Not every IT problem can be fixed immediately. Sometimes an organization understands exactly what’s causing an issue but needs additional time, funding, or planning before implementing a permanent solution. Rather than repeatedly investigating the same issue, IT teams document what they know so they can respond more quickly in the future. This documented issue is called a Known Error.
Known Errors help organizations reduce troubleshooting time, improve service desk efficiency, and provide consistent support while permanent fixes are being developed.
What Is a Known Error?
A Known Error is a problem that has been analyzed and whose root cause has been identified, but for which a permanent resolution has not yet been implemented.
The issue may still occur, but because IT understands the cause and any available workarounds, support teams can resolve incidents more quickly and consistently.
What Is a Known Error Record?
A Known Error Record documents important information about the issue, including:
- A description of the problem
- The identified root cause
- A temporary workaround
- The affected systems or services
- The status of the permanent fix
- References to related incidents or problems
Maintaining accurate Known Error Records allows service desk analysts to quickly identify recurring issues and apply proven workarounds.
Why Known Errors Matter
Organizations that maintain a Known Error Database often benefit from:
- Faster incident resolution
- Less duplicated troubleshooting
- Improved first-contact resolution
- More consistent customer support
- Better knowledge sharing
- Reduced downtime
Instead of starting from scratch each time an issue occurs, support teams can immediately apply documented solutions.
Known Errors vs. Problems
Although they’re closely related, a Known Error and a Problem are not the same thing.
A Problem is the underlying cause of one or more incidents that is still being investigated or managed.
A Known Error is a Problem whose root cause has already been identified and documented, even if the permanent fix has not yet been implemented.
In other words, every Known Error begins as a Problem, but not every Problem becomes a Known Error.
Known Errors and ITIL
Within the ITIL framework, Known Errors are an important part of the Problem Management practice. ITIL recommends documenting identified root causes and workarounds in a Known Error Database (KEDB), making this information easily accessible to service desk and support teams.
This approach improves operational efficiency while permanent corrective actions are being planned and implemented.
Best Practices for Managing Known Errors
Organizations can improve their Known Error process by:
- Documenting workarounds as soon as they’re validated
- Keeping Known Error Records current
- Making the database searchable for support staff
- Linking incidents to Known Errors
- Reviewing Known Errors regularly
- Removing records once permanent fixes have been deployed
These practices help organizations reduce repeat work while improving customer service.
Partner with Ashford Global
Ashford Global helps organizations implement ITIL best practices, improve Problem Management, and build effective knowledge management processes. Whether you’re creating a Known Error Database or improving your service desk operations, our consulting and training services can help your team work more efficiently.
Learn more about our consulting services:
https://ashfordglobalit.com/consulting/
Or explore our training programs:
https://ashfordglobalit.com/training/