What are the best ways to escalate an incident response?

1 Define the incident severity

The first step to escalate an incident response is to define the incident severity, which determines the urgency, priority, and scope of the response. The incident severity should be based on criteria such as the business impact, the number of users affected, the duration of the disruption, and the potential for escalation. You should use a consistent and clear severity scale, such as the one provided by ITIL, which ranges from S1 (critical) to S4 (low). You should also document and communicate the incident severity to the relevant stakeholders, such as the incident manager, the service owner, and the business owner.

2 Follow the escalation matrix

The next step to escalate an incident response is to follow the escalation matrix, which defines the roles and responsibilities of the different parties involved in the response, and the escalation paths and triggers for each severity level. The escalation matrix should be aligned with the service level agreements (SLAs) and the organizational structure, and should specify who needs to be notified, informed, consulted, and escalated to in each scenario. You should use a tool or a platform that automates and tracks the escalation process, such as a ticketing system or an incident management software.

3 Communicate effectively and frequently

The third step to escalate an incident response is to communicate effectively and frequently with all the stakeholders, both internally and externally. You should use a communication plan that outlines the communication channels, frequency, format, and content for each audience and situation. You should also use a communication template that standardizes the information and updates that you provide, such as the incident summary, status, impact, root cause, resolution, and lessons learned. You should aim to communicate clearly, concisely, and transparently, and to avoid jargon, assumptions, and blame.

4 Review and improve the escalation process

The final step to escalate an incident response is to review and improve the escalation process, based on the feedback and data that you collect during and after the incident. You should use a post-incident review (PIR) or a root cause analysis (RCA) to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the escalation process, and to generate action items and recommendations for improvement. You should also use metrics and indicators to measure and monitor the performance and effectiveness of the escalation process, such as the time to escalate, the number of escalations, the satisfaction of the stakeholders, and the compliance with the SLAs.

5 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?