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Share this article, download a pdf version., subscribe to our newsletter, 10 effective problem-solving methods and tools for manufacturers.

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• April 30, 2024

Variability of demand, quality management, equipment maintenance, and integration of new technologies : problems are frequent and inevitable, and manufacturers face challenges very often. Acknowledging this reality enables teams to remain vigilant, quickly identify and resolve these difficulties, and constantly improve processes and products alike.

Why focus on problem-solving? In the Lean philosophy , a problem isn't just a problem; it's also, and above all, an opportunity to do better. Rather than hiding or ignoring what's not working, the idea is to face up to it, to find structured methods for optimizing efficiency and quality. For this, there are a number of possible solutions and tools available.

What are the different stages of problem-solving? Which methods and tools are most effective in production environments? And how do you use them? 

This article provides all the answers and problem-solving tips.

Key takeways:

• By scrutinizing every action and aspect of processes, it is crucial to distinguish between activities that bring value and those that don't , in order to reduce or eliminate waste.
• Involving employees in identifying problems and suggesting solutions strengthens their sense of ownership, and improves team cohesion and efficiency.
• Root Cause Analysis (RCA) helps to identify the underlying causes of problems to find more sustainable solutions and prevent problems from recurring.
• The use of tools such as the PDCA cycle and the 5S method, as well as techniques such as Six Sigma , is essential for optimizing processes and improving quality and efficiency.
• It is essential to monitor implemented changes and continuously improve them to maintain and increase Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE).

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Key steps of a problem-solving process in a factory

To better understand each of these steps, let's take the example of a factory manufacturing automotive components, faced with a sudden rise in the number of defective parts.

1. Identify the problem

The first step is to recognize that a problem exists. This involves observing the symptoms and identifying the gaps between the current state and the desired goal.

The 5 Ws and H tool enables you to identify the problem by collecting factual information on incidents.

• Observation: Abnormal increase in the number of defective parts at the quality inspection station.
• Action: Collect data on the number of defective parts, the types of defects, and the times when they occur.

2. Define the problem

After identification, you need to precisely define the problem. This involves determining its scope (using the Four A’s method, for example), representing it clearly, and understanding its impact on operations.

• Analysis: 10% of parts produced have surface defects (higher than the acceptable standard of 2%).
• Action: Clearly define the problem as a significant increase in surface defects on automotive parts.

3. Find the root cause of the problem

This step aims to analyze the factors contributing to the problem in order to identify its root cause. This is a critical process requiring in-depth examination to avoid treating symptoms alone. 

• Investigation: After using the 5 Whys method, the root cause turns out to be premature machine wear.
• Action: Examine maintenance records and machine operating parameters to confirm this cause.

4. Brainstorm solutions

Once the root cause has been identified, it's time to focus on finding solutions. This phase encourages creative problem-solving and innovation from the whole team. They have to explore existing ideas and generate new ones.

• Brainstorming: Several potential solutions are considered, such as replacing tools more frequently or modifying machine parameters. 
• Action: Evaluate the advantages, disadvantages, and feasibility of each solution using the PDCA method.

5. Test your solutions

Before implementing a solution on a large scale, it is essential to test it in a controlled environment. This enables you to assess its effectiveness in real-life situations and adjust the action plan.

• Experimentation: Replace tools more frequently to see if this reduces the defect rate.
• Action: Implement the test plan over a set period using the "Do" phase of PDCA, then collect data on the impact of this change.

6. Standardize and document the chosen solution

Once you’ve found the best solution, it must be standardized and integrated into the organization's procedures. Documenting the process helps prevent the problem from recurring and facilitates employee training .

• Implementation: After confirmation that more frequent tool replacement reduces defects, this practice is standardized across the entire production line using the DMAIC method .
• Action: Document the new process using the 8Ds, train operators in the new practice, and integrate the change into standard operating procedures.

5 Useful problem-solving strategies for manufacturing

1. 8d (eight disciplines problem solving).

8D is a quality approach to solving complex problems requiring in-depth analysis and lasting corrective action.

The method comprises eight steps:

• Prepare the 8D process
• Describe the problem
• Identify and implement immediate actions
• Identify the real causes
• Identify and implement permanent corrective actions
• Validate permanent corrective actions
• Prevent recurrence
• Congratulate the team

Use case in the manufacturing industry

Problem: Recurrent failure of a major piece of equipment, leading to costly production stoppages.

8D would enable a multi-disciplinary team to systematically identify, analyze, and eliminate the root cause of the failure while implementing sustainable corrective actions.

2. PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act)

Also known as the Deming wheel, this systematic, iterative model comprises four stages or cycles: Plan, Do, Check, Act.

The PDCA method helps companies test changes under controlled conditions, evaluate the results, and then implement improvements progressively to optimize production and ensure consistent product quality.

Problem: Variation in the quality of the finished product, which does not always meet standards.

PDCA would address this problem by planning improvements, testing them, evaluating their effectiveness, and adjusting the production process to stabilize product quality.

3. DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control)

This Six Sigma method is highly effective in optimizing production processes, reducing variation, and eliminating defects by focusing on data and statistical analysis.

It involves clearly defining the problem (Define), measuring (Measure), and analyzing process data to identify root causes (Analyze), then implementing improvements (Improve) and controlling processes to ensure sustainable quality gains (Control).

Problem: High scrap and rework rates on an assembly line.

DMAIC would be used to specify the problem, measure performance, analyze data to find the cause, implement improvements, and control the process to reduce defects.

4. QRQC (Quick Response Quality Control)

This fast, effective method inspired by Lean Management, consists in identifying, analyzing and solving problems directly on the shop floor. It is particularly well suited to fast-paced production environments where immediate detection and resolution are necessary to maintain production continuity and efficiency.

Problem: Frequent safety incidents in the workplace.

QRQC would enable rapid reaction to identify and resolve the causes of such incidents immediately, thereby reducing their frequency and improving overall safety.

5. Four A’s

The Four A’s method is a structured approach that is designed to systematically address and solve problems within an organization. 

• Assess: This step involves identifying and understanding the problem. 
• Analyze: Once the problem is assessed, the next step is to analyze it to find the root causes.  
• Address: With a clear understanding of the root causes, the third “A” involves developing and implementing solutions to address these causes.  
• Act: The final “A” focuses on standardizing the correct solution and integrating it into the organization’s processes.   

It is used where problems need to be solved quickly and efficiently while ensuring that lessons learned are integrated into standard practices.

Problem: Missed delivery deadlines due to production bottlenecks.

The Four A’s method would help to quickly detect bottlenecks, analyze their causes, find and implement effective solutions, and then integrate these changes into regular operations to improve on-time delivery.

How to choose the right problem-solving method

The choice of problem-solving method depends on several factors:

• The nature and complexity of the problem: Before choosing a problem-solving approach, you need to understand exactly what is wrong. If it's a complex and multifactorial problem, structured, in-depth methods such as 8D or DMAIC may be appropriate. For more immediate or quality-related problems, QRQC or Four A’s may be more appropriate.
• Company objectives: Look at the big picture; align the method with your strategic objectives, such as improving quality, reducing costs, or increasing customer satisfaction. For example, DMAIC is often chosen for defect reduction and process optimization objectives.
• Available resources: Think about the resources you can allocate to problem-solving processes (time, skills, budget). For example, PDCA can be implemented more quickly when resources are limited.
• Team expertise and problem-solving skills: Use a method that matches your team's qualifications. Training may be required for more complex approaches such as DMAIC or 8D.
• The need for standardization and documentation: If documentation and standardization of processes are essential, opt for methods that integrate these aspects, such as 8D or DMAIC.

5 Tools for structuring your problem-solving methods

Now it's time for the problem-solving tools! These will help structure the process and keep it moving in the right direction.

1. The 5 Whys

This problem-solving technique, created by Toyota founder Sakichi Toyoda, involves asking the question "Why?" five times until the root cause of a given problem is revealed. It's a simple but powerful tool for finding root causes.

A factory has a problem with late delivery of finished products:

• Why is the plant experiencing delays in the delivery of finished products? Because the production of final units is often late.
• Why is the production of final units behind schedule? Because assembly takes longer than expected.
• Why does assembly take longer than expected? Because parts needed to complete assembly are often missing.
• Why are parts often missing? Because supplies regularly arrive late from the supplier.
• Why do supplies arrive late from the supplier? Because orders are placed too late, due to an inefficient procurement process.

2. The Ishikawa diagram (5M)

Also known as the "fishbone diagram" or "5M", this tool developed by Kaoru Ishikawa helps to systematically visualize all the potential causes of a specific problem, as well as the contributing factors.

Causes are divided into 5 main categories.

A factory encounters a problem with a drop in product quality:

• Problem or "Effect" (fish head): Decline in product quality
• Categories of causes (main branches):
• Manpower: Operator skills , training, motivation.
• Methods: Work procedures, quality standards, operating instructions.
• Materials: Raw material quality, batch variability, supplier specifications.
• Environment: Working conditions, temperature, humidity, dust.
• Equipment: Equipment wear, machine calibration, maintenance. 

This evolution of the Ishikawa diagram focuses on not five, but seven major problem areas: Manpower, Method, Materials, Environment, Equipment, Management, Measurement.

A factory is experiencing machine failure problems:

• Manpower: Inadequate operator training, human error due to fatigue, or lack of experience.
• Methods: Obsolete production processes, and lack of standardized operating and maintenance procedures.
• Materials: Inconsistent quality of raw materials, premature wear of spare parts.
• Environment: Unsuitable working conditions, disturbances due to excessive noise or vibration.
• Equipment: Outdated equipment, neglected or inadequate preventive maintenance.
• Management: Inadequate decision-making, and insufficient communication between departments.
• Measurement: Uncalibrated or faulty measuring instruments, lack of regular quality controls.

4. The Pareto principe

The Pareto or 80/20 principle is very useful for focusing on the problems that will have the greatest impact once solved, and for making informed decisions.

In a factory producing electronic components, 80% of production defects stem from just 20% of the manufacturing processes.

By analyzing production data, the company could discover that the majority of defects are linked to errors in the soldering and PCB inspection stages. These two stages, although representing a small part of the total manufacturing process, are crucial and require special attention to reduce the overall number of defects.

5. The 5 Ws and H

This tool helps gather comprehensive information on a problem by answering these key questions: Who, What, Where, When, Why, and How. Thus, it provides an in-depth understanding of the situation.

There is a delay in production at a furniture manufacturing plant:

• Who is affected by the problem? Assembly line operators and production managers are directly affected by the delay.
• What exactly is the problem? Deliveries of finished furniture to customers are several days behind schedule.
• Where exactly is the problem occurring? The problem occurs in the final assembly shop, where the furniture is prepared for shipment.
• When was the problem detected or when does it occur? The delay has been observed over the past two weeks, mainly during the third shift.
• Why does the problem occur? The problem could be due to inadequate staff planning and recurring packaging equipment failures.
• How does the problem occur? The delay is due to a bottleneck in the finishing and packing stage, where there is a lack of personnel and problems with the packing equipment.

Other tools can also be useful for structuring problem-solving methods:

• Brainstorming
• Gemba Walks
• SWOT analysis
• Control charts
• Prioritization matrices

Tips for effective implementation of problem-solving techniques

Integrate problem-solving into daily routines.

Instead of seeing problem-solving as a separate activity, integrate it into daily routines. For example, set up SIM meetings to discuss ongoing problems as a group and monitor progress on solutions.

Use technology for your benefit

Adopt a Daily Management System (DMS) like UTrakk to quickly identify problems, track corrective actions, facilitate collaboration between teams, and document solutions in a centralized repository.

Develop specific key performance indicators for problem resolution

Define Lean KPIs that measure the effectiveness of the problem-solving process (average time to solve the problem, problem recurrence rate, and impact of solutions on business performance).

Practice problem-solving on the shop floor

To understand problems, you need to go where value is created. Encourage managers to go on the shop floor to directly observe processes, interact with operators, and identify possible improvements.

Create cross-functional problem-solving groups

Form teams with members from different departments to tackle complex problem-solving. Integrating different angles, perspectives, and expertise broadens the point of view on the subject, enriches the analysis, and generates more creative ideas.

Adopt a coaching approach to skills development

In addition to basic training, use mentoring and coaching to develop problem-solving skills . Experienced employees can guide less experienced ones, sharing their know-how.

Conduct post-mortem reviews

When a problem is solved, conduct a post-mortem to discuss what went well, what didn't, and how processes can be improved.

Tracking and evaluating each solution implemented allows you to adjust strategies as needed, learn from past experiences, and foster continuous improvement .

UTrakk: Your ally in structuring and optimizing problem-solving

Using organized methods and analytical tools to tackle challenges is essential for manufacturers seeking to improve operational efficiency and product quality. UTrakk DMS is the perfect solution for this structured approach to daily problem-solving. With its multiple functionalities – rituals, actions, dashboards, and more – this Daily Management System can adapt to any problem-solving method to optimize every step of the process. Once a solution is standardized, it can be documented in UTrakk’s Knowledge Center to ensure compliance and prevent recurrence.

Adopting these problem-solving techniques not only enables manufacturers to respond effectively to today's challenges, but it also lays the foundations for continuous improvement, ensuring their competitiveness in an ever-changing industrial environment .

FAQ on problem-solving methods

What are the key problem-solving methods for manufacturers.

The key problem-solving methods for manufacturers include Lean manufacturing, Six Sigma, and the PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act) cycle. These methodologies focus on eliminating waste, optimizing processes, and implementing continuous improvement to enhance operational efficiency.

How can manufacturers effectively implement Lean principles?

Manufacturers can effectively implement Lean principles by identifying and eliminating waste, optimizing workflows, and improving overall efficiency through techniques like Kanban and 5S. Training employees and involving them in the continuous improvement process are also critical steps​.

What is the importance of Six Sigma in manufacturing?

Six Sigma is important in manufacturing because it provides a data-driven approach for reducing defects and variability in processes. This methodology helps in improving product quality and operational efficiency by following the DMAIC (Define-Measure-Analyze-Improve-Control) framework.

Can technology enhance problem-solving in manufacturing?

Technology plays a crucial role in enhancing problem-solving in manufacturing. Digital twins, augmented reality, and collaborative robotics are technologies that help improve precision, efficiency, and safety, facilitating better decision-making and process optimization​.

What benefits do continuous improvement practices offer to manufacturers?

