What are key relationships between Changes and Incidents?

The correct answer is that incidents can be caused by a change. This relationship highlights a crucial aspect of IT service management, where changes made to the configuration items (CIs) in the environment can lead to unexpected results, including the occurrence of incidents. For example, when a new system update or a configuration change is implemented, it may inadvertently introduce issues that disrupt normal service operations, leading to incidents being reported by users.

Understanding this relationship is vital for IT teams to manage both changes and incidents effectively. It helps in attributing the source of incidents to specific changes, allowing for better root cause analysis and more informed decision-making regarding future changes. This connection also emphasizes the importance of thorough change planning and testing to minimize the risk of causing incidents and ensures smoother operations post-change.

The other statements, while potentially relevant in different contexts, do not accurately capture the essential relationship regarding how changes can impact incidents. For example, the idea that incidents autoclose upon the closure of a related change does not reflect the real-world dynamics between these processes, as incidents require individual resolution and closure irrespective of changes. Similarly, while a change could resolve certain incidents, agency typically lies in the incident resolution process, not solely in the change itself. Lastly, incident owners participating in the