Finding effective solutions to complex problems isn’t easy. Using the right tools can help your team be more efficient in determining the root cause of a problem. In this article, we share a series of problem solving techniques that can be used in problem solving activities.
Remember that not all problems are the same, and organizations of different sizes, business stages and industries requiredifferent problem solving tools. Solutions are also likely to be different based on the team attempting to deliver them.Structured problem-solving techniques are logical and organized while our natural thinking is not.
Our natural thinking is unorganized and uncontrolled. It is at times logical, other times illogical. It can be rational and whimsical. It jumps uncontrollably between different topics interrupting concentration. It pulls together unusual objects and functions creating wholly new concepts.
We think disorganized thoughts but must organize them for communication – a tedious process.Problem situations arise as collections of objects, attributes, functions, unwanted effects, causes, and extraneous information, which we must identify, sort, cull, and minimize – logical thinking.
Our goal should be
… to reduce a problem situation consisting of objects, attributes, functions, unwanted effects, extraneous information, and images…
to a well-defined problem.
Problem Solving Tools
1. 5-Whys Problem Solving Tool
To seek out the cause of an issue or problem, you ask why it happened. But probing just one layer gets you just the first cause of the problem. The root cause is usually much deeper. you have to keep probing. You have to keep drilling down until you are justified that you have got to the root cause of the problem.
In it’s “purist” form, 5 why only means that you ask why 5 times or until you can no longer come up with anymore causes. Here is an example of a completed 5 Why analysis exercise.
Problem:There was an injury caused by a fall.
Why did the person fall?The floor was wet.
Why was the floor wet?There was a leaking valve.
Why was the valve leaking?The gasket was bad.
Why was the gasket bad?There is no Preventative Maintenance program for checking the valve gaskets.
2. Deming’s PDCA (Plan, Do, Check, Act) Problem Solving Tool
Deming’s PDCA (Plan, Do, Check, Act) cycle is the most known, and it refers to problem solving in 4 steps. The concept of PDCA was first developed by Shewhart (1939), at Bell Laboratories, in the US, then introduced in Japan by Dr. Edwards Deming early 1950s. Toyota was among the first manufacturing companies to adopt the concept for process improvement. The main focus of the approach is on preventive problem solving to reduce variation in all parts and to build all products and systems right from the first time based on planning.
Plan Step:This step should be the biggest one, meaning that project definition, team selection and phenomena description should be done in this phase. Also, it is expected that project planning and timing is defined in this phase. Root cause analysis and solution definition are also done in this step.
Do Step:The “Do” phase means implementation of solutions. In this step, it is intended to implement the action plan identified in the first step.
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Check Step:In this step, the results of the actions implemented in the “Do” step are analyzed. A before-and-after comparison is performed verifying whether there were improvements and if the objectives were achieved. The “Check” step consists of analyzing the results of the changes, determining learning lessons from carried out changes, comparing with setting targets to see whether solutions brought adequate results.
Act Step:In the “Act” step, if changes lead to improvements, they are adopted and applied on a larger scale. Otherwise, they are abandoned.
The process can be iterative and may require several cycles for solving complex problems. In general,the PDCA cycle is a continuous process shown in Figure 3, i.e., it is not an end-to-end process. When you reach the last step of “Act” and the outcomes meet the planned targets, you should start all over again and constantly look for better and continuous improvements.
3. Eight Disciplines Problem Solving (8D) Tool
The 8D approach originated 1974 by the US Department of Defence, ultimately taking the form of the military standard 1520 Corrective Action and Disposition System for Nonconforming Material.
The Ford Motor Company took this military standard, which was essentially a process for quality management, and expanded on it to include more robust problem solving methods.In 1987, they published their manual, Team Oriented Problem Solving (TOPS), which included their first iteration of the 8D methodology.
It has been widely adopted by many organizations.It follows an eight disciplines that help teams identify, correct and eliminate recurring issues in manufacturing.
Discipline 1– Build The Team
Discipline 2– Describe the Problem
Discipline 3– Implement a Temporary Fix
Discipline 4– Eliminate Root Cause
Discipline 5– Verify Corrective Action
Discipline 6– Implement Permanent Fix
Discipline 7– Stop It Happening Again
Discipline 8– Celebrate Success
One of the main strengths of 8D is its focus on teamwork. The 8D philosophy encourages the idea that teams, as a whole, are more powerful than the sum of the individual qualities of each team member. It’s also an empirical methodology; that is to say that it is a fact-based problem solving process.
4. A3 Problem Solving Methodology
A3 refers to a European paper size that is roughly equivalent to an American 11-inch by 17-inch tabloid-sized paper. The A3 format is used by Toyota as the template for three different types of reports:
It’s main idea is that all projects with problem definition, solution, checking and standardisation can be explained on one A3 sized paper. Otherwise, if you can’t explain them on that paper size it means that you still do not know your process and solution well. By limiting the report to one page, teams are forced to be concise and thoughtful about including only relevant information needed to solve problems. This is usually used for problems which can be solved in maximum one to two weeks. This approach is also good for teaching new employees how to systematically approach to problem solving.
The process can be iterative and may require several cycles for solving complex problems. In general,the PDCA cycle is a continuous process shown in Figure 3, i.e., it is not an end-to-end process. When you reach the last step of "Act" and the outcomes meet the planned targets, you should start all over again and constantly look for better and continuous improvements.
Conclusion
All teams and organizations encounter challenges as they grow. You may face challenges around growth, design, user engagement, and even team culture and happiness. In short, problem-solving techniques should be part of every team’s skillset.
Finding effective solutions to complex problems isn’t easy, but by using the right process and techniques, you can help your team be more efficient in the process. If there’s one thing you can count on as a business professional, it’s that you’ll never run short of new problems to solve!
Want to Learn More?
To help to get you or your team up to speed on problem solving technique we have created some e-Learning courses about some of the most effective problem solving tools. Check them out here: https://thelearningreservoir.com/problem-solving-courses/
