9 Popular Incident Management Tools (And How To Choose One)

Incident management tools are programs that assist management teams in handling unforeseen situations. They do this by offering a streamlined system where staff members can quickly report and address issues as they arise. If you are interested in pursuing a career in management or IT, it is helpful to familiarise yourself with these tools and understand how they help companies respond to different scenarios. In this article, we define what incident management is, describe how to choose the best tools for your workplace and provide a list of nine commonly used tools.

9 Popular incident management tools

These are nine popular incident management tools that business enterprises use:

1. Resolver

Resolver is a security incident management solution that investigates security issues that could disrupt an organisation's operations. Employees can utilise Resolver to report problems, which management can start addressing immediately. Resolver simplifies incident management activities like record-keeping while also providing other benefits like excellent data quality and the ability to automatically translate languages using artificial intelligence.

2. Freshservice

Freshservice, as an IT service management system, allows customers to submit issues via email, chat or its support portal, which also serves as a service desk. Freshservice evaluates tickets using artificial intelligence technology and provides related articles to users to help resolve situations. This tool is helpful for professionals in IT because it lets them process automated responses to tickets and accelerate the incident management process.

3. Splunk Enterprise

Splunk Enterprise is a platform that gives extensive data reports to managers and IT professionals so they can make key technical and business decisions while dealing with infrastructure problems. This platform provides mail and help desk support, in-person and live online training, anti-spam and virus protection, archiving and interoperability with popular software packages. Splunk as an incident management platform can aid in the rapid resolution of problems by notifying IT departments of potential issues in real-time.

4. PagerDuty

PagerDuty is a program that allows businesses to identify and address issues in real-time through an online platform. It allows consumers to report and track incidents, while managers respond immediately through a mobile app. PagerDuty integrates with other incident management applications and allows managers to schedule calls from their mobile devices, potentially increasing communication efficiency.

5. ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus

ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus is an incident management application that works within a service desk structure, allowing employees to create tickets, make purchases, manage contracts and track assets. ManageEngine offers an integrated package that combines the program with other management solutions to improve efficiency and optimise management processes. Compared to other prominent incident management systems, this tool is a more affordable option for small business enterprises.

6. OpsGenie

OpsGenie is an incident management platform that employs an innovative method for dealing with unexpected technical and operational issues in the workplace. When an employee reports an event or a concern emerges, the program focuses on giving concerned professionals immediate notifications and alerts. The platform has over 200 IT service management connections, enabling users to make the most of available resources across several programs to address specific business problems.

7. JIRA Service Management

JIRA Service Management is a popular incident management solution, giving staff members a variety of options for reporting, monitoring and responding to unplanned events. It employs a collaborative platform to streamline incident management processes, such as its self-service portal, where employees can find answers to problems without the intervention of management or supervisors. JIRA is a project management application that focuses on streamlining communication between various departments within an organisation, such as IT, development and business operations.

8. iAuditor

The iAuditor program is a standard incident management solution that focuses on examining and monitoring a company's security, quality control and overall business processes for potential dangers. The program provides users with in-person and online training and also extra educational tools such as webinars and videos. It also employs collaboration technologies to make it easier for staff to work together on audits, financial report investigations and other safety and quality assurance inspections.

9. xMatters

As an incident management application, xMatters provides businesses with a streamlined platform for preventing, monitoring and resolving technological catastrophes like software problems or internet outages. The xMatters program's primary purpose is to prevent and resolve technical issues before they disrupt business operations, therefore it takes a proactive approach to incident management. The application combines its systems with other prominent management tools like JIRA, Splunk and Slack, making it a viable option for managers looking for incident management tools that are compatible with other popular programs.

What is incident management?

Incident management refers to the processes involved in responding to unforeseen interruptions. It is a type of IT service management that focuses on promptly resolving unforeseen problems so that operations can resume swiftly with the least amount of disruption. Incident management's purpose is to deal with unplanned incidents in a way that has a minimal negative impact on the enterprise. For example, if a computer business experiences a major internet outage, management may decide to have staff work from home to prevent losing money.

In the IT industry, there are many incident management systems and technologies that cover various areas of IT service management (ITSM). Some solutions track the health of software and operating systems to alert businesses to potential technical or safety risks. Others serve as a virtual service desk, where employees may use a single, streamlined program to report incidents and make ticket requests. Incident management systems may have a large impact on how businesses deal with unanticipated events and save them time and effort‌.

Related: How To Become An Incident Manager: A Complete Guide

Benefits of using an incident management tool

There are many benefits to using tools for managing incidents in the workplace, including:

• Increased communication: Some incident management systems enable quick communication between employees and management staff, which would otherwise take longer or become disorderly in email, text or in-person interactions. This can reduce the ‌time that an enterprise takes ‌to respond to employee queries and concerns, and make it easier for employees and managers to address situations collaboratively.

• Quicker response time: Incident management software can also reduce the ‌time you spend identifying and responding to workplace issues. An employee, for example, can report a technological issue at their workstation within minutes using an incident management application, with management receiving instant notification of the occurrence and responding swiftly.

• Detailed records: The ability of incident management technologies to preserve extensive records of various incidents that occur in a workplace over time is also beneficial for future reference. For example, a virtual service desk solution can preserve a full log of events and reports that employees submit, with management having access to the reported history as and when necessary.

• Reduced workload: Besides creating a more efficient workplace, incident management software can also decrease the amount of redundant work involved in keeping track of various issues. Employees in the human resources department, in particular, can benefit from reduced workload by focusing their energies on other vital workplace activities.

Related: How To Overcome Communication Barriers: Benefits And Tips

How to choose the right tool for a workplace

When choosing a tool for a workplace, it is good practice to consider its efficacy and compatibility with the existing technological infrastructure. Here are some steps you can follow to choose the right tools that fit with the practices of your organisation:

1. Evaluate organisational needs

The first step in determining which incident management technology is best for a company is to assess its objectives and needs. Make a report outlining some of the company's most regular problems and think about how alternative management tools could help ease or address those situations. Consider getting employee opinions on what they believe are the most prevalent occurrences in the company and how they are currently addressing them. You can accomplish this by sending out a survey or questionnaire to find out what the most important happenings in the firm are to the employees.

Related: What Is Organisational Culture?

2. Research your options

The second step is to do extensive study to be well aware of various management tools available in the industry. Make a spreadsheet where you can take notes on different tools and categorise them depending on their purpose, features, price and any other significant variables that might influence your ultimate choice. This might help you limit your selections and focus on products that have the biggest impact or relevance on a company's incident management strategy.

3. Consider compatibility

After you have narrowed down your list of viable management systems, you may assess their software compatibility. Some management technologies can work together to gather information and resources from one another, making the incident management process even more efficient. Consider comparing your top tools to evaluate their cohesion and determine which is most consistent with the goal, tasks and incidents of your workplace when making your final decision.

Please note that none of the companies, institutions or organisations mentioned in this article are associated with Indeed.