Top 5 Incident Management Solutions of 2024
Compare the top tools - their features, pros and cons.
This guide will break down the top five incident management software solutions available in the market.
Incident management is the most common of all IT support processes. It is the process that IT uses to respond when customers report something broken, unavailable, or not functioning the way that it is expected to. IT incident management aims to provide a consistent and predictable way of engaging with users, identifying when something is broken, and fixing it as quickly as possible so that business can return to normal.
Often, incident management is performed either directly by a helpdesk function or coordinated by a helpdesk function through a network of subject matter experts.
What is an incident?
An incident in the context of IT is an event that isn’t part of normal operations and disrupts a user’s activities or a business process. An incident begins when normal operations are disrupted and continues until normal operations are restored. Incidents are technology events that disrupt business activities and typically require intervention. An incident may involve the failure of a technology component or feature; it may be an issue with the integrations between components or the failure of workflows configured to run on a system. Some examples of incidents include:
Incident examples
Software
Service not available - This is a common incident with Software as a Service (SaaS) when a user tries to access a service and is either not able to connect or receives an error that the service is unavailable
Data issue - The purpose of most software is to record, store, update, and present data. Data issues are frequently software issues. Form customization - Customize the incident form template to capture the right information to improve First Call Resolution(FCR) and assign the ticket to the right agent.
Application bug - Software bugs and defects impact users from performing everyday tasks and are treated as incidents when they occur
Report not formatting properly - With data playing a critical role in decision-making, failure in reporting capabilities can cause significant business disruption.
Application causing the operating system to hang - Software compatibility, application bugs, and environmental issues can cause disruptions in using a single piece of software or an entire system.
Hardware
System-down - Server issues, component failures, and issues with infrastructure, such as power and cooling, can disrupt the availability and performance of hardware components
Unable to connect to resources - Network issues may prevent users from accessing centralized resources such as servers and software services.
Capacity & resource utilization alerts - Software bugs and defects impact users from performing normal tasks and are treated as incidents when they occur
Report not formatting properly - With data playing a critical role in decision-making, failure in reporting capabilities can cause significant business disruption.
Printer not printing - For many businesses, printers form an essential link between digital capabilities and operational processes. Disruption in printing capabilities can interrupt entire production processes.
Not all incidents are equal in importance, impact, and urgency. Some incidents represent full work stoppages, while others are only an inconvenience that can be easily navigated around. An incident may impact a single person (or no people), a team, a location, or an entire organization. Incidents will require different urgency and attention depending on the time of day, degree of impact, and the criticality of the business operations being impacted. Most companies utilize formalized Service Level Agreements (SLAs) to bring objective structure to the assessment of impact and urgency and to assign incident priority and criticality scores that are used to ensure resources are focused on addressing the most pressing incidents first.
What is the incident management process?
Incident management is an IT Service Management (ITSM) process area that is focused on restoring normal service operations as quickly as possible and minimizing the impact of disruption on business operations. It is typically executed as a sequential process.
The IT Incident Management Process is characterized by its proactive approach towards mitigating risks and creating better service. It involves a coordinated effort among various stakeholders, including support staff, technicians, and users, to ensure the best resolution. It begins with an identification of incidents with automated monitoring systems or user reports followed by logging and categorization of the issue to ensure that the incident is allocated correctly. Prioritization of incidents based on their impact and urgency also will guide the process and determine how an incident is assigned and handled. Once the incidents have been properly identified, they are dealt with using temporary solutions and permanent fixes, all aimed at restoring normal services. Throughout the process, communication and collaboration to ensure transparency and accountability are important, while continual evaluation for improvements helps organizations deliver optimal service.
How IT Service management can help:
Incident detection and recording
Identifying that an incident has occurred and capturing it in the incident management system. This may be done through automated monitoring systems or by a user contacting a helpdesk for support.
Incident reporting and communication
Reporting and communication begin when an incident is identified to acknowledge to the user or community that a disruption is taking place, and an investigation is in progress.
