Newsletters
Abstract
IBM Engineering support is documenting its Severity 1 case handling procedures and elaborating on actions support engineers might take during the lifecycle of a severity 1 case.
Content
In accordance with IBM Enterprise Support severity definitions, IBM Engineering support teams troubleshoot issues, investigate, and help users resolve software problems.
IBM Engineering support works on Severity 1 assigned issues 24 hours a day, 7 days a week on critical production system issues.
IBM reserves the right to communicate and downgrade case severity when functionality is restored from Severity 1 to an appropriate level, such as 2, 3, or 4. Support representatives might reduce severity during an investigation to organize critical issues. It is important to clearly communicate how your case impacts your business for IBM Engineering Support to triage your case and understand the urgency and severity of the issue.
Examples where support might downgrade the case severity:
- Unresponsive requests to work on your Severity 1 case
- A workaround is in place, and the critical business impact is mitigated.
- A Known issue is created and continued work is required, but the system is functional.
In these scenarios, a support representative might change the case severity. We understand that cases evolve over time and the issue severity might go up or down as problems are investigated. To further assist users, an Escalate case button is available in the IBM Support Portal. The Escalate case button allows users to escalate an issue after IBM provides an initial response to your case. Another option is to contact a duty manager from the IBM Directory of worldwide contacts.
If a case needs to be changed to Severity 1 over the weekend or outside of working hours in their geographic time zone, please contact the Duty manager for immediate assistance.
Severity 2, 3, and 4 escalated cases are worked in their geographic time zone during business hours and Severity 1 issues are worked 24x7.
If a case needs to be changed to Severity 1 over the weekend or outside of working hours in their geographic time zone, please contact the Duty manager for immediate assistance.
Severity 2, 3, and 4 escalated cases are worked in their geographic time zone during business hours and Severity 1 issues are worked 24x7.
For additional information on IBM support options such as Advanced Support or Platinum Support, please review IBM Support options for On-premises/Saas Software
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
Can I restore the severity of my case?
Yes, users who believe the severity is set incorrectly can update their case and provide a note to the support representative. In the past, users might have upgraded their case severity when urgent assistance was required or to escalate a case. The need to raise severity for urgent assistance is no longer required as an Escalate case button is available in the IBM Support Portal. Another option is to contact a duty manager from the IBM Directory of worldwide contacts.
Can I exclude my cases from severity adjustments?
No, there is no method to apply an exclusion to an account as each case is triaged and negotiated with users separately. If an administrator disagrees with the support representative, they can adjust the severity of the case and add a note for the support representative. If you experience issues with a case downgrade or if you are unhappy with IBM Engineering Support, you can request a Duty Manager to talk to a manager within the support organization.
Are all open cases receiving severity changes?
No. Open cases evolve over time during an investigation, and the severity of an issue can change over time. IBM is NOT globally downgrading Severity 1 open cases. We understand that each case is unique and severity is negotiated based on a number of factors. IBM is informing users with open cases that IBM Engineering Support representatives might request an adjustment on case severity when they review the most current information available from development teams. If the severity of a case is adjusted, the IBM Engineering Support team member is instructed to provide an update to describe the reason for the change in severity.
[{"Type":"MASTER","Line of Business":{"code":"LOB77","label":"Automation Platform"},"Business Unit":{"code":"BU048","label":"IBM Software"},"Product":{"code":"SSUVLZ","label":"IBM Engineering Requirements Management DOORS Next"},"ARM Category":[{"code":"a8m50000000L3D5AAK","label":"ELM DOORS Next"}],"Platform":[{"code":"PF025","label":"Platform Independent"}],"Version":"All Versions"},{"Type":"MASTER","Line of Business":{"code":"LOB77","label":"Automation Platform"},"Business Unit":{"code":"BU048","label":"IBM Software"},"Product":{"code":"SSUC3U","label":"IBM Engineering Workflow Management"},"ARM Category":[{"code":"a8m50000000L3DKAA0","label":"ELM Workflow Management"}],"Platform":[{"code":"PF025","label":"Platform Independent"}],"Version":"All Versions"},{"Type":"MASTER","Line of Business":{"code":"LOB77","label":"Automation Platform"},"Business Unit":{"code":"BU048","label":"IBM Software"},"Product":{"code":"SSPRJQ","label":"IBM Engineering Lifecycle Management Base"},"ARM Category":[{"code":"a8m50000000L3DPAA0","label":"ELM"}],"Platform":[{"code":"PF025","label":"Platform Independent"}],"Version":"All Versions"},{"Type":"MASTER","Line of Business":{"code":"LOB77","label":"Automation Platform"},"Business Unit":{"code":"BU048","label":"IBM Software"},"Product":{"code":"SSUB2H","label":"IBM Engineering Lifecycle Optimization - Engineering Insights"},"ARM Category":[{"code":"a8m0z000000bmGGAAY","label":"ELO Insights"}],"Platform":[{"code":"PF025","label":"Platform Independent"}],"Version":"All Versions"},{"Type":"MASTER","Line of Business":{"code":"LOB77","label":"Automation Platform"},"Business Unit":{"code":"BU048","label":"IBM Software"},"Product":{"code":"SSKQVJO","label":"IBM Engineering Systems Design Rhapsody \u2013 Model Manager"},"ARM Category":[{"code":"a8m0z000000brSbAAI","label":"Rhapsody"}],"Platform":[{"code":"PF025","label":"Platform Independent"}],"Version":"All Versions"},{"Type":"MASTER","Line of Business":{"code":"LOB77","label":"Automation Platform"},"Business Unit":{"code":"BU048","label":"IBM Software"},"Product":{"code":"SSKR2T","label":"IBM Engineering Requirements Management DOORS"},"ARM Category":[{"code":"a8m50000000L3D6AAK","label":"DOORS"}],"Platform":[{"code":"PF025","label":"Platform Independent"}],"Version":"All Versions"}]
Was this topic helpful?
Document Information
Modified date:
05 December 2025
UID
ibm17005049