Characterizing Time-Bounded Incident Management Systems

In this paper we propose an analytical tool, named Workload Profile Chart (WPC), to characterize the performance and quality of time-bounded incident management (TBIM) systems. Based on the normalization of incident assignment and resolution durations by their respective service level agreement (SLA), the method computes and plots the spreading of incidents on a log-log chart. We claim that this visual representation helps characterizing the performance of TBIM systems and diagnosing major issues such as resource and skill allocation, abnormal behavior, ticket characteristics, and the like. We also propose the WPC Inspection method which formalizes the process of using a WPC to characterize specific issues of TBIMs. The proposed method can be used to identify classes of problems for automated resolution or assignment, to determine resources and skills needed, and to reach a balance between productivity and quality. In addition to an in-depth description of the method, this paper presents its application in the characterization of four service organizations of a large IT service factory. As result, we are able to show aspects and characteristics of these service organizations that for the most part went unnoticed before. We also carried out an initial qualitative validation which provided evidence of the WPC's ability to accurately characterize TBIM systems.