What are the best practices for using brainstorming for problem analysis in ITIL?

-This article implies Brainstorming is a technique for solving problems, which it is, but when you are writing an article about ITIL you have to understand that problem means a very specific thing. Brainstorming is a technique that is often used for solving what we colloquially know as problems, and a subset of those problems would be the problems as defined by ITIL.

-The definition should be clarified. Problem management is no longer a process, but rather a practice with four defined processes (since ITIL 4), proactive problem identification, reactive problem identification, problem control, and error control. -Problem management is not about resolving root causes of incidents, but rather managing the affect of problems on a business, its customers, and their outcomes. A problem exists whether it has generated an incident or not. Without that distinction, the article frames problem management for the reader as only being reactive and we shouldn't blind the reader to proactive problem management.

ITIL 4 does not have a defined activity called problem analysis, but rather this would be split into two activities. Problem investigation is the activity that deals with root cause analysis and Problem Solution Development is the activity that deals with developing problem mitigation solutions.

The Define the Problem section jumps to suggesting a method like 5W1H, but I think its important to briefly mention that if you don't take the time to properly define your problem you may end up not solving the real issue or perhaps not solving it to the best of your organization's capability.

5W1H would include the stakeholders (Who), impact (how), urgency (why), expected outcome (what) so I think the last sentence is redundant. You could rearrange it and talk about the minimum information you would need, which I think would also include a description of the current state of the issue (also a what) and then suggest methodologies to help capture all the appropriate details. Additional methodologies could include: -a combination of ITIL 4's Four Dimensions (Organizations and People, Information and Technology, Partners and Suppliers, and Value Streams and Processes) and Francis Aguilar's PESTLE factors (Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Legal, Environmental) -Kepner-Tregoe Problem Analysis

Before choosing participants, it should be decided whether a brainstorming session is necessary as a brainstorming session can be costly compared to alternatives. Questions to ask: Do I need to brainstorm? Is the currently collected data about the problem allowing the already engaged technicians to use their expert knowledge to determine a solution, mitigation, or other next steps? Does the impact and urgency require additional participants to ensure the robustness of the solution? Do we need more data before we pull in people to a brainstorming session? Can we brainstorm asynchronously? Does the impact and urgency demand that we work synchronously?

Earlier in the article it suggests brainstorming can be used for root cause analysis as well. In which case I would add a question of whether that root cause analysis can be better completed using other methodologies (eg. 5 Why's, Fishbone, Kepner-Tregoe Problem Analysis, etc).

Problems may be complex where you might need more than 5 or 10 people to participate in the overall solutioning of a problem. However, its better to decompose the issue to be brainstormed into smaller chunks that can be discussed by fewer individuals in order to better elicit efficient collaboration.

Or if you are hosting the brainstorming session virtually, become familiar with your collaboration tools to better facilitate discussion (virtual whiteboards, notetaking tools, etc).

Best practices for using brainstorming in ITIL involve encouraging diverse participation, focusing on quantity of ideas, deferring judgment, and building upon others' suggestions. In renewable energy, brainstorming can generate innovative solutions for improving turbine reliability. For grid compliance, it can identify potential strategies for resolving voltage stability issues. In manufacturing, it can spark ideas for streamlining production processes. In battery storage, brainstorming can lead to novel approaches for enhancing energy efficiency and safety protocols.