Continuous improvement practices offer several benefits, including increased operational efficiency, reduced waste and costs, and improved employee engagement and customer satisfaction. These practices encourage a proactive approach to addressing inefficiencies and fostering innovation.

Turn your production challenges into opportunities for improvement!

In addition to providing the UTrakk solution, Proaction International supports you in implementing the best problem-solving methods and helps you achieve operational excellence.

Adeline de Oliveira

Writer and editorial manager for about 15 years, Adeline is passionate about human behavior and communication dynamics. At Proaction International, she covers topics ranging from Industry 5.0 to operational excellence, with a focus on leadership development. This expertise enables her to offer insights and advice on employee engagement and continuous improvement of managerial skills.

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The 8-Step Problem-Solving Method

• November 22, 2021

Table Of Contents

What is the 8-step problem-solving method, the 8 steps and the problem-solving process, the culture of problem-solving.

• Plan, Do, Check, Act (PDCA)
• Gain Problem-Solving Support

As a manufacturing professional, you know how important it is to stay organized, keep your goals in mind and strive for success. But with all of the responsibilities and daily tasks piling up, it takes effort to find and stick to a process that can keep you on track.

Luckily, there’s a tried and trusted way to achieve success in the manufacturing industry.

The eight-step problem-solving process is a  structured method  that guides you through the various steps of solving issues. Unlike other problem-solving processes that are often broad, the eight-step method takes you through each individual step, from identifying the problem to taking actionable steps to success.

Instead of changing a few things at a middling level that will probably break down again later, you can unearth the roots of problems and build success from the ground up.

For a fundamental breakdown of how to fix problems and lead your manufacturing team to success, here are the eight steps of the problem-solving process.

1. Identify the Problem

The first step in the process is to identify the problem. Identify why this is a problem, how you discovered it and how it impacts your business. Also note when the problem started and how long it has been going on.

If the problem is small, you can try to contain it and may not need additional steps to fix it. However, if the problem is complex, move forward through the process.

2. Define the Problem

The next step involves breaking down the problem and defining what it is. It’s important to be as clear as you can with this step — a vague problem will hinder the process, whereas a clearly defined issue will allow you to take actionable steps to fix it.

Analyze factors like how high of a priority it is to solve the problem. You can also look to data and other resources to clarify or help you understand the concern.

3. Make a Goal

Create an end goal. Envision what fixing this problem would look like and feel like. What would it accomplish? How would it help you? Map out all the ways fixing this problem would benefit you and use it for motivation to achieve your goal. Set a timeline to figure how long it will take to accomplish that goal.

4. Find the Root of the Problem

Often problems are byproducts of deeper, more central problems, so make sure you dig deep enough to find out what is really causing the issue. If the problem is large and complex, break it down into individual parts.

Gather information and use it to identify the deeper issues of the problem and validate what you think the real concern may be. Take time at this step to really focus on the deep problem — executing this step effectively will save you a lot of time down the road.

5. Develop Actionable Steps

Create a list of realistic steps you can take to combat the problem. You can start with a large list and combine or subtract steps, but it’s important you come up with various ways to attack the problem. Use this action plan to draw up a strategy to get at the root of the problem. Each step should be specific and detail-focused — any steps that are vague or tedious will only take up time and cause confusion.

6. Execute Steps

Now that the plan is in place, all you have to do is follow through on your actionable steps. Illustrate the steps you’re taking to your team, explain why you’re taking them and delegate any steps that another employee has to perform to execute your plan.

Communication is key in this step. In most cases, you won’t be executing the plan all by yourself, so make sure you’re expressing the goals and motives of each step with your team so they can see how it connects to the bigger picture.

7. Observe and Evaluate

Monitor your strategy carefully and see how it relates to the original problem. Is it working? Is it only creating more problems? Gather data, talk to your team and be thorough and objective in your evaluation. You might have to readjust your plan as you gain new information, or you may meet your goals and the plan will be successful.

8. Continue the Process

If the plan worked, find ways to continue integrating these steps into your team’s daily routine. If they didn’t work, go back to the goal-setting process or identify some more aspects of the problem — there may be a deeper concern you missed the first time around. Communicate to your team about how the plan went.

In the future, continue using the eight-step process to solve issues and build momentum with your team.

It’s important to build a culture of problem-solving in your manufacturing plant. It can be easy to fall into the trap of “Band-Aid” solutions — quick fixes without digging into the deeper problems.

It’s believed that the eight-step problem-solving process was actually created by the Toyota Motor Corporation to achieve their admired production standards.

From the lore of Toyota, we get some great eight-step problem-solving examples.  Taiichi Ohno , the father of the Toyota Production System, observed his workers fixing only the first level of cause when their machines stopped working. To combat this, he developed a problem-solving method to methodically break down each problem of the machine until he found the root cause. Only then could he truly fix the machine.

It’s one of many eight-step problem-solving examples, and it shows the importance of creating a process to increase productivity.

Plan, Do, Check, Act (PDCA) and the 8-Step Problem-Solving Process Differences

The eight-step problem-solving process is an expanded version of the  Plan, Do, Check, Act cycle . The first five steps of the 8-step process fall under the planning step, while steps six, seven and eight all correspond to the do, check and act steps. The eight-step process is a more detailed, methodical version of PDCA problem-solving, and converts a vague cycle into something a bit more specific and actionable.

Gain the Problem-Solving Support You Need With MANTEC

MANTEC is the best resource center for manufacturing companies in South Central Pennsylvania. We’re a non-profit that solves any problems a manufacturing facility could have, including  sales and marketing ,  process improvement ,  manufacturing technology  and  workforce engagement .

Our expert staff has had vast experience in the manufacturing industry, and we can provide the guidance you need to get your business running at top efficiency. Our services are affordable and extremely valuable.  Contact us  today!

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40 problem-solving techniques and processes

All teams and organizations encounter challenges. Approaching those challenges without a structured problem solving process can end up making things worse.

Proven problem solving techniques such as those outlined below can guide your group through a process of identifying problems and challenges , ideating on possible solutions , and then evaluating and implementing the most suitable .

In this post, you'll find problem-solving tools you can use to develop effective solutions. You'll also find some tips for facilitating the problem solving process and solving complex problems.

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What is problem solving?

Problem solving is a process of finding and implementing a solution to a challenge or obstacle. In most contexts, this means going through a problem solving process that begins with identifying the issue, exploring its root causes, ideating and refining possible solutions before implementing and measuring the impact of that solution.

For simple or small problems, it can be tempting to skip straight to implementing what you believe is the right solution. The danger with this approach is that without exploring the true causes of the issue, it might just occur again or your chosen solution may cause other issues.

Particularly in the world of work, good problem solving means using data to back up each step of the process, bringing in new perspectives and effectively measuring the impact of your solution.

Effective problem solving can help ensure that your team or organization is well positioned to overcome challenges, be resilient to change and create innovation. In my experience, problem solving is a combination of skillset, mindset and process, and it’s especially vital for leaders to cultivate this skill.

What is the seven step problem solving process?

A problem solving process is a step-by-step framework from going from discovering a problem all the way through to implementing a solution.

With practice, this framework can become intuitive, and innovative companies tend to have a consistent and ongoing ability to discover and tackle challenges when they come up.

You might see everything from a four step problem solving process through to seven steps. While all these processes cover roughly the same ground, I’ve found a seven step problem solving process is helpful for making all key steps legible.

We’ll outline that process here and then follow with techniques you can use to explore and work on that step of the problem solving process with a group.

The seven-step problem solving process is:

1. Problem identification 

The first stage of any problem solving process is to identify the problem(s) you need to solve. This often looks like using group discussions and activities to help a group surface and effectively articulate the challenges they’re facing and wish to resolve.

Be sure to align with your team on the exact definition and nature of the problem you’re solving. An effective process is one where everyone is pulling in the same direction – ensure clarity and alignment now to help avoid misunderstandings later.

2. Problem analysis and refinement

The process of problem analysis means ensuring that the problem you are seeking to solve is  the   right problem . Choosing the right problem to solve means you are on the right path to creating the right solution.

At this stage, you may look deeper at the problem you identified to try and discover the root cause at the level of people or process. You may also spend some time sourcing data, consulting relevant parties and creating and refining a problem statement.

Problem refinement means adjusting scope or focus of the problem you will be aiming to solve based on what comes up during your analysis. As you analyze data sources, you might discover that the root cause means you need to adjust your problem statement. Alternatively, you might find that your original problem statement is too big to be meaningful approached within your current project.

Remember that the goal of any problem refinement is to help set the stage for effective solution development and deployment. Set the right focus and get buy-in from your team here and you’ll be well positioned to move forward with confidence.

3. Solution generation

Once your group has nailed down the particulars of the problem you wish to solve, you want to encourage a free flow of ideas connecting to solving that problem. This can take the form of problem solving games that encourage creative thinking or techniquess designed to produce working prototypes of possible solutions. 

The key to ensuring the success of this stage of the problem solving process is to encourage quick, creative thinking and create an open space where all ideas are considered. The best solutions can often come from unlikely places and by using problem solving techniques that celebrate invention, you might come up with solution gold. 

4. Solution development

No solution is perfect right out of the gate. It’s important to discuss and develop the solutions your group has come up with over the course of following the previous problem solving steps in order to arrive at the best possible solution. Problem solving games used in this stage involve lots of critical thinking, measuring potential effort and impact, and looking at possible solutions analytically. 

During this stage, you will often ask your team to iterate and improve upon your front-running solutions and develop them further. Remember that problem solving strategies always benefit from a multitude of voices and opinions, and not to let ego get involved when it comes to choosing which solutions to develop and take further.

Finding the best solution is the goal of all problem solving workshops and here is the place to ensure that your solution is well thought out, sufficiently robust and fit for purpose. 

5. Decision making and planning

Nearly there! Once you’ve got a set of possible, you’ll need to make a decision on which to implement. This can be a consensus-based group decision or it might be for a leader or major stakeholder to decide. You’ll find a set of effective decision making methods below.

Once your group has reached consensus and selected a solution, there are some additional actions that also need to be decided upon. You’ll want to work on allocating ownership of the project, figure out who will do what, how the success of the solution will be measured and decide the next course of action.

Set clear accountabilities, actions, timeframes, and follow-ups for your chosen solution. Make these decisions and set clear next-steps in the problem solving workshop so that everyone is aligned and you can move forward effectively as a group. 

Ensuring that you plan for the roll-out of a solution is one of the most important problem solving steps. Without adequate planning or oversight, it can prove impossible to measure success or iterate further if the problem was not solved. 

6. Solution implementation 

This is what we were waiting for! All problem solving processes have the end goal of implementing an effective and impactful solution that your group has confidence in.

Project management and communication skills are key here – your solution may need to adjust when out in the wild or you might discover new challenges along the way. For some solutions, you might also implement a test with a small group and monitor results before rolling it out to an entire company.

You should have a clear owner for your solution who will oversee the plans you made together and help ensure they’re put into place. This person will often coordinate the implementation team and set-up processes to measure the efficacy of your solution too.

7. Solution evaluation 

So you and your team developed a great solution to a problem and have a gut feeling it’s been solved. Work done, right? Wrong. All problem solving strategies benefit from evaluation, consideration, and feedback.

You might find that the solution does not work for everyone, might create new problems, or is potentially so successful that you will want to roll it out to larger teams or as part of other initiatives. 

None of that is possible without taking the time to evaluate the success of the solution you developed in your problem solving model and adjust if necessary.

Remember that the problem solving process is often iterative and it can be common to not solve complex issues on the first try. Even when this is the case, you and your team will have generated learning that will be important for future problem solving workshops or in other parts of the organization. 

It’s also worth underlining how important record keeping is throughout the problem solving process. If a solution didn’t work, you need to have the data and records to see why that was the case. If you go back to the drawing board, notes from the previous workshop can help save time.

What does an effective problem solving process look like?

Every effective problem solving process begins with an agenda . In our experience, a well-structured problem solving workshop is one of the best methods for successfully guiding a group from exploring a problem to implementing a solution.

The format of a workshop ensures that you can get buy-in from your group, encourage free-thinking and solution exploration before making a decision on what to implement following the session.

This Design Sprint 2.0 template is an effective problem solving process from top agency AJ&Smart. It’s a great format for the entire problem solving process, with four-days of workshops designed to surface issues, explore solutions and even test a solution.

Check it for an example of how you might structure and run a problem solving process and feel free to copy and adjust it your needs!

For a shorter process you can run in a single afternoon, this remote problem solving agenda will guide you effectively in just a couple of hours.

Whatever the length of your workshop, by using SessionLab, it’s easy to go from an idea to a complete agenda . Start by dragging and dropping your core problem solving activities into place . Add timings, breaks and necessary materials before sharing your agenda with your colleagues.

The resulting agenda will be your guide to an effective and productive problem solving session that will also help you stay organized on the day!

Complete problem-solving methods

In this section, we’ll look at in-depth problem-solving methods that provide a complete end-to-end process for developing effective solutions. These will help guide your team from the discovery and definition of a problem through to delivering the right solution.

If you’re looking for an all-encompassing method or problem-solving model, these processes are a great place to start. They’ll ask your team to challenge preconceived ideas and adopt a mindset for solving problems more effectively.

Six Thinking Hats

Individual approaches to solving a problem can be very different based on what team or role an individual holds. It can be easy for existing biases or perspectives to find their way into the mix, or for internal politics to direct a conversation.

Six Thinking Hats is a classic method for identifying the problems that need to be solved and enables your team to consider them from different angles, whether that is by focusing on facts and data, creative solutions, or by considering why a particular solution might not work.

Like all problem-solving frameworks, Six Thinking Hats is effective at helping teams remove roadblocks from a conversation or discussion and come to terms with all the aspects necessary to solve complex problems.

The Six Thinking Hats   #creative thinking   #meeting facilitation   #problem solving   #issue resolution   #idea generation   #conflict resolution   The Six Thinking Hats are used by individuals and groups to separate out conflicting styles of thinking. They enable and encourage a group of people to think constructively together in exploring and implementing change, rather than using argument to fight over who is right and who is wrong.

Lightning Decision Jam

Featured courtesy of Jonathan Courtney of AJ&Smart Berlin, Lightning Decision Jam is one of those strategies that should be in every facilitation toolbox. Exploring problems and finding solutions is often creative in nature, though as with any creative process, there is the potential to lose focus and get lost.

