What does "service degradation" mean in incident management?

Service degradation refers to a situation where the quality or performance of a service is diminished, but the service is still operational and not completely unavailable. This concept is crucial in incident management, as it helps organizations identify and address issues that affect the user experience without causing total service interruptions.

In scenarios of service degradation, users may experience slower response times, reduced functionality, or other performance issues that do not halt service altogether. Recognizing service degradation allows teams to prioritize incident response efforts effectively and ensure that services are restored to full capability as quickly as possible, while also managing user expectations during the incident. This proactive approach helps maintain trust and satisfaction among users and clients, making it a key aspect of effective incident management.