Incidents and Defects: What’s the Right Approach in ITIL 4?

When an incident is caused by a defect, how should IT teams respond? It’s a question we’ve been answering for years, and it’s still just as relevant, especially in today’s complex, fast-moving environments where software, infrastructure, and services are deeply interconnected.

In ITIL 4, an incident is defined as an unplanned interruption to a service or reduction in the quality of

a service. That hasn’t changed. But what happens when the root cause of that interruption is a defect - an underlying flaw in software, hardware, or configuration?

Here's the Modern Approach:

Log the incident: The user is experiencing an interruption that needs immediate attention.
Document known defect links: If the defect is known (e.g., “already logged with Dev”), link the incident to the problem record, known error, or defect backlog in your tracking system (Jira, Azure DevOps, etc.).
Communicate expectations: While the defect may not have a quick fix, the incident response should still manage user experience. Be transparent: “We’re aware of the root cause, and we’re tracking this with our development team.”
Prioritize based on impact: If the defect affects a large group or a critical service, it may warrant escalation, even if a workaround exists.

ITIL 4 Encourages Collaboration

ITIL 4 emphasizes breaking down silos. When incidents are caused by defects, cross-functional collaboration between the Service Desk, IT Operations, and Development becomes crucial.

This aligns with DevOps principles and Site Reliability Engineering (SRE) practices, where shared ownership of quality and service uptime is the norm. It's no longer about tossing the issue "over the wall", it's about resolving the user impact together.

What About Problems and Known Errors?

When defects are recurring or not immediately resolvable, they should be logged as problems. Once diagnosed and documented, they become known errors, ideally with a workaround. This linkage improves future incident resolution and enables more proactive service management.

Final Thoughts

Yes, it's still an incident...even when it's a defect. But how we manage that incident has evolved.

ITIL 4 teaches us to stay user-focused, data-driven, and collaborative across teams. With the right workflows and communication in place, even a defect-driven incident becomes an opportunity to improve trust, transparency, and service experience.

Need help mapping ITIL 4 practices to your organization’s workflows? Visit itsmacademy.com to connect with our experts.

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