Unstructured discussions might get you there in the end, but it’s much more effective to use a method that creates a clear process and team focus.

In Lightning Decision Jam, participants are invited to begin by writing challenges, concerns, or mistakes on post-its without discussing them before then being invited by the moderator to present them to the group.

From there, the team vote on which problems to solve and are guided through steps that will allow them to reframe those problems, create solutions and then decide what to execute on. 

By deciding the problems that need to be solved as a team before moving on, this group process is great for ensuring the whole team is aligned and can take ownership over the next stages. 

Lightning Decision Jam (LDJ)   #action   #decision making   #problem solving   #issue analysis   #innovation   #design   #remote-friendly   It doesn’t matter where you work and what your job role is, if you work with other people together as a team, you will always encounter the same challenges: Unclear goals and miscommunication that cause busy work and overtime Unstructured meetings that leave attendants tired, confused and without clear outcomes. Frustration builds up because internal challenges to productivity are not addressed Sudden changes in priorities lead to a loss of focus and momentum Muddled compromise takes the place of clear decision- making, leaving everybody to come up with their own interpretation. In short, a lack of structure leads to a waste of time and effort, projects that drag on for too long and frustrated, burnt out teams. AJ&Smart has worked with some of the most innovative, productive companies in the world. What sets their teams apart from others is not better tools, bigger talent or more beautiful offices. The secret sauce to becoming a more productive, more creative and happier team is simple: Replace all open discussion or brainstorming with a structured process that leads to more ideas, clearer decisions and better outcomes. When a good process provides guardrails and a clear path to follow, it becomes easier to come up with ideas, make decisions and solve problems. This is why AJ&Smart created Lightning Decision Jam (LDJ). It’s a simple and short, but powerful group exercise that can be run either in-person, in the same room, or remotely with distributed teams.

Problem Definition Process

While problems can be complex, the problem-solving methods you use to identify and solve those problems can often be simple in design. 

By taking the time to truly identify and define a problem before asking the group to reframe the challenge as an opportunity, this method is a great way to enable change.

Begin by identifying a focus question and exploring the ways in which it manifests before splitting into five teams who will each consider the problem using a different method: escape, reversal, exaggeration, distortion or wishful. Teams develop a problem objective and create ideas in line with their method before then feeding them back to the group.

This method is great for enabling in-depth discussions while also creating space for finding creative solutions too!

Problem Definition   #problem solving   #idea generation   #creativity   #online   #remote-friendly   A problem solving technique to define a problem, challenge or opportunity and to generate ideas.

The 5 Whys 

Sometimes, a group needs to go further with their strategies and analyze the root cause at the heart of organizational issues. An RCA or root cause analysis is the process of identifying what is at the heart of business problems or recurring challenges. 

The 5 Whys is a simple and effective method of helping a group go find the root cause of any problem or challenge and conduct analysis that will deliver results. 

By beginning with the creation of a problem statement and going through five stages to refine it, The 5 Whys provides everything you need to truly discover the cause of an issue.

The 5 Whys   #hyperisland   #innovation   This simple and powerful method is useful for getting to the core of a problem or challenge. As the title suggests, the group defines a problems, then asks the question “why” five times, often using the resulting explanation as a starting point for creative problem solving.

World Cafe is a simple but powerful facilitation technique to help bigger groups to focus their energy and attention on solving complex problems.

World Cafe enables this approach by creating a relaxed atmosphere where participants are able to self-organize and explore topics relevant and important to them which are themed around a central problem-solving purpose. Create the right atmosphere by modeling your space after a cafe and after guiding the group through the method, let them take the lead!

Making problem-solving a part of your organization’s culture in the long term can be a difficult undertaking. More approachable formats like World Cafe can be especially effective in bringing people unfamiliar with workshops into the fold. 

World Cafe   #hyperisland   #innovation   #issue analysis   World Café is a simple yet powerful method, originated by Juanita Brown, for enabling meaningful conversations driven completely by participants and the topics that are relevant and important to them. Facilitators create a cafe-style space and provide simple guidelines. Participants then self-organize and explore a set of relevant topics or questions for conversation.

Discovery & Action Dialogue (DAD)

One of the best approaches is to create a safe space for a group to share and discover practices and behaviors that can help them find their own solutions.

With DAD, you can help a group choose which problems they wish to solve and which approaches they will take to do so. It’s great at helping remove resistance to change and can help get buy-in at every level too!

This process of enabling frontline ownership is great in ensuring follow-through and is one of the methods you will want in your toolbox as a facilitator.

Discovery & Action Dialogue (DAD)   #idea generation   #liberating structures   #action   #issue analysis   #remote-friendly   DADs make it easy for a group or community to discover practices and behaviors that enable some individuals (without access to special resources and facing the same constraints) to find better solutions than their peers to common problems. These are called positive deviant (PD) behaviors and practices. DADs make it possible for people in the group, unit, or community to discover by themselves these PD practices. DADs also create favorable conditions for stimulating participants’ creativity in spaces where they can feel safe to invent new and more effective practices. Resistance to change evaporates as participants are unleashed to choose freely which practices they will adopt or try and which problems they will tackle. DADs make it possible to achieve frontline ownership of solutions.

Design Sprint 2.0

Want to see how a team can solve big problems and move forward with prototyping and testing solutions in a few days? The Design Sprint 2.0 template from Jake Knapp, author of Sprint, is a complete agenda for a with proven results.

Developing the right agenda can involve difficult but necessary planning. Ensuring all the correct steps are followed can also be stressful or time-consuming depending on your level of experience.

Use this complete 4-day workshop template if you are finding there is no obvious solution to your challenge and want to focus your team around a specific problem that might require a shortcut to launching a minimum viable product or waiting for the organization-wide implementation of a solution.

Open space technology

Open space technology- developed by Harrison Owen – creates a space where large groups are invited to take ownership of their problem solving and lead individual sessions. Open space technology is a great format when you have a great deal of expertise and insight in the room and want to allow for different takes and approaches on a particular theme or problem you need to be solved.

Start by bringing your participants together to align around a central theme and focus their efforts. Explain the ground rules to help guide the problem-solving process and then invite members to identify any issue connecting to the central theme that they are interested in and are prepared to take responsibility for.

Once participants have decided on their approach to the core theme, they write their issue on a piece of paper, announce it to the group, pick a session time and place, and post the paper on the wall. As the wall fills up with sessions, the group is then invited to join the sessions that interest them the most and which they can contribute to, then you’re ready to begin!

Everyone joins the problem-solving group they’ve signed up to, record the discussion and if appropriate, findings can then be shared with the rest of the group afterward.

Open Space Technology   #action plan   #idea generation   #problem solving   #issue analysis   #large group   #online   #remote-friendly   Open Space is a methodology for large groups to create their agenda discerning important topics for discussion, suitable for conferences, community gatherings and whole system facilitation

Techniques to identify and analyze problems

Using a problem-solving method to help a team identify and analyze a problem can be a quick and effective addition to any workshop or meeting.

While further actions are always necessary, you can generate momentum and alignment easily, and these activities are a great place to get started.

We’ve put together this list of techniques to help you and your team with problem identification, analysis, and discussion that sets the foundation for developing effective solutions.

Let’s take a look!

Fishbone Analysis

Organizational or team challenges are rarely simple, and it’s important to remember that one problem can be an indication of something that goes deeper and may require further consideration to be solved.

Fishbone Analysis helps groups to dig deeper and understand the origins of a problem. It’s a great example of a root cause analysis method that is simple for everyone on a team to get their head around. 

Participants in this activity are asked to annotate a diagram of a fish, first adding the problem or issue to be worked on at the head of a fish before then brainstorming the root causes of the problem and adding them as bones on the fish. 

Using abstractions such as a diagram of a fish can really help a team break out of their regular thinking and develop a creative approach.

Fishbone Analysis   #problem solving   ##root cause analysis   #decision making   #online facilitation   A process to help identify and understand the origins of problems, issues or observations.

Problem Tree 

Encouraging visual thinking can be an essential part of many strategies. By simply reframing and clarifying problems, a group can move towards developing a problem solving model that works for them. 

In Problem Tree, groups are asked to first brainstorm a list of problems – these can be design problems, team problems or larger business problems – and then organize them into a hierarchy. The hierarchy could be from most important to least important or abstract to practical, though the key thing with problem solving games that involve this aspect is that your group has some way of managing and sorting all the issues that are raised.

Once you have a list of problems that need to be solved and have organized them accordingly, you’re then well-positioned for the next problem solving steps.

Problem tree   #define intentions   #create   #design   #issue analysis   A problem tree is a tool to clarify the hierarchy of problems addressed by the team within a design project; it represents high level problems or related sublevel problems.

SWOT Analysis

Chances are you’ve heard of the SWOT Analysis before. This problem-solving method focuses on identifying strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats is a tried and tested method for both individuals and teams.

Start by creating a desired end state or outcome and bare this in mind – any process solving model is made more effective by knowing what you are moving towards. Create a quadrant made up of the four categories of a SWOT analysis and ask participants to generate ideas based on each of those quadrants.

Once you have those ideas assembled in their quadrants, cluster them together based on their affinity with other ideas. These clusters are then used to facilitate group conversations and move things forward. 

SWOT analysis   #gamestorming   #problem solving   #action   #meeting facilitation   The SWOT Analysis is a long-standing technique of looking at what we have, with respect to the desired end state, as well as what we could improve on. It gives us an opportunity to gauge approaching opportunities and dangers, and assess the seriousness of the conditions that affect our future. When we understand those conditions, we can influence what comes next.

Agreement-Certainty Matrix

Not every problem-solving approach is right for every challenge, and deciding on the right method for the challenge at hand is a key part of being an effective team.

The Agreement Certainty matrix helps teams align on the nature of the challenges facing them. By sorting problems from simple to chaotic, your team can understand what methods are suitable for each problem and what they can do to ensure effective results. 

If you are already using Liberating Structures techniques as part of your problem-solving strategy, the Agreement-Certainty Matrix can be an invaluable addition to your process. We’ve found it particularly if you are having issues with recurring problems in your organization and want to go deeper in understanding the root cause. 

Agreement-Certainty Matrix   #issue analysis   #liberating structures   #problem solving   You can help individuals or groups avoid the frequent mistake of trying to solve a problem with methods that are not adapted to the nature of their challenge. The combination of two questions makes it possible to easily sort challenges into four categories: simple, complicated, complex , and chaotic .  A problem is simple when it can be solved reliably with practices that are easy to duplicate.  It is complicated when experts are required to devise a sophisticated solution that will yield the desired results predictably.  A problem is complex when there are several valid ways to proceed but outcomes are not predictable in detail.  Chaotic is when the context is too turbulent to identify a path forward.  A loose analogy may be used to describe these differences: simple is like following a recipe, complicated like sending a rocket to the moon, complex like raising a child, and chaotic is like the game “Pin the Tail on the Donkey.”  The Liberating Structures Matching Matrix in Chapter 5 can be used as the first step to clarify the nature of a challenge and avoid the mismatches between problems and solutions that are frequently at the root of chronic, recurring problems.

Organizing and charting a team’s progress can be important in ensuring its success. SQUID (Sequential Question and Insight Diagram) is a great model that allows a team to effectively switch between giving questions and answers and develop the skills they need to stay on track throughout the process. 

Begin with two different colored sticky notes – one for questions and one for answers – and with your central topic (the head of the squid) on the board. Ask the group to first come up with a series of questions connected to their best guess of how to approach the topic. Ask the group to come up with answers to those questions, fix them to the board and connect them with a line. After some discussion, go back to question mode by responding to the generated answers or other points on the board.

It’s rewarding to see a diagram grow throughout the exercise, and a completed SQUID can provide a visual resource for future effort and as an example for other teams.

SQUID   #gamestorming   #project planning   #issue analysis   #problem solving   When exploring an information space, it’s important for a group to know where they are at any given time. By using SQUID, a group charts out the territory as they go and can navigate accordingly. SQUID stands for Sequential Question and Insight Diagram.

To continue with our nautical theme, Speed Boat is a short and sweet activity that can help a team quickly identify what employees, clients or service users might have a problem with and analyze what might be standing in the way of achieving a solution.

Methods that allow for a group to make observations, have insights and obtain those eureka moments quickly are invaluable when trying to solve complex problems.

In Speed Boat, the approach is to first consider what anchors and challenges might be holding an organization (or boat) back. Bonus points if you are able to identify any sharks in the water and develop ideas that can also deal with competitors!   

Speed Boat   #gamestorming   #problem solving   #action   Speedboat is a short and sweet way to identify what your employees or clients don’t like about your product/service or what’s standing in the way of a desired goal.

The Journalistic Six

Some of the most effective ways of solving problems is by encouraging teams to be more inclusive and diverse in their thinking.

Based on the six key questions journalism students are taught to answer in articles and news stories, The Journalistic Six helps create teams to see the whole picture. By using who, what, when, where, why, and how to facilitate the conversation and encourage creative thinking, your team can make sure that the problem identification and problem analysis stages of the are covered exhaustively and thoughtfully. Reporter’s notebook and dictaphone optional.

The Journalistic Six – Who What When Where Why How   #idea generation   #issue analysis   #problem solving   #online   #creative thinking   #remote-friendly   A questioning method for generating, explaining, investigating ideas.

Individual and group perspectives are incredibly important, but what happens if people are set in their minds and need a change of perspective in order to approach a problem more effectively?

Flip It is a method we love because it is both simple to understand and run, and allows groups to understand how their perspectives and biases are formed. 

Participants in Flip It are first invited to consider concerns, issues, or problems from a perspective of fear and write them on a flip chart. Then, the group is asked to consider those same issues from a perspective of hope and flip their understanding.  

No problem and solution is free from existing bias and by changing perspectives with Flip It, you can then develop a problem solving model quickly and effectively.

Flip It!   #gamestorming   #problem solving   #action   Often, a change in a problem or situation comes simply from a change in our perspectives. Flip It! is a quick game designed to show players that perspectives are made, not born.

LEGO Challenge

Now for an activity that is a little out of the (toy) box. LEGO Serious Play is a facilitation methodology that can be used to improve creative thinking and problem-solving skills. 

The LEGO Challenge includes giving each member of the team an assignment that is hidden from the rest of the group while they create a structure without speaking.

