Service desk L3: problem records and known errors
For service desk level 3 technicians, problem coordinators and senior L2 staff who already know the difference between incidents, problems, known errors and changes (see 'Incident, problem, change and request: working the ITIL way at an MSP'). Goes deeper into the problem record itself: spotting candidates in incident data, writing the problem statement, assessing new records, a 5 whys analysis that ends in a process rather than a person, writing a known error article, and choosing how the problem ends. Examples use vendor documentation from ServiceNow, Freshservice and Atlassian; ITIL terminology is used descriptively and no ITIL publication text is reproduced. Your company's problem procedure and tool configuration apply on the job.
- Level
- Advanced
- Length
- About 85 minutes
- Contents
- 5 lessons · final exam
- Status
- Published · updated 10 Oct 2026
Skills you'll practise
- Identify incident patterns in queue data that justify a problem record, and write its problem statement
- Choose whether to confirm, mark as duplicate or cancel a newly raised problem record
- Write a 5 whys root-cause analysis that ends in a process or condition, not a person
- Write a known error article with symptoms, scope, cause, workaround and a review date
- Choose how a problem ends: a fix through a change, accepting the risk, or remaining a known error
Course outline
- 1.Spotting problem candidates in incident data and writing the problem statementLesson · 16 min
- 2.Assessing a new problem: confirm, mark duplicate or cancelLesson · 12 min
- 3.Root-cause analysis with the 5 whysLesson · 18 min
- 4.Writing the known error articleLesson · 16 min
- 5.Choosing how a problem endsLesson · 10 min
- 6.Service desk L3: problem records and known errors: knowledge checkKnowledge check · 13 questions
- 7.Service desk L3: problem records and known errors: practical exerciseKnowledge check · 1 question
- 8.Final exam10 questions · passing it completes the course, so people who already know the material can test out
Sources it draws on
The lessons and questions are written from these references, so learners can go back to the original.
- Atlassian: Problem management in ITIL, process and implementation guide
- Atlassian: The power of 5 Whys, analysis and defense
- ServiceNow docs: Assess a problem
- ServiceNow docs: Investigate the root cause of a problem
- ServiceNow docs: Create a known error article from a problem
- ServiceNow docs: Communicate a workaround
- Freshservice: Linking incidents to existing or new problems
- Freshservice: Difference between workaround and permanent solution
- Freshservice: Adding permanent solutions or workarounds to a problem
- Freshservice: Closing problems
See it with your own jobs and topics
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