Priority Classification and initial support
Impact and urgency assessments guide the assignment of priority and severity classifications that are used to determine the level of support to be provided.
Investigation and analysis
Issue diagnosis and troubleshooting help to isolate symptoms from underlying causes and identify the relationship between the incident and changes in the environment or known issues.
Resolution and record
Resolving incidents typically involve some sort of support action (making a change, rebooting a resource, etc). Resolving an incident also includes documenting analysis findings and steps to restore service.
Incident closure
Closing an incident involves communication with the user/community, updating support documentation, and initiating problem-management processes (if necessary)
Benefits of IT incident management software
Incident management software has numerous benefits that streamline processes, increase efficiency, and enhance resilience.
Centralized platform
One key benefit is the software's ability to provide a centralized platform for capturing and documenting incidents and monitoring them. This ensures all incidents are appropriately recorded and helps with the collaboration of team members in resolution efforts. With a complete record of incidents, organizations can analyze trends, identify recurring issues, and understand how to handle future risks better.
Simplified Collaboration
Collaboration is made easier as organizations can establish transparent workflows and protocols for addressing types of incidents, which helps with consistency and adherence to best practices. Automated incident response capabilities mean teams can assign responses quickly and reduce wait times and the potential impact of incidents. Communication and Collaboration among stakeholders involved in incident resolution efforts are also improved as centralized communication channels mean teams can share updates, exchange information, and coordinate responses effectively. This enhanced collaboration and communication leads to greater transparency and accountability.
Comprehensive Analysis and Reporting
Incident management software also helps organizations conduct comprehensive analysis and reporting, which can help them gain valuable insights for improvement. For instance, analyzing the root causes of incidents and evaluating response strategies can help organizations refine their incident management processes. Reporting capabilities help organizations track performance metrics and show their commitment to maintaining an efficient operational system.
Improved User Experience
Incident management software also significantly improves user experience by providing exceptional interfaces and streamlined workflows. User-friendly dashboards and interfaces make it easy for users to report incidents and track incident status. This also means they can access the information they need quickly. Incident management software helps users easily navigate incidents and reduces the time and effort required to address these incidents. Organizations can also tailor the software to the specific needs of different stakeholders, which ensures each user has access to information relevant to their role. This customization capability increases user satisfaction and engagement and contributes to an overall more efficient incident resolution process.
Features of incident management software
There are some key features to consider when deciding what incident management software to get.
Automated Workflows
Automated workflows are one key feature that enables organizations to streamline incident resolution processes. With automated workflows, routine and repetitive tasks can be done automatically, which betters response times and ensures consistency across all incidents. Reducing manual intervention and automating repetitive tasks means organizations can minimize the risk of human error and focus their efforts more on strategic activities.
Multichannel Capabilities
Another essential feature is multichannel capabilities, which allow incidents to be reported and tracked across various communication channels, whether email, phone, web porter, or another channel. Multichannel capabilities also increase user satisfaction as users can submit incident reports on a chosen channel. Multichannel support also improves collaboration and efficient communication, leading to quicker resolution of incidents.
Customizable Knowledge Base
A customizable knowledge base is another important feature, as knowledge bases provide centralized repositories for information and resources to aid in incident resolution. Relevant documentation, FAQs, best practices, troubleshooting guides, and more can be added to knowledge bases so that users have information to resolve common issues independently. Enabling self-service access to information means organizations can reduce dependency on support staff and allow users to solve incidents independently, reducing the burden on support teams.
Notifications and Alerts
Notifications and alerts are critical features for incident management software and provide stakeholders with real-time updates and reminders regarding incident status and resolution. Customizing notification settings means users can receive alerts via email, SMS, or in-app, keeping stakeholders engaged with the incident's progress. Notifications help maintain a sense of accountability and transparency in the incident management process and ensure stakeholders are notified of important updates.