What the LEGO challenge brings to the table is a fun working example of working with stakeholders who might not be on the same page to solve problems. Also, it’s LEGO! Who doesn’t love LEGO! 

LEGO Challenge   #hyperisland   #team   A team-building activity in which groups must work together to build a structure out of LEGO, but each individual has a secret “assignment” which makes the collaborative process more challenging. It emphasizes group communication, leadership dynamics, conflict, cooperation, patience and problem solving strategy.

What, So What, Now What?

If not carefully managed, the problem identification and problem analysis stages of the problem-solving process can actually create more problems and misunderstandings.

The What, So What, Now What? problem-solving activity is designed to help collect insights and move forward while also eliminating the possibility of disagreement when it comes to identifying, clarifying, and analyzing organizational or work problems. 

Facilitation is all about bringing groups together so that might work on a shared goal and the best problem-solving strategies ensure that teams are aligned in purpose, if not initially in opinion or insight.

Throughout the three steps of this game, you give everyone on a team to reflect on a problem by asking what happened, why it is important, and what actions should then be taken. 

This can be a great activity for bringing our individual perceptions about a problem or challenge and contextualizing it in a larger group setting. This is one of the most important problem-solving skills you can bring to your organization.

W³ – What, So What, Now What?   #issue analysis   #innovation   #liberating structures   You can help groups reflect on a shared experience in a way that builds understanding and spurs coordinated action while avoiding unproductive conflict. It is possible for every voice to be heard while simultaneously sifting for insights and shaping new direction. Progressing in stages makes this practical—from collecting facts about What Happened to making sense of these facts with So What and finally to what actions logically follow with Now What . The shared progression eliminates most of the misunderstandings that otherwise fuel disagreements about what to do. Voila!

Journalists  

Problem analysis can be one of the most important and decisive stages of all problem-solving tools. Sometimes, a team can become bogged down in the details and are unable to move forward.

Journalists is an activity that can avoid a group from getting stuck in the problem identification or problem analysis stages of the process.

In Journalists, the group is invited to draft the front page of a fictional newspaper and figure out what stories deserve to be on the cover and what headlines those stories will have. By reframing how your problems and challenges are approached, you can help a team move productively through the process and be better prepared for the steps to follow.

Journalists   #vision   #big picture   #issue analysis   #remote-friendly   This is an exercise to use when the group gets stuck in details and struggles to see the big picture. Also good for defining a vision.

Problem-solving techniques for brainstorming solutions

Now you have the context and background of the problem you are trying to solving, now comes the time to start ideating and thinking about how you’ll solve the issue.

Here, you’ll want to encourage creative, free thinking and speed. Get as many ideas out as possible and explore different perspectives so you have the raw material for the next step.

Looking at a problem from a new angle can be one of the most effective ways of creating an effective solution. TRIZ is a problem-solving tool that asks the group to consider what they must not do in order to solve a challenge.

By reversing the discussion, new topics and taboo subjects often emerge, allowing the group to think more deeply and create ideas that confront the status quo in a safe and meaningful way. If you’re working on a problem that you’ve tried to solve before, TRIZ is a great problem-solving method to help your team get unblocked.

Making Space with TRIZ   #issue analysis   #liberating structures   #issue resolution   You can clear space for innovation by helping a group let go of what it knows (but rarely admits) limits its success and by inviting creative destruction. TRIZ makes it possible to challenge sacred cows safely and encourages heretical thinking. The question “What must we stop doing to make progress on our deepest purpose?” induces seriously fun yet very courageous conversations. Since laughter often erupts, issues that are otherwise taboo get a chance to be aired and confronted. With creative destruction come opportunities for renewal as local action and innovation rush in to fill the vacuum. Whoosh!

Mindspin  

Brainstorming is part of the bread and butter of the problem-solving process and all problem-solving strategies benefit from getting ideas out and challenging a team to generate solutions quickly. 

With Mindspin, participants are encouraged not only to generate ideas but to do so under time constraints and by slamming down cards and passing them on. By doing multiple rounds, your team can begin with a free generation of possible solutions before moving on to developing those solutions and encouraging further ideation. 

This is one of our favorite problem-solving activities and can be great for keeping the energy up throughout the workshop. Remember the importance of helping people become engaged in the process – energizing problem-solving techniques like Mindspin can help ensure your team stays engaged and happy, even when the problems they’re coming together to solve are complex. 

MindSpin   #teampedia   #idea generation   #problem solving   #action   A fast and loud method to enhance brainstorming within a team. Since this activity has more than round ideas that are repetitive can be ruled out leaving more creative and innovative answers to the challenge.

The Creativity Dice

One of the most useful problem solving skills you can teach your team is of approaching challenges with creativity, flexibility, and openness. Games like The Creativity Dice allow teams to overcome the potential hurdle of too much linear thinking and approach the process with a sense of fun and speed. 

In The Creativity Dice, participants are organized around a topic and roll a dice to determine what they will work on for a period of 3 minutes at a time. They might roll a 3 and work on investigating factual information on the chosen topic. They might roll a 1 and work on identifying the specific goals, standards, or criteria for the session.

Encouraging rapid work and iteration while asking participants to be flexible are great skills to cultivate. Having a stage for idea incubation in this game is also important. Moments of pause can help ensure the ideas that are put forward are the most suitable. 

The Creativity Dice   #creativity   #problem solving   #thiagi   #issue analysis   Too much linear thinking is hazardous to creative problem solving. To be creative, you should approach the problem (or the opportunity) from different points of view. You should leave a thought hanging in mid-air and move to another. This skipping around prevents premature closure and lets your brain incubate one line of thought while you consciously pursue another.

Idea and Concept Development

Brainstorming without structure can quickly become chaotic or frustrating. In a problem-solving context, having an ideation framework to follow can help ensure your team is both creative and disciplined.

In this method, you’ll find an idea generation process that encourages your group to brainstorm effectively before developing their ideas and begin clustering them together. By using concepts such as Yes and…, more is more and postponing judgement, you can create the ideal conditions for brainstorming with ease.

Idea & Concept Development   #hyperisland   #innovation   #idea generation   Ideation and Concept Development is a process for groups to work creatively and collaboratively to generate creative ideas. It’s a general approach that can be adapted and customized to suit many different scenarios. It includes basic principles for idea generation and several steps for groups to work with. It also includes steps for idea selection and development.

Problem-solving techniques for developing and refining solutions 

The success of any problem-solving process can be measured by the solutions it produces. After you’ve defined the issue, explored existing ideas, and ideated, it’s time to develop and refine your ideas in order to bring them closer to a solution that actually solves the problem.

Use these problem-solving techniques when you want to help your team think through their ideas and refine them as part of your problem solving process.

Improved Solutions

After a team has successfully identified a problem and come up with a few solutions, it can be tempting to call the work of the problem-solving process complete. That said, the first solution is not necessarily the best, and by including a further review and reflection activity into your problem-solving model, you can ensure your group reaches the best possible result. 

One of a number of problem-solving games from Thiagi Group, Improved Solutions helps you go the extra mile and develop suggested solutions with close consideration and peer review. By supporting the discussion of several problems at once and by shifting team roles throughout, this problem-solving technique is a dynamic way of finding the best solution. 

Improved Solutions   #creativity   #thiagi   #problem solving   #action   #team   You can improve any solution by objectively reviewing its strengths and weaknesses and making suitable adjustments. In this creativity framegame, you improve the solutions to several problems. To maintain objective detachment, you deal with a different problem during each of six rounds and assume different roles (problem owner, consultant, basher, booster, enhancer, and evaluator) during each round. At the conclusion of the activity, each player ends up with two solutions to her problem.

Four Step Sketch

Creative thinking and visual ideation does not need to be confined to the opening stages of your problem-solving strategies. Exercises that include sketching and prototyping on paper can be effective at the solution finding and development stage of the process, and can be great for keeping a team engaged. 

By going from simple notes to a crazy 8s round that involves rapidly sketching 8 variations on their ideas before then producing a final solution sketch, the group is able to iterate quickly and visually. Problem-solving techniques like Four-Step Sketch are great if you have a group of different thinkers and want to change things up from a more textual or discussion-based approach.

Four-Step Sketch   #design sprint   #innovation   #idea generation   #remote-friendly   The four-step sketch is an exercise that helps people to create well-formed concepts through a structured process that includes: Review key information Start design work on paper,  Consider multiple variations , Create a detailed solution . This exercise is preceded by a set of other activities allowing the group to clarify the challenge they want to solve. See how the Four Step Sketch exercise fits into a Design Sprint

Ensuring that everyone in a group is able to contribute to a discussion is vital during any problem solving process. Not only does this ensure all bases are covered, but its then easier to get buy-in and accountability when people have been able to contribute to the process.

1-2-4-All is a tried and tested facilitation technique where participants are asked to first brainstorm on a topic on their own. Next, they discuss and share ideas in a pair before moving into a small group. Those groups are then asked to present the best idea from their discussion to the rest of the team.

This method can be used in many different contexts effectively, though I find it particularly shines in the idea development stage of the process. Giving each participant time to concretize their ideas and develop them in progressively larger groups can create a great space for both innovation and psychological safety.

1-2-4-All   #idea generation   #liberating structures   #issue analysis   With this facilitation technique you can immediately include everyone regardless of how large the group is. You can generate better ideas and more of them faster than ever before. You can tap the know-how and imagination that is distributed widely in places not known in advance. Open, generative conversation unfolds. Ideas and solutions are sifted in rapid fashion. Most importantly, participants own the ideas, so follow-up and implementation is simplified. No buy-in strategies needed! Simple and elegant!

15% Solutions

Some problems are simpler than others and with the right problem-solving activities, you can empower people to take immediate actions that can help create organizational change. 

Part of the liberating structures toolkit, 15% solutions is a problem-solving technique that focuses on finding and implementing solutions quickly. A process of iterating and making small changes quickly can help generate momentum and an appetite for solving complex problems.

Problem-solving strategies can live and die on whether people are onboard. Getting some quick wins is a great way of getting people behind the process.   

It can be extremely empowering for a team to realize that problem-solving techniques can be deployed quickly and easily and delineate between things they can positively impact and those things they cannot change. 

15% Solutions   #action   #liberating structures   #remote-friendly   You can reveal the actions, however small, that everyone can do immediately. At a minimum, these will create momentum, and that may make a BIG difference.  15% Solutions show that there is no reason to wait around, feel powerless, or fearful. They help people pick it up a level. They get individuals and the group to focus on what is within their discretion instead of what they cannot change.  With a very simple question, you can flip the conversation to what can be done and find solutions to big problems that are often distributed widely in places not known in advance. Shifting a few grains of sand may trigger a landslide and change the whole landscape.

Problem-solving techniques for making decisions and planning

After your group is happy with the possible solutions you’ve developed, now comes the time to choose which to implement. There’s more than one way to make a decision and the best option is often dependant on the needs and set-up of your group.

Sometimes, it’s the case that you’ll want to vote as a group on what is likely to be the most impactful solution. Other times, it might be down to a decision maker or major stakeholder to make the final decision. Whatever your process, here’s some techniques you can use to help you make a decision during your problem solving process.

How-Now-Wow Matrix

The problem-solving process is often creative, as complex problems usually require a change of thinking and creative response in order to find the best solutions. While it’s common for the first stages to encourage creative thinking, groups can often gravitate to familiar solutions when it comes to the end of the process. 

When selecting solutions, you don’t want to lose your creative energy! The How-Now-Wow Matrix from Gamestorming is a great problem-solving activity that enables a group to stay creative and think out of the box when it comes to selecting the right solution for a given problem.

Problem-solving techniques that encourage creative thinking and the ideation and selection of new solutions can be the most effective in organisational change. Give the How-Now-Wow Matrix a go, and not just for how pleasant it is to say out loud. 

How-Now-Wow Matrix   #gamestorming   #idea generation   #remote-friendly   When people want to develop new ideas, they most often think out of the box in the brainstorming or divergent phase. However, when it comes to convergence, people often end up picking ideas that are most familiar to them. This is called a ‘creative paradox’ or a ‘creadox’. The How-Now-Wow matrix is an idea selection tool that breaks the creadox by forcing people to weigh each idea on 2 parameters.

Impact and Effort Matrix

All problem-solving techniques hope to not only find solutions to a given problem or challenge but to find the best solution. When it comes to finding a solution, groups are invited to put on their decision-making hats and really think about how a proposed idea would work in practice. 

The Impact and Effort Matrix is one of the problem-solving techniques that fall into this camp, empowering participants to first generate ideas and then categorize them into a 2×2 matrix based on impact and effort.

Activities that invite critical thinking while remaining simple are invaluable. Use the Impact and Effort Matrix to move from ideation and towards evaluating potential solutions before then committing to them. 

Impact and Effort Matrix   #gamestorming   #decision making   #action   #remote-friendly   In this decision-making exercise, possible actions are mapped based on two factors: effort required to implement and potential impact. Categorizing ideas along these lines is a useful technique in decision making, as it obliges contributors to balance and evaluate suggested actions before committing to them.

If you’ve followed each of the problem-solving steps with your group successfully, you should move towards the end of your process with heaps of possible solutions developed with a specific problem in mind. But how do you help a group go from ideation to putting a solution into action? 

Dotmocracy – or Dot Voting -is a tried and tested method of helping a team in the problem-solving process make decisions and put actions in place with a degree of oversight and consensus. 

One of the problem-solving techniques that should be in every facilitator’s toolbox, Dot Voting is fast and effective and can help identify the most popular and best solutions and help bring a group to a decision effectively. 

Dotmocracy   #action   #decision making   #group prioritization   #hyperisland   #remote-friendly   Dotmocracy is a simple method for group prioritization or decision-making. It is not an activity on its own, but a method to use in processes where prioritization or decision-making is the aim. The method supports a group to quickly see which options are most popular or relevant. The options or ideas are written on post-its and stuck up on a wall for the whole group to see. Each person votes for the options they think are the strongest, and that information is used to inform a decision.

Straddling the gap between decision making and planning, MoSCoW is a simple and effective method that allows a group team to easily prioritize a set of possible options.

Use this method in a problem solving process by collecting and summarizing all your possible solutions and then categorize them into 4 sections: “Must have”, “Should have”, “Could have”, or “Would like but won‘t get”.

