input presented to the issue Management process. You can do this with the Significant Problem Review which belongs to Problem Management.

As possible seen above, Escalation Management is carefully associated with and props up Incident Management, Request Management and Problem Management processes. It’s an important process that needs to be given equal or greater focus when compared with other well-defined ITIL processes.