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Dr. Noor Session On Problem Solving Aug 2018

The document discusses problem solving and provides an overview of the problem solving process. It defines a problem, outlines the typical steps to solving a problem which include defining the problem, generating alternatives, choosing the best alternative, checking the choice, and taking action. It also discusses various problem solving tools and techniques that can be used within each step, such as the 5 Whys technique, cause-and-effect diagrams, decision matrices, and force field analysis.

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69 views

Dr. Noor Session On Problem Solving Aug 2018

The document discusses problem solving and provides an overview of the problem solving process. It defines a problem, outlines the typical steps to solving a problem which include defining the problem, generating alternatives, choosing the best alternative, checking the choice, and taking action. It also discusses various problem solving tools and techniques that can be used within each step, such as the 5 Whys technique, cause-and-effect diagrams, decision matrices, and force field analysis.

Uploaded by

shaziafirdoos
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Problem Solving

Problems are only opportunities in work clothes.


– Henry Kaiser (American industrialist)

Dr. Noor Firdoos Jahan


Outline
Why do we need problem solving mind?
What is a problem?
Steps of problem solving.
Problem solving tools and techniques.
Why do we need problem solving
mind
Problem
bro??
What is a problem?
A problem is a situation that needs to be dealt with.
Steps of Problem Solving

Defining Choosing
Generating
the the best Feedback
Alternatives
Problem alternative
1st Defining the
problem
“If I had an hour to solve a problem I'd
spend 55 minutes thinking about the
problem and 5 minutes thinking about
solutions.”
-Albert Einstein
How to define a problem?
Cause &
The 5 whys Effect
Analysis

CATWOE
The 5 whys tool

It is simply asking
“why” until finding
the real cause of
the problem
Benefits of the 5 whys
Simple technique
Flexible
Offers counter measures rather than
causes.
Uncovers the deepest causes of the
problem
The Cause & Effect tool
How to use the tool?
Identify the problem.
Work out the major factors involved.
Identify possible causes for each of the
factors.

Analyze the diagram.


ISHIKAWA’S FISHBONE
MODEL
KaoruIshikawa

•Karou Ishikawa is best known for the development of quality tools


called cause-and-effect diagrams, also called fishbone or Ishikawa
diagrams. These diagrams are used for quality problem solving.

•He was the first quality guru to emphasize the importance of the
“internal customer,” the next person in the production process. He
was also one of the first to stress the importance of total company
quality control, rather than just focusing on products and services.
• Dr. Ishikawa believed that everyone in the
company needed to be united with a shared
vision and a common goal. He stressed that
quality initiatives should be pursued at every
level of the organization and that all employees
should be involved.

• Dr. Ishikawa was a proponent of implementation


of quality circles, which are small teams of
employees that volunteer to solve quality
problems.
Real Life Example

BostonPublic Library
Objectives
The main goal of the Fishbone diagram is to illustrate
in a graphical way the relationship between a given
outcome and all the factors that influence this
outcome. The main objectives of this toolare:

• Determining the root causes of aproblem.


• Focusing on a specific issue without resorting to
complaints and irrelevant discussion.
• Identifying areas where there is a lack of data.
Fishbone Suggested Categories

Service Industries Manufacturing Process Steps


(The 4 Ps) Industries (for example)
(The 6 Ms)
Policies Determine
Machines
Customers
Procedures Methods Advertise Product
People Materials Incent Purchase
Plant/Technology Measurements Sell Product
Ship Product
Mother Nature
Provide Upgrade
(Environment)
Manpower
(People)
Analysis of Ishikawa
Diagram
• A brainstorming session to generate potential causes
can come up with many potential causes of the
effect in question. The team has to then analyze the
potential causes to decide where to focus their
attention.
• The first stage is to highlight those that causes that
are likely to be the main contributing factors, an easy
way to do this is rate each cause, depending on how
detailed you want to be this can be as simple as hot,
warm or cold or rating from 1 to 10.
• The next stage is to look at the remaining “hot”
causes and define actions to resolve them; these
actions can then be rated against both their ease of
implementation and the expense of implementation.
The team first implementing those actions that are
both easy and inexpensive!

• The fishbone diagram and the data can be revisited


on a regular basis as time passes to see how actions
taken affect the problem in question. Thus you can
drive continuous process improvement.
BENEFITS

• Helps determine root causes

• Encourages group participation

• Uses an orderly, easy-to-read format to


diagram cause and effectrelationships
• Indicates possible causes ofvariation

• Increases knowledge of the process by


helping everyone to learn more about the
factors at work and how they relate .

• Identifies areas for collectingdata


The CATWOE analysis
Used to identify what the business is trying to achieve,
what are the problem areas and how is the solution going
to affect the business and people involved in it.
Clients
• Who is on the receiving end?
• What problem do they have now?
• How will they react to what you are proposing?
• Who are the winners and losers?

Actors
• Who will carry out the solution?
• What is the impact on them?
• How might they react?

Transformation
• What is the process for transforming inputs into outputs?
• What are the inputs? Where do they come from?
• What are the outputs? Where do they go to?
• What are all the steps in between?
World View
• What is the bigger picture?
• What is the real problem you are working on?
• What is the wider impact of any solution?

The Owner
• Can they help you or stop you?
• What would cause them to get in your way?
• What would lead them to help you?

Environmental constraints
• What are the boarder constraints of your idea?
• Resources limit, code of ethics and other constraints.
• What are the effects on your idea, can you bypass them?
Understanding Complexity
A problem Varies from a simple small problem to a complex and big problem.
Generating Ideas
Looking at the problem from different angles, always tell yourself that:” there
must be another solution out there.”
Exploring Alternatives
We analyze and evaluate alternatives in terms of risk, implication & validation
Tools & techniques of Analysis
• Threats associated
• Probabilities
Risk
analysis • Worst case scenario technique

• Six Thinking hats


Implication • Impact Analysis
analysis

• Star bursting technique


• Force field analysis
Validation
analysis • Cost benefit analysis
The Starbursting technique
FORCE FIELD ANALYSIS
What is Force Field Analysis
Technique that helps you make a decision by analyzing
the forces for and against a change, and then
communicate the reasoning behind your decision.

Where is Force Field Analysis Used


• To decide whether to go ahead with a proposed change
• To increase your chances of success, by strengthening the
forces supporting change and weakening those against it.

It's important to identify as many of the factors that


will influence the change as you can. Where
appropriate, involve other people, such as team
members or experts in your organization.
“When your values are
clear to you, making
decisions becomes

easier.”

Roy E. Disney

Choosing the best alternative


It is the step of making the “decision”
Tools & techniques of choosing
Paired
Decision
comparison
matrix
analysis

Decision
Voting
Trees
Checking & verifying the choice
It is a crucial step, which involves testing, error finding and applicability of the
choice
Taking action
The final step in decision making process, is to communicate the results and take
action, in executing the “solution” to the problem.

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