This method is particularly useful when its less about choosing one possible solution and more about prioritorizing which to do first and which may not fit in the scope of your project. In my experience, complex challenges often require multiple small fixes, and this method can be a great way to move from a pile of things you’d all like to do to a structured plan.

MoSCoW   #define intentions   #create   #design   #action   #remote-friendly   MoSCoW is a method that allows the team to prioritize the different features that they will work on. Features are then categorized into “Must have”, “Should have”, “Could have”, or “Would like but won‘t get”. To be used at the beginning of a timeslot (for example during Sprint planning) and when planning is needed.

When it comes to managing the rollout of a solution, clarity and accountability are key factors in ensuring the success of the project. The RAACI chart is a simple but effective model for setting roles and responsibilities as part of a planning session.

Start by listing each person involved in the project and put them into the following groups in order to make it clear who is responsible for what during the rollout of your solution.

• Responsibility  (Which person and/or team will be taking action?)
• Authority  (At what “point” must the responsible person check in before going further?)
• Accountability  (Who must the responsible person check in with?)
• Consultation  (Who must be consulted by the responsible person before decisions are made?)
• Information  (Who must be informed of decisions, once made?)

Ensure this information is easily accessible and use it to inform who does what and who is looped into discussions and kept up to date.

RAACI   #roles and responsibility   #teamwork   #project management   Clarifying roles and responsibilities, levels of autonomy/latitude in decision making, and levels of engagement among diverse stakeholders.

Problem-solving warm-up activities

All facilitators know that warm-ups and icebreakers are useful for any workshop or group process. Problem-solving workshops are no different.

Use these problem-solving techniques to warm up a group and prepare them for the rest of the process. Activating your group by tapping into some of the top problem-solving skills can be one of the best ways to see great outcomes from your session.

Check-in / Check-out

Solid processes are planned from beginning to end, and the best facilitators know that setting the tone and establishing a safe, open environment can be integral to a successful problem-solving process. Check-in / Check-out is a great way to begin and/or bookend a problem-solving workshop. Checking in to a session emphasizes that everyone will be seen, heard, and expected to contribute. 

If you are running a series of meetings, setting a consistent pattern of checking in and checking out can really help your team get into a groove. We recommend this opening-closing activity for small to medium-sized groups though it can work with large groups if they’re disciplined!

Check-in / Check-out   #team   #opening   #closing   #hyperisland   #remote-friendly   Either checking-in or checking-out is a simple way for a team to open or close a process, symbolically and in a collaborative way. Checking-in/out invites each member in a group to be present, seen and heard, and to express a reflection or a feeling. Checking-in emphasizes presence, focus and group commitment; checking-out emphasizes reflection and symbolic closure.

Doodling Together  

Thinking creatively and not being afraid to make suggestions are important problem-solving skills for any group or team, and warming up by encouraging these behaviors is a great way to start. 

Doodling Together is one of our favorite creative ice breaker games – it’s quick, effective, and fun and can make all following problem-solving steps easier by encouraging a group to collaborate visually. By passing cards and adding additional items as they go, the workshop group gets into a groove of co-creation and idea development that is crucial to finding solutions to problems. 

Doodling Together   #collaboration   #creativity   #teamwork   #fun   #team   #visual methods   #energiser   #icebreaker   #remote-friendly   Create wild, weird and often funny postcards together & establish a group’s creative confidence.

Show and Tell

You might remember some version of Show and Tell from being a kid in school and it’s a great problem-solving activity to kick off a session.

Asking participants to prepare a little something before a workshop by bringing an object for show and tell can help them warm up before the session has even begun! Games that include a physical object can also help encourage early engagement before moving onto more big-picture thinking.

By asking your participants to tell stories about why they chose to bring a particular item to the group, you can help teams see things from new perspectives and see both differences and similarities in the way they approach a topic. Great groundwork for approaching a problem-solving process as a team! 

Show and Tell   #gamestorming   #action   #opening   #meeting facilitation   Show and Tell taps into the power of metaphors to reveal players’ underlying assumptions and associations around a topic The aim of the game is to get a deeper understanding of stakeholders’ perspectives on anything—a new project, an organizational restructuring, a shift in the company’s vision or team dynamic.

Constellations

Who doesn’t love stars? Constellations is a great warm-up activity for any workshop as it gets people up off their feet, energized, and ready to engage in new ways with established topics. It’s also great for showing existing beliefs, biases, and patterns that can come into play as part of your session.

Using warm-up games that help build trust and connection while also allowing for non-verbal responses can be great for easing people into the problem-solving process and encouraging engagement from everyone in the group. Constellations is great in large spaces that allow for movement and is definitely a practical exercise to allow the group to see patterns that are otherwise invisible. 

Constellations   #trust   #connection   #opening   #coaching   #patterns   #system   Individuals express their response to a statement or idea by standing closer or further from a central object. Used with teams to reveal system, hidden patterns, perspectives.

Draw a Tree

Problem-solving games that help raise group awareness through a central, unifying metaphor can be effective ways to warm-up a group in any problem-solving model.

Draw a Tree is a simple warm-up activity you can use in any group and which can provide a quick jolt of energy. Start by asking your participants to draw a tree in just 45 seconds – they can choose whether it will be abstract or realistic. 

Once the timer is up, ask the group how many people included the roots of the tree and use this as a means to discuss how we can ignore important parts of any system simply because they are not visible.

All problem-solving strategies are made more effective by thinking of problems critically and by exposing things that may not normally come to light. Warm-up games like Draw a Tree are great in that they quickly demonstrate some key problem-solving skills in an accessible and effective way.

Draw a Tree   #thiagi   #opening   #perspectives   #remote-friendly   With this game you can raise awarness about being more mindful, and aware of the environment we live in.

Closing activities for a problem-solving process

Each step of the problem-solving workshop benefits from an intelligent deployment of activities, games, and techniques. Bringing your session to an effective close helps ensure that solutions are followed through on and that you also celebrate what has been achieved.

Here are some problem-solving activities you can use to effectively close a workshop or meeting and ensure the great work you’ve done can continue afterward.

One Breath Feedback

Maintaining attention and focus during the closing stages of a problem-solving workshop can be tricky and so being concise when giving feedback can be important. It’s easy to incur “death by feedback” should some team members go on for too long sharing their perspectives in a quick feedback round. 

One Breath Feedback is a great closing activity for workshops. You give everyone an opportunity to provide feedback on what they’ve done but only in the space of a single breath. This keeps feedback short and to the point and means that everyone is encouraged to provide the most important piece of feedback to them. 

One breath feedback   #closing   #feedback   #action   This is a feedback round in just one breath that excels in maintaining attention: each participants is able to speak during just one breath … for most people that’s around 20 to 25 seconds … unless of course you’ve been a deep sea diver in which case you’ll be able to do it for longer.

Who What When Matrix 

Matrices feature as part of many effective problem-solving strategies and with good reason. They are easily recognizable, simple to use, and generate results.

The Who What When Matrix is a great tool to use when closing your problem-solving session by attributing a who, what and when to the actions and solutions you have decided upon. The resulting matrix is a simple, easy-to-follow way of ensuring your team can move forward. 

Great solutions can’t be enacted without action and ownership. Your problem-solving process should include a stage for allocating tasks to individuals or teams and creating a realistic timeframe for those solutions to be implemented or checked out. Use this method to keep the solution implementation process clear and simple for all involved. 

Who/What/When Matrix   #gamestorming   #action   #project planning   With Who/What/When matrix, you can connect people with clear actions they have defined and have committed to.

Response cards

Group discussion can comprise the bulk of most problem-solving activities and by the end of the process, you might find that your team is talked out! 

Providing a means for your team to give feedback with short written notes can ensure everyone is head and can contribute without the need to stand up and talk. Depending on the needs of the group, giving an alternative can help ensure everyone can contribute to your problem-solving model in the way that makes the most sense for them.

Response Cards is a great way to close a workshop if you are looking for a gentle warm-down and want to get some swift discussion around some of the feedback that is raised. 

Response Cards   #debriefing   #closing   #structured sharing   #questions and answers   #thiagi   #action   It can be hard to involve everyone during a closing of a session. Some might stay in the background or get unheard because of louder participants. However, with the use of Response Cards, everyone will be involved in providing feedback or clarify questions at the end of a session.

Tips for effective problem solving

Problem-solving activities are only one part of the puzzle. While a great method can help unlock your team’s ability to solve problems, without a thoughtful approach and strong facilitation the solutions may not be fit for purpose.

Let’s take a look at some problem-solving tips you can apply to any process to help it be a success!

Clearly define the problem

Jumping straight to solutions can be tempting, though without first clearly articulating a problem, the solution might not be the right one. Many of the problem-solving activities below include sections where the problem is explored and clearly defined before moving on.

This is a vital part of the problem-solving process and taking the time to fully define an issue can save time and effort later. A clear definition helps identify irrelevant information and it also ensures that your team sets off on the right track.

Don’t jump to conclusions

It’s easy for groups to exhibit cognitive bias or have preconceived ideas about both problems and potential solutions. Be sure to back up any problem statements or potential solutions with facts, research, and adequate forethought.

The best techniques ask participants to be methodical and challenge preconceived notions. Make sure you give the group enough time and space to collect relevant information and consider the problem in a new way. By approaching the process with a clear, rational mindset, you’ll often find that better solutions are more forthcoming.  

Try different approaches  

Problems come in all shapes and sizes and so too should the methods you use to solve them. If you find that one approach isn’t yielding results and your team isn’t finding different solutions, try mixing it up. You’ll be surprised at how using a new creative activity can unblock your team and generate great solutions.

Don’t take it personally 

Depending on the nature of your team or organizational problems, it’s easy for conversations to get heated. While it’s good for participants to be engaged in the discussions, ensure that emotions don’t run too high and that blame isn’t thrown around while finding solutions.

You’re all in it together, and even if your team or area is seeing problems, that isn’t necessarily a disparagement of you personally. Using facilitation skills to manage group dynamics is one effective method of helping conversations be more constructive.

Get the right people in the room

Your problem-solving method is often only as effective as the group using it. Getting the right people on the job and managing the number of people present is important too!

If the group is too small, you may not get enough different perspectives to effectively solve a problem. If the group is too large, you can go round and round during the ideation stages.

Creating the right group makeup is also important in ensuring you have the necessary expertise and skillset to both identify and follow up on potential solutions. Carefully consider who to include at each stage to help ensure your problem-solving method is followed and positioned for success.

Create psychologically safe spaces for discussion

Identifying a problem accurately also requires that all members of a group are able to contribute their views in an open and safe manner.

It can be tough for people to stand up and contribute if the problems or challenges are emotive or personal in nature. Try and create a psychologically safe space for these kinds of discussions and where possible, create regular opportunities for challenges to be brought up organically.

Document everything

The best solutions can take refinement, iteration, and reflection to come out. Get into a habit of documenting your process in order to keep all the learnings from the session and to allow ideas to mature and develop. Many of the methods below involve the creation of documents or shared resources. Be sure to keep and share these so everyone can benefit from the work done!

Bring a facilitator 

Facilitation is all about making group processes easier. With a subject as potentially emotive and important as problem-solving, having an impartial third party in the form of a facilitator can make all the difference in finding great solutions and keeping the process moving. Consider bringing a facilitator to your problem-solving session to get better results and generate meaningful solutions!

Develop your problem-solving skills

It takes time and practice to be an effective problem solver. While some roles or participants might more naturally gravitate towards problem-solving, it can take development and planning to help everyone create better solutions.

You might develop a training program, run a problem-solving workshop or simply ask your team to practice using the techniques below. Check out our post on problem-solving skills to see how you and your group can develop the right mental process and be more resilient to issues too!

Design a great agenda

Workshops are a great format for solving problems. With the right approach, you can focus a group and help them find the solutions to their own problems. But designing a process can be time-consuming and finding the right activities can be difficult.

Check out our workshop planning guide to level-up your agenda design and start running more effective workshops. Need inspiration? Check out templates designed by expert facilitators to help you kickstart your process!

Save time and effort creating an effective problem solving process

A structured problem solving process is a surefire way of solving tough problems, discovering creative solutions and driving organizational change. But how can you design for successful outcomes?

With SessionLab, it’s easy to design engaging workshops that deliver results. Drag, drop and reorder blocks  to build your agenda. When you make changes or update your agenda, your session  timing   adjusts automatically , saving you time on manual adjustments.

Collaborating with stakeholders or clients? Share your agenda with a single click and collaborate in real-time. No more sending documents back and forth over email.

Explore  how to use SessionLab  to design effective problem solving workshops or  watch this five minute video  to see the planner in action!

Over to you

The problem-solving process can often be as complicated and multifaceted as the problems they are set-up to solve. With the right problem-solving techniques and a mix of exercises designed to guide discussion and generate purposeful ideas, we hope we’ve given you the tools to find the best solutions as simply and easily as possible.

Is there a problem-solving technique that you are missing here? Do you have a favorite activity or method you use when facilitating? Let us know in the comments below, we’d love to hear from you! 

James Smart is Head of Content at SessionLab. He’s also a creative facilitator who has run workshops and designed courses for establishments like the National Centre for Writing, UK. He especially enjoys working with young people and empowering others in their creative practice.

thank you very much for these excellent techniques

Certainly wonderful article, very detailed. Shared!

Your list of techniques for problem solving can be helpfully extended by adding TRIZ to the list of techniques. TRIZ has 40 problem solving techniques derived from methods inventros and patent holders used to get new patents. About 10-12 are general approaches. many organization sponsor classes in TRIZ that are used to solve business problems or general organiztational problems. You can take a look at TRIZ and dwonload a free internet booklet to see if you feel it shound be included per your selection process.

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Home / Six Sigma / The 8 Essential LEAN Techniques You Need to Know

The 8 Essential LEAN Techniques You Need to Know

Lean management is one of the top tools that eliminate types of waste in any process. Lean techniques are typically used in a production environment, and most examples in Lean training courses will focus on applying Lean techniques in these kinds of processes. The reality is that Lean techniques can be used in any environment that uses processes. Free Six Sigma Green Belt Certification trainings briefly discuss Lean Techniques. Because Lean methods and the Six Sigma method go hand in hand. Lean is part of the Six Sigma approach to problem-solving as eliminating waste goes a long way to solving problems in any process . You can read more about Lean Project Management .

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In this article, will be going over 8 different Lean Techniques.

