ServiceNow Certified System Administration Practice

The principle of retroactive start in Incident Management refers to setting the start time of the incident lifecycle to the moment the incident was originally created, rather than when it is first assigned or acknowledged. This approach ensures that the resolution timeline reflects the criticality of the issue as reported by the user, rather than any administrative delays that may occur thereafter.

By retroactively marking the start time from the creation of the incident, organizations can accurately measure and manage the service level agreements (SLAs) aligned with their customer expectations. This method also helps in ensuring transparency and accountability in the incident resolution process, providing a clearer view of how long it takes to address an issue from the user's perspective.

Additional options do not align with the principle of retroactive start. Adjusting time based on when the issue was reported may misunderstand the initial context of the incident’s severity. Delaying the start until a response is received could lead to extended resolution times not reflective of actual service performance. Restarting SLA time upon customer confirmation might lead to inconsistencies and confusion in SLA tracking.