The best incident management software
Freshservice
Freshservice is a cloud-based IT service management platform that excels at efficiently handling unforeseen events. Its intuitive interface ensures prompt incident logging, categorization, and prioritization so that critical issues receive attention quickly. Its comprehensive incident tracking capabilities enable teams to monitor incident status in real-time, facilitating effective communication and stakeholder collaboration. Additionally, Freshservice’s analytics and reporting capabilities help to identify recurring issues and implement proactive measures to prevent future problems and incidents. Leveraging Freshservice's incident management capabilities means businesses can enhance operational resilience and deliver exceptional service experiences to their customers.
Key features
Automated ticket categorization and prioritization based on past ticket data with Freshservice AI
Multi-channel support via email, a self-service portal, phone, mobile app, and more
Workflow Automator for category-based incident routing, child ticket update notifications, ticket assignment to first responders, and more
Able to include relevant solution articles in ticket responses
Discuss option feature helps to chat with other agents to resolve tickets
Advantages of Freshservice
Effective incident management is enhanced by Freshservice’s seamless integration with various communication channels, ensuring rapid and transparent communication among IT teams throughout the incident lifecycle. Freshservice’s built-in collaboration tools help to facilitate real-time discussions, enabling prompt coordination and resolution of incidents. Additionally, its knowledge base helps support teams with comprehensive documentation, troubleshooting guides, and best practices, accelerating incident resolution and reducing downtime. Organizations can streamline incident management within Freshservice by utilizing these integrated features, ensuring rapid resolution, minimal disruption, and optimal service delivery.
Why customers rave about Freshservice
Moving beyond Freshservice's incident management prowess, it's essential to understand the broader scope of features that contribute to its appeal as a top-tier solution. Freshservice boasts a user-friendly self-service portal, empowering users to resolve common issues independently and reducing the burden on IT support teams. Its asset management functions help organizations keep track of all their hardware and software assets easily. This makes it simpler to allocate resources efficiently and manage the lifecycle of assets effectively. Additionally, Freshservice offers a change management module, allowing organizations to plan, track, and implement changes seamlessly while minimizing risks and disruptions. With its integrated knowledge base and collaboration tools, Freshservice facilitates knowledge sharing and problem-solving across teams, enabling continuous improvement and innovation. Overall, Freshservice emerges as a holistic IT service management solution, empowering organizations to deliver exceptional service experiences and drive business success.
ClickUp
ClickUp allows incident response teams to efficiently track, prioritize, and resolve incidents in real-time, allowing for minimal disruption to operations. With customizable dashboards and task lists, teams can categorize incidents, assign responsibilities, and monitor progress effortlessly. Its integration with other communication tools helps to facilitate quick collaboration among team members to ensure fast response times to incidents. Whether handling IT incidents, customer support issues, or any other emergencies, ClickUp streamlines the incident management process, empowering teams to respond promptly and effectively.
Key features
Custom task statuses to know where a task is in its lifecycle
Emailing through ClickUp to communicate directly within ClickUp without switching to another channel
Incident management CRM template to track and prioritize incidents in one central location, collaborate quickly with team members, and record incidents
Gantt charts to get status on ticket resolution and transparency with ticket lifecycle
Syntax highlighting to automatically color code blocks, making interpreting programming languages easier
Pros
Proofing and annotation features for design files
Mobile accessibility for on-the-go incident management
Mind map and concept map creation to visualize plans for incident management
Cons
Can be delayed when adding new tickets to boards, according to some users
Time tracker and reporting may be complex and not easily readable
Mobile apps may be less intuitive than the desktop version
Occasional performance issues for some users
Pricing
Free plan offered. Unlimited plan is $7/member/month. Business plan is $12/member/month. Contact sales to set up an Enterprise plan.
Jira
Jira is a project management software offering incident management capabilities to provide teams with the tools to handle and resolve issues efficiently. Customizable workflows and issue-tracking capabilities mean Jira can help teams document incidents, assign tasks, and monitor progress seamlessly.