Lean Techniques #1 Kaizen

The purpose of KAIZEN is to improve work processes in a variety of ways . Kaizen is a generic Japanese word for improvement or making things better. KAIZEN was created in Japan following World War II. The word Kaizen means “Continuous Improvement.” It comes from the Japanese words “kai” which means “change” or “to correct” and “zen” which means “good.”

Lean Techniques #2 Poka-Yoke

The purpose of Poka-Yoke, the second of the Lean techniques, is to prevent the occurrence of mistakes or defects . It uses a wide variety of ingenious devices to prevent mistakes. An example is an automotive gasoline tank cap having an attachment that prevents the cap from being lost. Poka-Yoke is also known as Mistake-Proofing – the Japanese approach to “Mistake Proofing” in all aspects of Lean Manufacturing, Customer Service, etc. It employs visual signals that make mistakes clearly stand out from the rest. Its older name is Baka-yoke (foolproofing). Poka-Yoke is one of the most important Lean techniques.

Lean Techniques #3 5S

Of all the Lean Techniques, 5S is the one that is focused on organizing . The purpose of 5S is to reduce wasteful time and motion at a micro-level. It is an organized approach to housekeeping that ensures tools, parts and other objects are in known, optimum locations. Actually, it is a framework to create and maintain your workplace. 5S Stands for: Sort, Set-in-order, Shine, Standardize, Sustain. The act of sorting means that all unnecessary tools and other items are removed from the workplace. Set-in-order means that all necessary items are placed in locations that minimize waste of motion. For example, tools that are used frequently are placed close to the work station while tools that are used less often are placed in storage further away from the work station. Shine means that the workplace is kept in a clean and orderly manner. Next, standardize means that all processes in a workstation are standardized. Finally, Sustain means that the workers that use the workstation maintain the standard that has been set in the previous four S’s.

Lean Technique #4 KANBAN

The purpose of the fourth of the Lean techniques, KANBAN, is to schedule production and minimize work-in-process while encouraging improvement in many areas . KANBAN establishes a small stock point (usually at the producing WorkCentre) that sends a signal when items are withdrawn by a downstream process. The producing WorkCentre replaces the items removed. Kanban literally means signboard or billboard in Japanese. Kanban utilizes visual display cards to signal the movement of material between steps of a product process. It is a scheduling system for Lean and Just-in-Time. KANBAN was developed for the Toyota production system to find to improve and maintain a high level of production.

Lean Techniques #5: Just In Time

The fifth of the Lean technique is simply a production strategy that strives to improve a business’s Return on Investment (RoI) by reducing in-process inventory and associated carrying costs . To meet JIT objectives, the process relies on signals or KANBAN between different points in the process, which tell production when to make the next part. Just-in-time is actually a manufacturing philosophy that leads to “Producing the necessary units, in the necessary quantities at the necessary time with the required quality”.

Lean Technique #6 Jidoka

The purpose of Jidoka is to prevent problems on one station of a production line from building inventory and also to create urgency to find permanent solutions . Jidoka is the practice of stopping an integrated assembly or production line when any workstation encounters problems. Such stoppages create a crisis atmosphere that encourages immediate and permanent solutions. Jidoka means “automation with a human touch”. It implements a supervisory function in a production line and stops the process as soon as a defect is encountered. The process does not start until the root cause of the defect has been eliminated. Using Jidoka in a production process is a good example of using Lean techniques to eliminate waste.

Lean Techniques #7 Takt time

The purpose of Takt time is to balance the output of sequential production processes and prevent inventory buildups and shortages. It is the average time required between output units at a particular process coordinated with final customer requirements. Takt time is one of the Lean techniques in the Lean Toolbox. It is the frequency at which a product or service must be completed in order to meet customer needs. The formula for Takt time is: TAKT Time = Available Time / Required Output

Lean techniques #8 Heijunka

Heijunka is the last of the Lean techniques that we will be discussing in this article. Heijunka is the leveling of production by both volume and product mix. This system does not build products according to the actual flow of customer orders. Heijunka takes the total volume of orders in a period and levels them out so the same amount and mix are being made each day. It means Production leveling/smoothing. It is a technique to reduce waste that occurs due to fluctuating customer demand.

Lean techniques are used to create processes that have no non-value-add parts. Any part of a process that does not add value to the consumer is eliminated using Lean techniques. Applying Lean techniques is a strict and disciplined approach to modifying and maintaining processes that add 100% value to the client and do not waste any costs with non-value-adding steps. This has a positive effect on RoI. Following Lean techniques is a must for anyone who is responsible for a process. There will always be some sort of waste in a process and using Lean techniques will help to eliminate waste.

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Top 25 Lean Tools & Techniques

Exploring Lean

There are a lot of great ideas to explore in lean. So, where should you begin?

One way to start is to survey the most important lean tools, with a brief description and a short explanation of how each tool can improve your manufacturing operations.

If a tool captures your interest or resonates with you in some way – explore it further to decide if it is something to pursue now…or later. Many of these tools can be successfully used in isolation, which makes it much easier to get started. On the other hand, the benefits will compound as more tools are used, as they support and reinforce each other.

25 Lean Manufacturing Tools

What is 5s.

5S organizes the work area:

• Sort: eliminate that which is not needed
• Straighten: organize remaining items
• Shine: clean and inspect work area
• Standardize: write standards for above
• Sustain: regularly apply the standards

How does 5S help?

5S eliminates waste that results from a poorly organized work area (e.g., wasting time looking for a tool).

Learn more about 5S

What is Andon?

Andon is a visual feedback system for the plant floor that indicates production status, alerts when assistance is needed, and empowers operators to stop the production process.

How does Andon help?

Andon acts as a real-time communication tool for the plant floor that brings immediate attention to problems as they occur – so they can be instantly addressed.

Learn more about Andon at Vorne.com

Bottleneck Analysis

What is bottleneck analysis.

Bottleneck Analysis identifies which part of the manufacturing process limits the overall throughput and improves the performance of that part of the process.

How does Bottleneck Analysis help?

Bottleneck Analysis improves throughput by strengthening the weakest link in the manufacturing process.

Continuous Flow

What is continuous flow.

Continuous Flow is manufacturing where work-in-process smoothly flows through production with minimal (or no) buffers between steps of the manufacturing process.

How does Continuous Flow help?

Continuous Flow eliminates many forms of waste (e.g., inventory, waiting time, and transport).

Gemba (The Real Place)

What is gemba.

Gemba is a philosophy that reminds us to get out of our offices and spend time on the plant floor – the place where real action occurs.

How does Gemba help?

Gemba promotes a deep and thorough understanding of real-world manufacturing issues – by first-hand observation and by talking with plant floor employees.

Heijunka (Level Scheduling)

What is heijunka.

Heijunka is a form of production scheduling that purposely manufactures in much smaller batches by sequencing (mixing) product variants within the same process.

How does Heijunka help?

Heijunka reduces lead times (since each product or variant is manufactured more frequently) and inventory (since batches are smaller).

Hoshin Kanri (Policy Deployment)

What is hoshin kanri.

Hoshin Kanri aligns the goals of the company (Strategy), with the plans of middle management (Tactics) and the work performed on the plant floor (Action).

How does Hoshin Kanri help?

Hoshin Kanri ensures that progress towards strategic goals is consistent and thorough – eliminating the waste that comes from poor communication and inconsistent direction.

Learn more about Hoshin Kanri

Jidoka (Autonomation)

What is jidoka.

Jidoka is the idea that manufacturers should design equipment to partially automate the manufacturing process (partial automation is typically much less expensive than full automation) and to automatically stop when defects are detected.

How does Jidoka help?

After Jidoka, workers can frequently monitor multiple stations (reducing labor costs) and many quality issues can be detected immediately (improving quality).

Just-In-Time (JIT)

What is just-in-time.

Just-In-Time pulls parts through production based on customer demand instead of pushing parts through production based on projected demand. Relies on many lean tools, such as Continuous Flow, Heijunka, Kanban, Standardized Work, and Takt Time .

How does Just-In-Time help?

Just-In-Time is highly effective in reducing inventory levels. Improves cash flow and reduces space requirements.

Kaizen (Continuous Improvement)

What is kaizen.

Kaizen is a strategy where employees work together proactively to achieve regular, incremental improvements in the manufacturing process.

Learn more about Kaizen

How does Kaizen help?

Kaizen combines the collective talents of a company to create an engine for continually eliminating waste from manufacturing processes.

Kanban (Pull System)

What is kanban.

Kanban is a method of regulating the flow of goods both within the factory and with outside suppliers and customers. Based on automatic replenishment through signal cards that indicate when more goods are needed.

How does Kanban help?

Kanban eliminates waste from inventory and overproduction. Can eliminate the need for physical inventories, instead relying on signal cards to indicate when more goods need to be ordered.

KPIs (Key Performance Indicators)

What are kpis.

KPIs are metrics designed to track and encourage progress towards critical goals of the organization. Strongly promoted KPIs can be extremely powerful drivers of behavior – so it is important to carefully select KPIs that will drive desired behavior.

How do KPIs help?

The best manufacturing KPIs:

• Are aligned with top-level strategic goals (thus helping to achieve those goals)
• Are effective at exposing and quantifying waste (OEE is a good example)
• Are readily influenced by plant floor employees (so they can drive results)

Learn more about Manufacturing KPIs at Vorne.com

Muda (Waste)

What is muda.

Muda is anything in the manufacturing process that does not add value from the customer’s perspective.

How does Muda help?

Muda doesn’t help. Muda means ‘waste’. The elimination of muda (waste) is the primary focus of lean manufacturing.

Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE)

What is overall equipment effectiveness.

OEE is a framework for measuring productivity loss for a given manufacturing process. Three categories of loss are tracked:

• Availability (e.g., downtime)
• Performance (e.g., slow cycles)
• Quality (e.g., rejects)

How does Overall Equipment Effectiveness help?

OEE provides a benchmark/baseline and a means to track progress in eliminating waste from a manufacturing process. 100% OEE means perfect production (manufacturing only good parts, as fast as possible, with no downtime).

Learn more about OEE at OEE.com

PDCA (Plan, Do, Check, Act)

What is pdca.

PDCA is an iterative methodology for implementing improvements:

• Plan: establish plan and expected results
• Do: implement plan
• Check: verify expected results achieved
• Act: review and assess; do it again

How does PDCA help?

PDCA applies a scientific approach to making improvements:

• Plan: develop a hypothesis
• Do: run experiment
• Check: evaluate results
• Act: refine your experiment; try again

Poka-Yoke (Error Proofing)

What is poka-yoke.

Poka-Yoke designs error detection and prevention into production processes with the goal of achieving zero defects.

How does Poka-Yoke help?

It is difficult (and expensive) to find all defects through inspection, and correcting defects typically gets significantly more expensive at each stage of production.

Root Cause Analysis

What is root cause analysis.

Root Cause Analysis is a problem solving methodology that focuses on resolving the underlying problem instead of applying quick fixes that only treat immediate symptoms of the problem. A common approach is to ask why five times – each time moving a step closer to discovering the true underlying problem.

How does Root Cause Analysis help?

Root Cause Analysis helps to ensure that a problem is truly eliminated by applying corrective action to the “root cause” of the problem.

Single-Minute Exchange of Die (SMED)

What is single-minute exchange of die.

Single-Minute Exchange of Die reduces setup (changeover) time to less than 10 minutes. SMED techniques include:

• Convert setup steps to be external (performed while the process is running)
• Simplify internal setup (e.g., replace bolts with knobs and levers)
• Eliminate non-essential operations
• Create Standardized Work instructions

How does Single-Minute Exchange of Die help?

SMED enables manufacturing in smaller lots, reduces inventory, and improves customer responsiveness.

Learn more about SMED at Vorne.com

Six Big Losses

What is six big losses.

The Six Big Losses are six categories of productivity loss that are almost universally experienced in manufacturing:

• Setup/Adjustments
• Small Stops
• Reduced Speed
• Startup Rejects
• Production Rejects

How does Six Big Losses help?

The Six Big Losses provide a framework for attacking the most common causes of waste in manufacturing.

Learn more about Six Big Losses at Vorne.com

SMART Goals

What are smart goals.

SMART Goals are: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-Specific.

How do SMART Goals help?

SMART Goals help to ensure that goals are effective.

Standardized Work

What is standardized work.

Standardized Work is documented procedures for manufacturing that capture best practices (including the time to complete each task). It must be “living” documentation that is easy to change.

How does Standardized Work help?

Standardized Work eliminates waste by consistently applying best practices. Forms a baseline for future improvement activities.

What is Takt Time?

Takt Time is the pace of production (e.g., manufacturing one piece every 34 seconds) that aligns production with customer demand. Calculated as Planned Production Time / Customer Demand.

How does Takt Time help?

Takt Time provides a simple, consistent, and intuitive method of pacing production. Is easily extended to provide an efficiency goal for the plant floor (Actual Pieces / Target Pieces).

Learn more about Takt Time at Vorne.com

Total Productive Maintenance (TPM)

What is total productive maintenance.

TPM is a holistic approach to maintenance that focuses on proactive and preventative maintenance to maximize the operational time of equipment. TPM blurs the distinction between maintenance and production by placing a strong emphasis on empowering operators to help maintain their equipment.

How does Total Productive Maintenance help?

TPM creates a shared responsibility for equipment that encourages greater involvement by plant floor workers. In the right environment, this can be very effective in improving productivity (increasing uptime, reducing cycle times, and eliminating defects).

Learn more about TPM at Vorne.com

Value Stream Mapping

What is value stream mapping.

Value Stream Mapping is a tool used to visually map the flow of production. Shows the current and future state of processes in a way that highlights opportunities for improvement.

How does Value Stream Mapping help?

Value Stream Mapping exposes waste in the current processes and provides a roadmap for improvement through the future state.

Visual Factory

What is visual factory.

A Visual Factory uses visual indicators, displays, and controls throughout the manufacturing plant to improve the communication of information.

How does Visual Factory help?

Visual Factory makes the state and condition of manufacturing processes easily accessible and very clear – to everyone.

Learn more about the Visual Factory at Vorne.com

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The Art of Effective Problem Solving: A Step-by-Step Guide

Whether we realise it or not, problem solving skills are an important part of our daily lives. From resolving a minor annoyance at home to tackling complex business challenges at work, our ability to solve problems has a significant impact on our success and happiness. However, not everyone is naturally gifted at problem-solving, and even those who are can always improve their skills. In this blog post, we will go over the art of effective problem-solving step by step.

