How to Fix Anything: An Introduction to Evidence-Driven Troubleshooting

As a Technical Service Coordinator at ViaTek, you’ll encounter a variety of technical issues that our clients face. To best serve our clients and to set the team up for success, it’s essential to adopt a structured, evidence-driven approach to troubleshooting. Using a consistent and methodical approach means that others can pdick up where you left off on an issue, and that nothing slips through the cracks. It also ensures that we address the root cause of the problem, avoiding temporary fixes and potential future complications.

Here are the key steps in the methodology, along with examples of common issues and the difference between poor and good troubleshooting practices:

1. Define the Goal:

The majority of our issues are reported via the client ticket portal or via email. Combine your knowledge of the client, the available documentation in IT Glue, and the initial problem description to form a mental picture of the client’s goal and their obstacle. Answer these questions to yourself:

• What was the client trying to do?
• What happened instead?

If you can’t clearly answer this with the information provided, you clearly need more information. Whether you have the client on the phone or are emailing via the ticket, be sure to ask smart follow-up questions to obtain all necessary information and avoid any confusion. If they mention a system that isn’t documented ask specific questions about the purpose that system has, how many users access it, and how recently it was implemented. Don’t be embarrassed that you don’t know. Your job is to ask probing questions!

Example: A client reports that they cannot access a shared network drive.

Poor troubleshooting: Assuming it’s a permissions issue and immediately checking the client’s permissions without gathering more information.

Good troubleshooting: Asking the client about the specific error message they are encountering, what files or folders they were trying to access, what physical location they are at, and if other users are experiencing the same issue.

2. Identify the problem:

With the goal well understood, pinpoint the issue that needs to be addressed. Ensure that the problem is well-defined and specific.

Example: The client provides an error message and mentions that other users can access the shared drive without any issues.

Poor troubleshooting: Focusing only on the client’s connectivity to the shared drive without considering other factors.

Good troubleshooting: Identifying that the issue is specific to this client and exploring possible causes, such as a disconnected network cable, incorrect drive mapping, or user-specific permissions.

3. Develop a theory of probable cause:

Based on the information you’ve collected, formulate a hypothesis about the potential cause of the problem. Consider all possibilities and weigh them against the available evidence.

Example: The client confirms they can access other network resources but not the shared drive.

Poor troubleshooting: Attempting to remap the drive without checking the current drive mappings or gathering more information about the client’s environment.

Good troubleshooting: With the information you’ve collected, consider various potential causes, such as an issue with the drive mapping, a problem with the client’s network profile, or a temporary server issue.

4. Divide and conquer:

Design and perform tests to confirm or disprove your hypothesis. If your initial theory doesn’t hold up, revisit your list of potential causes and test alternative theories.

Example: You suspect the client’s drive mapping is incorrect.

Poor troubleshooting: Beginning by testing the ethernet cable, checking for active link, checking for IP address, rebooting, running a cleanup tool, Windows Updates, etc… This may seem methodical but is really just throwing things at the wall to see what sticks.

Good troubleshooting: Reviewing the client’s drive mappings and verifying them against the expected configuration, then testing alternative theories if the drive mappings are correct. This splits your possibilities neatly in half. Either the config is wrong and you can work on fixing it and why it happened, or the config matches and there are other issues at play like permissions or connectivity.

5. Implement the solution:

Once you’ve identified the root cause, implement the most appropriate solution to resolve the problem. Ensure that your chosen solution is effective and sustainable.

Example You confirm that the client’s drive mapping is incorrect.

Poor troubleshooting: Simply remapping the drive without considering the root cause of the incorrect mapping.

Good troubleshooting: Remapping the drive and investigating why the incorrect mapping occurred, such as a change in group policy settings or a recent user profile change. Taking steps to prevent the issue from reoccurring in the future, like updating the documentation or Group Policy settings.

6. Verify the solution:

Confirm that the implemented solution effectively resolves the issue and doesn’t introduce new problems. If necessary, make adjustments or revisit previous steps to refine your approach.

Example: The client can now access the shared network drive.

Poor troubleshooting: Assuming the problem is resolved without following up with the client.

Good troubleshooting: Proactively communicating what you did with the client, asking them to confirm the issue is resolved from their end, and that the solution is effective and sustainable.

7. Share the Wealth:

Clarify information in IT Glue and share your findings and recommendations with the team.

Once you have completed the troubleshooting process, it is important to update the documentation in IT Glue. Focus on the areas that slowed you down, working to include enough information to resolve the issue without prior context. This ensures that the next person who encounters the same problem will have a clear and detailed guide to follow, allowing for quicker resolution times and fewer disruptions to our clients’ business operations.

In addition to updating the documentation, it is crucial to share your findings and recommendations with others on the team. This should include the Account Manager, Service Manager, other Technical Service Coordinators. Sharing your findings helps to improve the overall quality of our support services, as well as foster a culture of excellence and knowledge sharing.

By following these steps, you’ll be well-equipped to provide exceptional, evidence-driven troubleshooting services to ViaTek’s clients. Remember to be patient, thorough, and inquisitive throughout the process, always aiming to deliver the best possible support.