Which key element is included within the scope of Incident Management?

Incident Management primarily focuses on handling events that disrupt or have the potential to disrupt services. This includes any unplanned interruption or reduction in the quality of an IT service. The key objective is to restore normal service operation as quickly as possible and minimize the impact on business operations. Thus, the essence of Incident Management is rooted in its ability to address and resolve incidents effectively, ensuring that services remain stable and operational.

In the context of Incident Management, the other elements mentioned—service deployment strategies, change management policies, and total cost of ownership analysis—do not fall directly within its scope. Service deployment strategies pertain to how services are rolled out and managed in the production environment. Change management policies govern the processes related to managing changes in the IT environment, but they are separate from incident management activities. Total cost of ownership analysis focuses on the financial aspects of IT service management but does not directly tie into the management or resolution of incidents. Thus, the relevance of events that disrupt or could disrupt a service is central to the practice of Incident Management.