Problem Solving Methodologies

Methodology of 8D (Eight Discipline) Problem Solving:

A3 Problem Solving Method:

The A3 problem solving technique is a visual, team-based problem-solving approach that is frequently used in Lean Six Sigma projects. The A3 report is a one-page document that clearly and concisely outlines the problem, root cause analysis, and proposed solution.

Subsequently, in the Lean Six Sigma framework, the 8D and A3 problem solving methodologies are two popular approaches to problem solving. Both methodologies provide a structured, team-based problem-solving approach that guides individuals through a comprehensive and systematic process of identifying, analysing, and resolving problems in an effective and efficient manner.

Step 1 – Define the Problem

By repeatedly asking “ why ,” you’ll eventually get to the bottom of the problem. This is an important step in the problem-solving process because it ensures that you’re dealing with the root cause rather than just the symptoms.

Step 2 – Gather Information and Brainstorm Ideas

Gathering information and brainstorming ideas is the next step in effective problem solving. This entails researching the problem and relevant information, collaborating with others, and coming up with a variety of potential solutions. This increases your chances of finding the best solution to the problem.

Next, work with others to gather a variety of perspectives. Brainstorming with others can be an excellent way to come up with new and creative ideas. Encourage everyone to share their thoughts and ideas when working in a group, and make an effort to actively listen to what others have to say. Be open to new and unconventional ideas and resist the urge to dismiss them too quickly.

Once you’ve compiled a list of potential solutions, it’s time to assess them and select the best one. This is the next step in the problem-solving process, which we’ll go over in greater detail in the following section.

Step 3 – Evaluate Options and Choose the Best Solution

Once you’ve compiled a list of potential solutions, it’s time to assess them and select the best one. This is the third step in effective problem solving, and it entails weighing the advantages and disadvantages of each solution, considering their feasibility and practicability, and selecting the solution that is most likely to solve the problem effectively.

You’ll be able to tell which solutions are likely to succeed and which aren’t by assessing their feasibility and practicability.

Step 4 – Implement and Monitor the Solution

When you’ve decided on the best solution, it’s time to put it into action. The fourth and final step in effective problem solving is to put the solution into action, monitor its progress, and make any necessary adjustments.

Finally, make any necessary modifications to the solution. This could entail changing the solution, altering the plan of action, or delegating different tasks. Be willing to make changes if they will improve the solution or help it solve the problem more effectively.

You can increase your chances of success in problem solving by following these steps and considering factors such as the pros and cons of each solution, their feasibility and practicability, and making any necessary adjustments. Furthermore, keep in mind that problem solving is an iterative process, and there may be times when you need to go back to the beginning and restart. Maintain your adaptability and try new solutions until you find the one that works best for you.

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Lean Manufacturing Problem Solving Methods

Today I got a disturbing, yet enlightening question from a client—one of our brightest trainees. He asked:

What is the relationship between problems and wastes?  Doing Lean we are told to fight against the seven wastes, and then we start trying to find as many of them as we can… This makes sense. We are also told that Lean is about solving problems. We have to recognize our problems, find ways to make them visible and solve them using structured methods (5 Whys, PDCA, A3, 8D problem solving, …). This makes sense too. Which one is the right way: reducing/eliminating wastes or solving problems?  Example: a warehouse one mile away from production. We always receive parts when needed, in the proper quantity. So no variation from the standard, but it is all waste.

This was disturbing because despite several years of our teaching him he has missed a fundamental point about the role of PDCA versus specific tools.  It was enlightening because it reminded me how learning takes place over time, with repeated coaching, as the student learns and questions.

I feel very uncomfortable about saying “lean focuses on eliminating the seven wastes.”  I also feel uncomfortable about saying “lean focuses on solving problems.”  I would rather say “lean is a way of thinking about the business that depends on thinking clearly and deeply about the organization’s purpose and how best to organize to achieve the purpose.”

Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) is the umbrella way of thinking (Read why PDCA is the engine of lean ).Well done PDCA is a way of improving your way toward specific business needs.  We have True North (a general concept of perfection), business plans, annual plans, and daily management. Then throughout the organization we want people using PDCA to find their best way of contributing to those business needs.

The business problems can be anything from a gap between current sales and what we need to sustain the business to a need to free up cash to pay our bills.  Those problem statements would lead to very different actions.  For example, eliminating the warehouse may or may not free up cash and it is unlikely to increase sales.

So I am concerned when people go on waste hunts to eliminate any waste they see.  There is always waste, and there are always problems (gaps between our desired state and current state).  We must prioritize our problems in some way .  We must also find the best countermeasures we believe are feasible, cost effective, etc. to make a step toward closing a clear gap. Eliminating waste is not the goal.  A warehouse one mile from the plant may increase inventory near the plant (waste), but reduce inventory of suppliers as well as lower logistics cost and improve reliability of delivery.

I would always subordinate a particular problem solving methodology to PDCA.  Notice how Toyota Business Practices (above) is a disciplined process for following PDCA to attack any problem from large strategic issues (e.g., developing a new brand like Scion) to small problems (e.g., reduce waste at work stations to increase productivity).

Read More: Toyota, Just Really Good Problem Solvers : More about fighting wastes in new product development .

Dr. Jeffrey Liker is professor of industrial and operations engineering at the University of Michigan and author of The Toyota Way.  He leads Liker Lean Advisors, LLC and his latest book (with Gary Convis) is The Toyota Way to Lean Leadership

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Tools and Strategies for Production Problem Solving

Published on Wednesday, May 19, 2021 at 10:00 AM in Advice / Tips & Tricks

Whatever can go wrong will go wrong — that’s Murphy’s Law of film production. In the course of filming, editing, and screening any content, problems are bound to occur that can cause delays or unexpected expenses. A filmmaker has to be an exceptional problem solver if they hope to be successful. 

Fortunately, there is no end to the tools and strategies at your disposal for solving production problems on and offset. From data analytics platforms that help you plan for the worst to the SWOT method of analysis, these resources can help you find solutions. But first, prepare for the worst.

The Problems

Every stage of film production has its common problems and corresponding workarounds. These include everything from weather disruptions to meeting the power needs of an entire crew. Making sure your production doesn't get sidetracked by these issues requires thorough planning.

But how can you plan for every possible inevitability? 

Truth is, you can’t. No one can predict the future, and as they say, even the best-laid plans are subject to disruption from some force or another. Just look at the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic and how that transformed the film production process.

In this democratized age of filmmaking , no filmmaker can be expected to have the resources and training needed to fix every issue that occurs on set. Too many things can go wrong, leaving filmmakers and their teams scrambling for a solution. However, having the right tools and strategies in your corner can help smooth the potholes that line the road to a successful film.

Like any craftsman, a filmmaker needs the right tools for the job. Filmmaking can be a high-tech business with a plethora of gadgets and software platforms that you can use to help you produce the best possible content. The right equipment doesn't necessarily have to eat into your production budget too much. With equipment designed to withstand problems, you can have a backup plan for any disaster.

Here are three of the most important equipment types for avoiding and solving film production problems:

Data and its applications are everywhere these days. While you may not think that data analytics would apply to the filmmaking industry, examining trends in audiences, film success, and even weather can help smooth the production process. 

Major movie studios these days are employing data scientists and the tools they use to make more lucrative investment decisions. Legendary Entertainment, for instance, has applied data analytics and artificial intelligence to predict and improve the performance of hits like “Jurassic World.”

Durable Equipment

Next, one of your chief concerns should be the durability and versatility of your equipment. You never know when the weather might take a turn for the worst or where technical difficulties might force you to shoot something different from what he had in mind. Your equipment should allow you to be flexible.

Find trusted, weather- and water-resistant equipment for your crew. When traveling, also vet filming equipment rental businesses for backup, just in case. 

Plenty of Storage Space

Additionally, you need to be ready to solve the problem of video storage. If you're using actual film, your issue may be physical storage space and your ability to preserve your footage while you work and travel. With digital video, however, the issue is having enough hard drives with enough space on hand to capture everything you need.

For example, three hours of 4K footage takes up about a terabyte of disc space. You should come prepared with adequate storage space for your physical and digital needs. Otherwise, be prepared to be selective with your takes.

The right tools for data analysis, production flexibility, and storage space will fit the needs of your project and crew. Explore rental services and even data cloud solutions to manage these needs against common production disasters.

The Strategies

Next, come to the job each day with a problem-solving mindset. This entails keeping strategies like the following in the back of your mind so that you can more effectively assess the situation when a problem arises.

Analyze your production for problems. 

One of the best ways you can solve problems is to prevent them. This is made easier with an analytical approach to the production process, a formula for spotting issues and taking care of them quickly. 

The SWOT analysis is one such strategy that simply entails examining strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats — hence the acronym. By completing a SWOT analysis of your production regularly, you’ll be better able to visualize where problems may occur. As a result, you can better prevent issues before they are even issues.

Weigh the pros and cons.

Another strategy that can help you assess multiple potential solutions to production problems is known by the acronym RWW. The RWW method asks, “Is it real? Is it worth it? Can we win?” Applying these questions to production problems gives you values with which to judge options and innovations. 

For example, if you have an actor that can’t make it to the set, your options might be to change the scene or postpone filming. By asking yourself if the change is real — or rather, if it’s true to the film — or if a delay is worth it, you can make a more informed decision. This approach helps you more carefully evaluate the pros and cons associated with your problem-solving process. 

Be flexible.

Finally, be flexible. While this is easier said than done, a readiness to adjust to production demands as they occur will help you prepare to problem solve. Rather than rigidly conforming to your original ideas, explore how you might go about achieving your vision in a new way.

Potential solutions could mean anything from script changes to post-production edits. As long as you have a willingness to examine your options and be flexible, you can meet production needs more smoothly and with a better attitude.

Problem Solving On Set 

There's no guarantee that one kind of problem or another won’t occur during film production. Like Murphy's Law states, everything that can go wrong will go wrong. However, successful filmmakers are experienced problem solvers that can make just about any situation work for them if they apply the right tools and strategies.

From data-driven software solutions to analytical approaches to on-set problems, you can drive the best possible fix to almost any disaster. Consider these tools and follow these strategies for a better approach to problem-solving during production. 

About the Author

Jori Hamilton

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Problem-solving techniques for a high-performance team

While most people associate lean with tools and principles such as value stream mapping, one-piece flow, kanban, 5-S, Total Productive Maintenance and kaizen events, few people think about the more mundane aspects of lean. Problem solving is one of the keys to a successful lean implementation because it empowers all of those involved.

Lean manufacturing has a unique way of solving problems. It does not just look at the effect of the problem and try to cover it with a Band-Aid. Rather, the root cause of the problem is identified and the root cause, as well as all contributing factors, is eliminated from the system, process or infrastructure in order to permanently solve the problems. What is the difference in these two approaches? Simple, when you find and rectify the root causes, the problem will be solved forever. Even other problems occurring due to these root causes will be eliminated in this effort.

It is very clear now that we must find out the root causes of the problems before we think about rectifying them in lean manufacturing environments. So, how should we do this? What are the tools available to perform these tasks? Let’s look at what problem solving is about. We’ll begin by asking the question: “What is a problem?” A good definition of a problem is a variation from a recognized standard. In other words, you need to know how things should be before you can recognize a possible cause for them not being that way. After a problem has been recognized, a formal problem-solving process should be applied.

High performance work teams typically use four problem-solving tools: 1. Plan, Do, Check, Act (PDCA) 2. 5-Why Analysis 3. Ishakawa (Fishbone) Diagram 4. Simplified Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (SFMEA)

Plan, Do, Check, Act (PDCA) The Deming PDCA cycle provides effective guidelines for successful problem solving. The cycle includes:

Plan Clearly Define the Problem (P1) “A problem clearly stated is a problem half solved”. Although it seems like a trivial step, the team should not take this step lightly. It is important to begin this problem-solving journey with a clear, concise problem statement. If this is not done properly, it could lead to one of the following: excessive time in cause identification due to a broad problem statement, predisposing the team to a particular solution, or problem solving turns into solution implementation rather than root-cause identification and remedy.

Collect Evidence of Problem (P2) This activity focuses on obtaining information/data to clearly demonstrate that the problem does exist. In the case of team problem solving, this should be a quick exercise since the reliability engineering function must have been looking at data in order to create the team. The output of this activity will be a list of evidence statements (or graphs) to illustrate that the problem exists, its size and the chronic nature of it.

Identification of Impacts or Opportunities (P3) This part of the Plan segment focuses on identifying the benefits if this problem solving is successful. This activity needs to be thought of in two different perspectives because Project Team work can take the form of control work, e.g. fixing a problem that stands in the way of expected results or pure improvement (attempting to take results to a new level of performance). In each case the output of this activity will be a list of statements. The impact statements and opportunity statements should be stated in terms of loss of dollars, time, “product”, rework, processing time and/or morale.

Measurement of Problem (P4) Before problem solving proceeds, it is important for the team to do a quick check on the issue of how valid or reliable the data is on which the team is making the decision to tackle the problem. For the parameter(s) that are being used as evidence of the problem, is there any information known by the team that would question the validity, accuracy or reliability of the data? This question should be examined whether we are relying on an instrument, a recorder or people to record information or data. If the team suspects that there are significant issues that “cloud” the data, then these measurement problems need to be addressed, fixed and new measures obtained before proceeding with the other segments of PDCA.

Measure(s) of Effectiveness (P5) At this point, the team needs to identify how they intend to measure success of their problem-solving efforts. This is one of the most important steps in PDCA and one that certainly differentiates it from traditional problem solving . The strategy is to agree on what and how, to obtain the benchmark “before” reading, perform the PDCA activities and re-measure or obtain the “after” measure. At that point, the team will need to decide whether they need to recycle through PDCA in order to achieve their pre-stated objective.

Do Generate Possible Causes (D1) To avoid falling into the mode of solution implementation or trial and error problem solving, the team needs to start with a “blank slate” and from a fresh perspective lay out all possible causes of the problem. From this point, the team can use data and its collective knowledge and experience to sort through the most feasible or likely major causes. Proceeding in this manner will help ensure that the team will ultimately get at root causes of problems and won’t stop at the treatment of other symptoms. The best tool to facilitate this thinking is the Cause and Effect Diagram done by those people most knowledgeable and closest to the problem.

