40+ Incident Manager Interview Questions and Answers

Impact refers to the extent of the consequences caused by an incident, while urgency refers to the time sensitivity of resolving the incident.

• Impact is about the severity and extent of the damage caused by an incident.

• Urgency is about the time sensitivity and the need for immediate action to resolve the incident.

• Impact is measured in terms of the disruption caused to the business or services.

• Urgency is measured in terms of the time constraints and the impact on business opera...read more

Answers to questions related to Incident Management

• Emergency Change and Urgent Change are types of changes that are implemented quickly to resolve an incident or prevent an incident from occurring

• Known Error is a problem that has been identified and has a documented root cause and a workaround

• Incident Management lifecycle consists of identification, logging, categorization, prioritization, diagnosis, escalation, resolution, and closure of incidents

• Service Operation module con...read more

The lifecycle of an incident involves several stages from identification to resolution.

• Identification: Incident is detected or reported.

• Logging: Incident details are recorded in a ticket or incident management system.

• Investigation: Incident is analyzed to determine its cause and impact.

• Escalation: Incident is escalated to appropriate teams or individuals for resolution.

• Resolution: Incident is resolved and services are restored.

• Closure: Incident is closed after verifying that ...read more

Severity and priority are used to classify incidents based on their impact and urgency.

• Severity refers to the impact an incident has on the business or system.

• Priority refers to the urgency with which an incident needs to be resolved.

• Both severity and priority are usually classified into levels, such as low, medium, and high.

• The severity and priority of an incident can be determined based on factors such as the number of users affected, the criticality of the system, and the ...read more

FCR stands for First Call Resolution. I have handled X number of incidents with a Y% FCR rate.

• FCR is a metric used to measure the percentage of incidents resolved on the first call or contact.

• A high FCR rate indicates efficient incident management and customer satisfaction.

• I have handled X number of incidents with a Y% FCR rate, which demonstrates my ability to quickly and effectively resolve issues.

• For example, in my previous role as an Incident Manager at XYZ company, I ach...read more

Incident management focuses on resolving incidents to restore normal service operation, while problem management focuses on identifying and addressing the root cause of recurring incidents.

• Incident management is reactive, focusing on restoring service as quickly as possible.

• Problem management is proactive, aiming to prevent incidents from occurring in the future.

• Incident management deals with the symptoms of an issue, while problem management deals with the underlying cause.

• E...read more

Our organization implements ITIL frameworks to enhance incident management efficiency and service quality.

• Adoption of ITIL v3 and ITIL 4 frameworks to align incident management with best practices.

• Utilization of the Service Desk as a single point of contact for all incidents.

• Implementation of a categorization and prioritization system to manage incidents effectively.

• Regular training sessions for staff on ITIL processes to ensure adherence and understanding.

• Use of incident man...read more

I use a variety of tools in my project including incident management software, communication tools, monitoring tools, and collaboration platforms.

• Incident management software (e.g. ServiceNow, Jira Service Desk)

• Communication tools (e.g. Slack, Microsoft Teams)

• Monitoring tools (e.g. Nagios, SolarWinds)

• Collaboration platforms (e.g. Confluence, SharePoint)

I drive value for customers by prioritizing their needs, providing timely solutions, and ensuring their satisfaction.

• Understanding customer requirements and expectations

• Communicating effectively and promptly

• Taking ownership of issues and following through to resolution

• Seeking feedback and continuously improving processes

• Going above and beyond to exceed customer expectations

TCS Incident Manager is responsible for managing and resolving incidents in a timely manner.

• Manage and resolve incidents within SLA

• Coordinate with various teams for incident resolution

• Ensure timely communication and updates to stakeholders

• Identify and implement process improvements

• Maintain incident records and reports

• Provide training and guidance to team members

ITIL is a framework that includes incident management as one of its processes.

• ITIL is a comprehensive framework for IT service management

• Incident management is a specific process within ITIL that focuses on restoring normal service operation as quickly as possible

• ITIL covers other processes like problem management, change management, and service desk management

• Incident management involves logging, categorizing, prioritizing, and resolving incidents

• ITIL provides guidelines and...read more

I have used tools such as ServiceNow, Jira, and PagerDuty for incident management.

• ServiceNow

• Jira

• PagerDuty

SLA for P3 incident is typically 24-48 hours.

• P3 incidents are considered low priority incidents

• SLA for P3 incidents is usually longer than P1 and P2 incidents

• SLA for P3 incidents can vary depending on the organization and the severity of the incident

• Typically, SLA for P3 incidents is around 24-48 hours

• SLA for P3 incidents may include response time, resolution time, and communication requirements

Change management is a structured approach to transitioning individuals, teams, and organizations to a desired future state.

• Involves planning, implementing, and monitoring changes to minimize disruption.

• Examples include software updates, organizational restructuring, or process improvements.

