What factors are contributing to the sudden 30% increase in support tickets related to Pure Storage's Purity operating system in the last month?

Introduction

The sudden 30% increase in support tickets related to Pure Storage's Purity operating system is a critical issue that demands immediate attention and thorough analysis. This spike in support requests not only impacts customer satisfaction but also strains our support resources and potentially signals underlying problems with our product. To address this challenge, I'll employ a systematic approach to identify, validate, and resolve the root cause while considering both short-term fixes and long-term strategic implications.

Step 1

Clarifying Questions (3 minutes)

• Looking at the timing, I'm thinking there might have been a recent update or change. Has there been any significant update to the Purity OS in the last 1-2 months?

Why it matters: Recent changes often correlate with support ticket increases. Expected answer: Yes, a major update was released. Impact on approach: If yes, we'd focus on the update's features and potential bugs.

• Considering user segments, I'm curious about the distribution of these tickets. Are we seeing this increase across all customer types, or is it concentrated in specific segments?

Why it matters: Helps identify if the issue is universal or segment-specific. Expected answer: The increase is primarily in enterprise customers. Impact on approach: If segment-specific, we'd tailor our investigation to that user group.

• Given the nature of support tickets, I'm wondering about the types of issues being reported. What are the top 3 categories of problems mentioned in these tickets?

Why it matters: Categorization helps identify patterns and potential root causes. Expected answer: Performance issues, data integrity concerns, and compatibility problems. Impact on approach: This would guide our technical investigation focus areas.

• Thinking about external factors, has there been any change in how we're measuring or categorizing support tickets in the last month?

Why it matters: Ensures we're not dealing with a measurement anomaly. Expected answer: No changes in measurement or categorization. Impact on approach: If yes, we'd need to reassess our data collection methods.

• Considering potential system changes, have there been any modifications to the infrastructure supporting Purity OS or the support ticket system itself?

Why it matters: Infrastructure changes can sometimes lead to unexpected issues. Expected answer: Minor infrastructure updates were implemented. Impact on approach: If yes, we'd include infrastructure analysis in our investigation.