Key features
Categorization and prioritization of issues
Multichannel including SMS, email, chat, push notifications, and more so that team members can be alerted about an issue from multiple channels
Built-in video conferencing for easy collaboration and integration with Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Slack
Runbooks can be attached to alerts so remediation can be prompt
Incident timeline automation and postmortem report automation
Pros
Scrum boards to help teams better organize workloads and track project stages
Kanban boards for better visualization of workflows
Can easily customize reports, workflows, and Scrum boards
Cons
Challenging setup and complicated interface for managing tasks
Lack of built-in timeline for tracking progress
Can have long query load times
Pricing
A free plan is offered for 10 users. The Standard plan is $8.15/month/user. The Premium plan is $16/month/user. The Enterprise plan is billed annually and set up by the sales team at Jira.
ServiceNow
Service Now is a cloud-based platform offering various IT service and operations management solutions. With ServiceNow, businesses can automate and streamline multiple business processes, like IT support, onboarding, and customer service. Its wide array of features promotes efficient workflow management and incident resolution.
Key features
Major incident management capabilities for resolving high-impact incidents
Built-in AI and machine learning to help make incident resolution seamless
Mobile app accessibility, so IT agents can handle incidents from mobile devices
Incident response playbook, helps service desk to have clear steps for resolving incidents and automating manual tasks
Pros
A unified system of record for assessing incidents, problems, and change requests and their impact
Visual, Kanban-like task boards assist team collaboration
Integration capabilities with AIOps to streamline operations, minimize incidents, and shorten mean time to resolution
Cons
Search features are complex and challenging to navigate
Customization for change approval could be improved
Users have reported service disruptions and slowness when searching through lists of tickets
Pricing
Custom pricing is negotiated between users and ServiceNow.
BigPanda
BigPanda is powered by AI for IT operations to help IT teams manage and respond to incidents more effectively. It uses machine learning and automation to prioritize alerts and provide actionable insights. BigPanda enables organizations to improve service reliability and enhance operation efficiency with its centralized platform for incident data and automation capabilities for the incident management process.
Key features
AIOps for using AI to categorize and identify incidents and streamline processes
Active IT incident feed so that teams can see the overall status of vital applications and services to identify areas for remediation
Visualization tools to see incident timelines and understand incident root causes
Real-time topology mesh to integrate topology data to better understand effective management and optimization
Pros
Alert correlation feature helps to place similar alerts together for easier management
API connectors are easy to integrate with monitoring tools
Machine learning and AI help DevOps teams to work efficiently and to handle large amounts of data
Cons
Activity tab functionality could include better options for filtering comments, incident status changes, and more
Support is slow, according to some users, and often responses are not immediate
Mobile app needs improvement to function with the same abilities and features as the desktop version
Pricing
Contact BigPanda for the best up-to-date pricing.
How to choose the right incident management solution for your business
Here are some factors to consider when choosing your incident management solution:
Consider reporting: You’ll want your tool to assist with answering key questions about incident response times and other key metrics that are important to your department.
Scalability: Consider how the tool is going to help with the size and complexity of your business needs (or teams).
Security and compliance: Consider how your incident management tool is going to operate in heavily regulated industries (like banking or healthcare).
Mobile accessibility: At times, incidents should be acted upon rather quickly. Consider whether your teams need to get notified when they’re not at their desk.
As incident management becomes increasingly more complex, identifying the appropriate features in your incident response tools becomes more paramount. While these are only a few of the questions you may want to ask before choosing a solution, consider the business objectives of your organization and the trajectory of your needs to pick a comprehensive solution.
Final thoughts
IT Incident Management Software is a vital tool in IT operations, offering a wealth of benefits ranging from streamlined incident handling to better communication and collaboration among teams. As special tools designed to automate and optimize the incident management process, this software helps to make the incident resolution process easier from initial identification to resolution with a wealth of features like customizable knowledge bases and automated workflows.
The adoption of Incident Management Software helps organizations to also proactively address issues before they escalate into major problems, mitigating the impact on business operations. Integration of Incident Management Software not only strengthens organizational resilience but also positions businesses to adapt to evolving IT challenges, leading to greater success with incident management.