Would it make sense for our team to debrief together after every major issue to learn from the incident and avoid future mistakes? Would this be helpful for problems in our test and production environments? Here comes the post-incident review (formerly post-mortem) comes into play. This not only offers a review of resolved incidents, but also the opportunity to improve processes, identify weaknesses and optimize the entire incident management process. A post-incident review is a valuable tool that helps to minimize future incidents and increase team efficiency. In this article, we look at the best practices for effective post-incident reviews in Jira and Jira Service Management and show how your team can gain valuable insights from each incident.

Why are post-incident reviews important?

In hectic times, incidents are often just "fixed" without analyzing the causes and processes in detail. However, without systematic follow-up, the opportunity to learn from the incident remains unused. A lack of reviews means that:

  • Repeated errors occur because the underlying problems are not identified and rectified.
  • Inefficient processes which cost valuable time in future incidents.
  • Team members frustrated because they are constantly confronted with similar problems without finding a sustainable solution.

Best practices for effective post-incident reviews in Jira Service Management

To carry out a post-incident review in Jira Service Management effectively, you should follow these best practices:

1. preparation and invitation of the relevant stakeholders

A successful PIR begins with the involvement of all relevant parties. In addition to the direct incident handlers, invite other people who can provide valuable perspectives, e.g. management, affected departments or external stakeholders. Comprehensive participation ensures that the incident is examined from different perspectives and enables a more thorough root cause analysis.

2. collect and document all the facts

Before you hold the PIR meeting, all facts and data should be collected and documented. This includes logs, timestamps, screenshots and all communication protocols that occurred during the incident. This ensures that the team discusses the issue on the same information basis. In Jira Service Management, incidents can be documented in detail and recorded chronologically so that all information is bundled in one place.

3. analyze cause and processes

In the review, the team should understand the causes of the incident and the exact processes. It is important not only to investigate the immediate trigger, but also to uncover underlying problems. In Jira Service Management, relevant information can be highlighted using labels, tags and custom fields to make it easier to identify patterns and recurring problems.

4. identify and prioritize opportunities for improvement

After analyzing the cause, measures should be developed to prevent similar incidents in the future. In Jira Service Management, these measures can be recorded and prioritized directly as tasks or to-dos. Examples of possible measures:

  • Optimization of processes (e.g. escalation chains)
  • Customization of monitoring tools
  • Additional training for the team

5. an action plan with clear responsibilities

Ensure that all measures discussed are documented in a clear plan with defined responsibilities. In Jira Service Management, actions can be assigned directly to individual team members or departments. Through the integration of Confluence for documentation and Jira PIR results remain transparent and feasible for the implementation of measures.

6. sharing and documenting learning

Document all important findings and share them across the team. A well-documented PIR is a valuable source of knowledge for future incidents. In Confluence, you can set up a central knowledge database that collects all post-incident reviews. This documentation not only serves the current team, but also supports the onboarding of new team members and promotes continuous learning.

Tips from the field: Further best practices for post-incident reviews

According to Splunk's Best Practices For incident reviews, PIRs should go beyond mere root cause analysis and cover the entire chain of events. Here are some practical tips that can also be applied to Jira Service Management:

  • Focus on process improvements: A PIR should not only examine the "what" but also the "how" in order to identify deeper organizational improvements.
  • Focus on the entire life cycle of the incident: From detection to resolution - all phases of the incident should be discussed in the review.
  • Continuous monitoring: Use the monitoring functions of Jira Service Management to keep track of all changes and improvements and evaluate them regularly.

You can find a detailed guide to post-incident reviews in our article Error analysis and troubleshooting of problems in the production environment of distributed systems and on post mortems after incidents in the article Post Mortem on Incidents - How to Manage Downtime.

Advantages of a systematic post-incident review in Jira Service Management

A structured PIR brings significant benefits to your team and your company:

  • Sustainable process improvement: You recognize and rectify underlying problems before they occur again.
  • Increased efficiency: Optimized processes shorten the response time for future incidents.
  • Knowledge management: PIR documentation is a valuable learning resource and supports the onboarding of new employees.
  • Proactive risk minimization: A PIR promotes preventive measures that intercept potential problems at an early stage.

Why post-incident reviews promote learning and minimize risks

Our team uses the post-incident review method not only to solve problems, but also to promote a continuous learning culture, as described in the book Investment Unlimited is described by Gene Kim. Especially for customers in the financial sector, it is crucial to generate valuable knowledge from incidents that strengthens resilience and competitiveness. If you would like to talk about these topics, our DevOps Ambassadors Philipp and Ivan, who have read and discussed this book as part of the XALT Book Club, are available.

In Investment Unlimited Gene Kim emphasizes the importance of continuous improvement and proactive incident management in the modern, technology-driven business world. The blog post and the book share the belief that incidents should not only be fixed, but used as learning opportunities. Some key parallels:

  • Systemic learning and knowledge management: Investment Unlimited emphasizes how crucial it is to document knowledge and make it accessible. The blog post shows how PIRs in Jira Service Management serve as a knowledge repository that also helps new team members with onboarding.
  • Responsibilities and team collaboration: Gene Kim emphasizes the involvement of all stakeholders and clear responsibilities for efficient processes. The blog post recommends involving relevant stakeholders in PIRs and defining clear responsibilities to ensure the sustainability of improvements.
  • Proactive risk minimization: According to Investment Unlimited preventive measures minimize potential risks. A structured PIR helps to identify patterns and take preventative action to avoid future incidents.

Investment Unlimited and our best practices for post-incident reviews illustrate how valuable a structured approach to incident management is. This not only promotes short-term solutions to problems, but also strengthens the knowledge, efficiency and innovative power of the entire organization in the long term.

Conclusion

A post-incident review is much more than just a final report - it's a powerful tool for continuous improvement. With the right best practices, you can ensure that your team learns from every incident and is better prepared for future challenges. Jira Service Management gives you the tools you need to make PIRs effective and ensure that lessons learned are put into practice. Take this opportunity to strengthen your incident management in the long term!