• Utilizes frameworks like ITIL or ADKAR to guide the change process.

• Engages stakeholders to ensure buy-in and reduce resistance to change.

• Includes assessing risks and impacts of changes bef...read more

Problems should be raised when they impact service availability or performance.

• Raise a problem when there is a significant incident affecting service availability or performance

• Raise a problem when recurring incidents are observed that indicate an underlying issue

• Raise a problem when there is a potential risk of future incidents if the root cause is not addressed

MIR stands for Major Incident Review. It is created after a major incident to analyze the root cause and prevent future occurrences.

• MIR is created after a major incident to review what happened and why.

• It helps in identifying the root cause of the incident.

• MIR includes recommendations for preventing similar incidents in the future.

• It involves a detailed analysis of the incident timeline, actions taken, and outcomes.

• MIR is essential for continuous improvement and learning from...read more

Incident and change management are processes used in IT to handle unexpected events and implement modifications to systems.

• Incident management involves responding to and resolving unplanned disruptions to IT services.

• Change management focuses on controlling the lifecycle of all changes to IT infrastructure.

• Both processes aim to minimize the impact of incidents and changes on the organization's operations.

• Examples of incidents include server outages, network failures, and secu...read more

P1 incidents were handled with utmost priority and urgency.

• P1 incidents were immediately escalated to the appropriate teams and stakeholders.

• A dedicated incident response team was formed to address P1 incidents.

• Regular updates were provided to stakeholders until the incident was resolved.

• Post-incident reviews were conducted to identify areas for improvement.

• Examples of P1 incidents include critical system outages and security breaches.

The ITIL life cycle refers to the five stages of the ITIL framework for managing IT services.

• The ITIL life cycle consists of five stages: Service Strategy, Service Design, Service Transition, Service Operation, and Continual Service Improvement.

• Each stage focuses on different aspects of the service management process, from planning and design to implementation and improvement.

• For example, in the Service Strategy stage, organizations define their service offerings and create a...read more

Some tools I have hands-on experience with include ServiceNow, JIRA, and Remedy.

• ServiceNow

• JIRA

• Remedy

Different types of networks include LAN, WAN, MAN, WLAN, PAN, CAN, SAN, and VPN.

• LAN (Local Area Network) - connects devices within a limited area like a home, office, or school

• WAN (Wide Area Network) - connects devices over a large geographical area, often using public infrastructure like the internet

• MAN (Metropolitan Area Network) - covers a larger geographic area than a LAN but smaller than a WAN

• WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network) - uses wireless technology to connect device...read more

A Service Level Agreement (SLA) is a formal contract defining expected service standards between a service provider and a client.

• Defines specific metrics for service performance, such as uptime and response time.

• Example: An SLA may state 99.9% uptime for a web hosting service.

• Outlines penalties or remedies if service levels are not met.

• Example: A service provider may offer credits for downtime exceeding agreed limits.

• Establishes clear expectations and responsibilities for bot...read more

ITIL processes are a set of best practices for IT service management.

• ITIL stands for Information Technology Infrastructure Library

• There are five core ITIL processes: Service Strategy, Service Design, Service Transition, Service Operation, and Continual Service Improvement

• Each process has its own set of activities and deliverables

• ITIL processes help organizations to align their IT services with business needs and improve service quality

• Examples of ITIL processes include Incide...read more

Yes, I am flexible to work in rotational shifts to ensure effective incident management and team support.

• I understand the importance of 24/7 incident management and am committed to supporting the team during all shifts.

• In my previous role, I successfully adapted to rotating shifts, which improved my ability to handle incidents at any time.

• I believe that working in different shifts enhances team collaboration and knowledge sharing among team members.

• I have experience in managi...read more

Urgency is the speed at which a task needs to be completed, while priority is the importance of the task relative to others.

• Urgency refers to how quickly a task needs to be addressed to prevent negative consequences.

• Priority determines the order in which tasks should be tackled based on their importance.

• For example, a critical system outage would have high urgency and priority, while a minor bug may have low urgency but high priority.

• It is important to properly assess both ur...read more

Incident lifecycle refers to the stages an incident goes through from detection to resolution.

• Detection: Incident is identified or reported.

• Logging: Incident details are recorded in a ticketing system.

• Investigation: Root cause analysis is conducted to determine the reason for the incident.

• Resolution: Incident is resolved and services are restored.

• Closure: Incident is closed in the ticketing system after verification.

• Post-Incident Review: Review of the incident to identify are...read more

ITIL stands for Information Technology Infrastructure Library. It is a set of best practices for IT service management.

• ITIL is a framework that provides guidelines for IT service management

• It consists of five core publications covering various IT processes such as incident management, problem management, change management, etc.

• ITIL processes are designed to help organizations deliver high-quality IT services to their customers

• ITIL promotes a customer-centric approach and cont...read more