Broke-Need-Fixing Causes Identified, Worked On (D2) Before proceeding to carry out either an Action Plan (for Cause Remedies) or an Experimental Test Plan, there are often parts of the process that are “broke”. This could take on many different forms.

Write Experimental Test or Action Plan (D3/4) Depending upon the type of problem being worked on, the PDCA strategy will take one of two different directions at this point. The direction is based on whether it is a “data-based” problem or “data-limited” problem. Shown in the table below is the distinction between these two strategies and in particular, the difference between an Action Plan and Experimental Test Plan. Note that in some cases, it will be necessary to use a combination of Action Plans and Experimental Test Plans. That is, for some cause areas an Action Plan is appropriate and for other causes within the same problem, carrying out an Experimental Test Plan is the best route.

Write Action Plan for Cause Remedies (D3) In order to get to the point of writing the Action Plan, the team needs to brainstorm possible solutions or remedies for each of the “cause areas” and reach consensus on the prioritized solutions. This work can be carried out as a team or split into sub-teams. Either way, the entire team will have to reach agreement on proposed remedies and agree to the Action Plan. The Action Plan will be implemented in the Check segment.

Write Experimental Test Plan (D4) The Experimental Test Plan is a document which shows the experimental test(s) to be carried out. This will verify whether a root cause that has been identified really does impact the dependent variable of interest. Sometimes this can be one test that will test all causes at once or it could be a series of tests.

Note: If there is a suspicion that there is an interaction between causes, those causes should be included in the same test.

The Experimental Test Plan should reflect:

Time/length of test

How the cause factors will be altered during the trials

Dependent variable (variable interested in affecting) of interest

Any noise variables that must be tracked

Items to be kept constant

Everyone involved in the Experimental Test Plan(s) should be informed before the test is run. This should include:

Purpose of the test

Experimental Test Plan (details)

How they will be involved

Key factors to ensure good results

When solutions have been worked up, the team should coordinate trial implementation of the solutions and the “switch on/off” data analysis technique.

Resources Identified (D5) Once the Experimental Test Plan or the Action Plan is written, it will be fairly obvious to the team what resources are needed to conduct the work. For resources not on the team, the team should construct a list of who is needed, for what reason, the time frame and the approximate amount of time that will be needed. This information will be given to the Management Team.

Revised PDCA Timetable (D6) At this point, the team has a much better feel for what is to be involved in the remainder of its PDCA activities. They should adjust the rough timetables that had been projected in the Plan segment. This information should be updated on the team Plan, as well as taken to the Management Team.

Management Team Review/Approval (D7) The team has reached a critical point in the PDCA cycle. The activities they are about to carry out will have obvious impact and consequences to the department. For this reason, it is crucial to make a presentation to the Management Team before proceeding. This can be done by the team leader or the entire team. The content/purpose of this presentation is:

Present team outputs to date

Explain logic leading up to the work completed to date

• Present and get Management Team approval for

− Measure of Effectiveness with “before” measure − Priority causes − Action Plan (for Cause Remedies) or Experimental Test Plan − Revised PDCA timetable

Check Carry out Experimental Test or Action Plan (C1/C2) Depending upon the nature of the problem, the team will be carrying out either of these steps:

Conduct Experimental Test Plan(s) to test and verify root causes or

Work through the details of the appropriate solutions for each cause area. Then, through data, verify to see if those solutions were effective.

Carry out Action Plan (C1) In the case of Action Plans, where solutions have been worked up and agreed to by the team, the “switch on/switch off” techniques will need to be used to verify that the solutions are appropriate and effective. To follow this strategy, the team needs to identify the dependent variable – the variable that the team is trying to impact through changes in cause factors.

Carry out Experimental Test Plan (C2) During the Check segment, the Experimental Tests to check all of the major prioritized causes are to be conducted, data analyzed and conclusions drawn and agreed to by the team.

Analyze Data from Experimental or Action Plan (C3) Typically, one person from the team is assigned the responsibility to perform the analysis of the data from the Test Plan. When necessary, this person should use the department or plant resource available to give guidance on the proper data analysis tools and/or the interpretation of outputs. The specific tools that should be used will depend upon the nature of the Test Plan.

Decisions-Back to Do Stage or Proceed (C4) After reviewing the data analysis conclusions about the suspected causes or solutions that were tested, the team needs to make a critical decision of what action to take based on this information.

Implementation Plan to Make Change Permanent (C5) The data analysis step could have been performed in either of the following contexts:

After the Action Plan (solutions) was carried out, data analysis was performed to see if the dependent variable was impacted. If the conclusions were favorable, the team could then go on to develop the Implementation Plan.

The Experimental Test Plan was conducted; data was analyzed to verify causes. If the conclusions were favorable (significant causes identified), the team must then develop solutions to overcome those causes before proceeding to develop the Implementation Plan. (e.g., It was just discovered through the Test Plan that technician differences contribute to measurement error.)

Force Field on Implementation (C6) Once the Implementation Plan is written, the team should do a Force Field Analysis on factors pulling for and factors pulling against a successful implementation – success in the sense that the results seen in the test situation will be realized on a permanent basis once the solutions are implemented.

Management Team Review/Approval (C7) The team has reached a very critical point in the PDCA cycle and needs to meet with the Management Team before proceeding. This meeting is extremely important, because the team will be going forward with permanent changes to be made in operations. The Management Team not only needs to approve these changes but also the way in which they will be implemented.

Act Carry out Implementation Plan (A1) If the team has written a complete, clear and well thought through Implementation Plan, it will be very obvious what work needs to be done, by whom and when to carry out the Act segment of the PDCA cycle. The team should give significant attention to assure communications and training is carried out thoroughly, so department members will know what is changing, why the change is being made and what they need to do specifically to make implementation a success.

Post-Measure of Effectiveness (A2) After all changes have been made and sufficient time has passed for the results of these changes to have an effect, the team needs to go out and gather data on all of the Measures of Effectiveness. The data then needs to be analyzed to see if a significant shift has occurred .

Analyze Results vs. Team Objectives (A3) In the previous step, the team looked at whether the Measure(s) of Effectiveness had been impacted in any significant way by the permanent implementation of the changes. The team cannot stop here. If the answer to that question is favorable, then the team needs to verify if the amount of improvement was large enough to meet the team objective.

Team Feedback Gathered (A4) Once the team decision has been made that the PDCA cycle has been successfully completed (based on Measure of Effectiveness change), the team needs to present this information to the Management Team. Before this is done, the team leader needs to gather feedback from the team. This feedback will be in the form of a questionnaire that all team members (including the team leader) should fill out. The results will be tallied by the team leader and recorded on form A3.

Management Team Close-out Meeting (A5) Before disbanding, the team needs to conduct a close-out meeting with the Management Team. The major areas to be covered in this meeting are:

Wrap up any implementation loose ends

Review Measure of Effectiveness results, compare to team objective

Ensure team documentation is complete and in order

Share team member feedback on team experiences (standardized forms and informal discussion)

5-Why Problem Solving When you have a problem, go to the place where the problem occurred and ask the question “Why” five times. In this way, you will find the root causes of the problem and you can start treating them and rectifying the problem.

5-Why analysis is a technique that doesn’t involve data segmentation, hypothesis testing, regression or other advanced statistical tools, and in many cases can be completed without a data collection plan. By repeatedly asking the question “Why” at least five times, you can peel away the layers of symptoms which can lead to the root cause of a problem.

Here is a simple example of applying the 5-Why analysis to determine the root cause of a problem. Let’s suppose that you received a large number of customer returns for a particular product. Let’s attack this problem using the five whys:

1. Question: Why are the customers returning the product? Answer: 90 percent of the returns are for dents in the control panel.

2. Question: Why are there dents in the control panel? Answer: The control panels are inspected as part of the shipping process. Thus, they must be damaged during shipping.

3. Question: Why are they damaged in shipment? Answer: Because they are not packed to the packaging specification.

4. Question: Why are they not being packed per the packaging spec? Answer: Because shipping does not have the packaging spec.

5. Question: Why doesn’t shipping have the packaging spec? Answer: Because it is not part of the normal product release process to furnish shipping with any specifications.

Using the five whys in this case revealed that a flaw in the product release process resulted in customers’ returning of a product.

Ishikawa Diagram In some cases, a problem can be due to more than one root cause or may have multiple forcing functions that either singularly, or in combination, will result in the problem. The 5-Why process may not provide the ability to address these more complex problems. The pictorial representation of this root cause analysis can be achieved using an Ishikawa or Cause and Effect Diagram . Because of its shape, this process is also called a Fishbone Diagram . This helps people communicate the root cause and the potential contributing factors and/or forcing function in a simple, straightforward graphic format. This method is very clear way of representing the relationship between the root cause of the problem and all of the possible factors that may be associated with the problem.

The Cause and Effect Diagram or Fishbone Diagram is a graphical tool for identifying the relationship between a problem and its potential causes. One of the most effective ways of constructing such a diagram is to brainstorm potential causes in a team environment. For example, a cause and effect diagram might be used to determine possible causes of a recurring defect in a manufacturing process.

The Fishbone Diagram is drawn to resemble the skeleton of a fish, with the issue (problem or process condition) on the right side. The major cause categories are written in the boxes on the left side of Cause and Effect Diagram. Summarize the major causes under the categories. These categories are usually Methods, Measurements, Machines, Materials and People.

Under each category, identify potential causes for the problem relating to the category. For example, if the fact that incorrect parts are being delivered to the assembly is a potential cause for the problem being addressed, that would be listed as a branch under “Materials.”

Both Fishbone Diagrams and the Five Why analysis are simple, very useful methods for problem solving. One of the first steps to creating a Lean culture is to turn every employee into a problem solver. This should begin with teaching the use of “The Five Why’s” on a regular basis.

Simplified Failure Modes and Effects Analysis Simplified Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (SFMEA) is a top-down method of analyzing a design, and is widely used in industry. In the U.S., automotive companies such as Chrysler, Ford and General Motors require that this type of analysis be carried out. There are many different company and industry standards, but one of the most widely used is the Automotive Industry Action Group(AIAG). Using this standard you start by considering each component or functional block in the system and how it can fail, referred to as failure modes. You then determine the effect of each failure mode, and the severity on the function of the system. Then you determine the likelihood of occurrence and of detecting the failure. The procedure is to calculate the Risk Priority Number, or RPN, using the formula: RPN = Severity × Occurrence × Detection

The second stage is to consider corrective actions which can reduce the severity or occurrence, or increase detection. Typically, you start with the higher RPN values, which indicate the most severe problems, and work downwards. The RPN is then recalculated after the corrective actions have been determined. The intention is to get the RPN to the lowest value.

Conclusion These four tools can be effectively utilized by natural work teams to resolve most problems that could confront them as part of their day-to-day activities. None require special skills. Instead, they rely on native knowledge, common sense and logic. The combined knowledge, experience and skills of the team is more than adequate for success.

Daily problem-solving tips in a lean organization:

Keep what may seem like ‘little problems’ from adding up and becoming big problems in the future. The only way to work on tomorrow’s problems is to work on the problems today while they are still small.

Use visual management and standard work tools to catch problems before they start adding up.

Build the skills, tools and systems needed to deal with those problems as soon as possible.

Start using 5-Why analysis. Continue asking “Why?” at different stages in order to dig deeper into the root cause of a problem.

Use Plan-Do-Check-Act, or PDCA. Without fully understanding the cause of what is happening in a situation, an organization will not have the control in its processes in order to sustain lean.

Understand that the small problems are a valuable contribution for future results.

About the author: Keith Mobley is a consultant with Life Cycle Engineering. He has earned an international reputation as one of the premier consultants in the fields of plant performance optimization, reliability engineering, predictive maintenance and effective management. He has more than 35 years of direct experience in corporate management, process design and troubleshooting. For the past 16 years, he has helped hundreds of clients worldwide achieve and sustain world-class performance. Mobley is actively involved in numerous professional organizations. Currently, he is a member of the technical advisory boards of: American National Standards Institute (ANSI), International Standards Organization (ISO) as well as American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) and others. He is also a Distinguished Lecturer for ASME International. To learn more, visit www.LCE.com .

Practical Problem Solving Tools for Factory and Office

February 5, 2022

Many tools exist to address deviations and defects, but only a few are simple yet effective to address daily issues in manufacturing, development, administration.

When starting systematic trouble-shooting, it is important to choose the right approach. Using a comprehensive method that requires 50 pages to solve a simple problem is a waste of time, while solving a complex problem with a simple tool will most likely not reveal the hidden causes. The optimal choice of Problem Solving Tools depends on the type of issues to be addressed. Before going into details, let’s first review the most common methods used today.

Comparing Popular Methods: 3W, PDCA, 8D, A3, DMAIC, 7STEP

At their core, all scientific approaches follow a similar logic: take quick action to prevent the problem from getting worse and then define the gap, analyze the gap, identify causes, take action, evaluate impact, and embed the solution so that the problem will not reoccur. 

• 3W : When the issue is small and the solution is obvious, a formal analysis is not required. The 3W-method defines  What  to do,  Who  to do it, by  When . This “quick-fix” or “just-do-it” is commonly applied at daily team meetings to contain and correct snags and minor issues.
• PDCA : The Deming or Shewhart cycle “Plan-Do-Check-Act” is the classic method, used by over 80% companies that practice systematic problem solving. PDCA is effective for medium-size problems that require a systematic analysis to uncover underlying causes.
• 8D : The eight disciplines (8D) are commonly used in automotive, and the problem-solving process (PSP) in avionics. Both methods are similar, using 8 steps to address complex problems with focus on a fast reaction to non-conformances, completing the first three steps within three days.
• A3 : The A3-report, developed by Toyota, is an 8-step improvement and problem-solving process that fits on one sheet of paper. The A3-report is most effective to address small- to medium-size problems, and to structure improvement projects.
• DMAIC : The 5-step Six Sigma process “Define-Measure-Analyze-Improve-Control” is a data-centric solving method. DMAIC is used to structure projects and solve complex situations that require statistical analysis to develop the solution, e.g. adjust process parameters to reduce yield loss.
• 7STEP : This seven-step (7S) problem-solving process shares elements with the A3 and 8D, but does not include a formal step for containment. Because of this weakness, the 7STEP process is rarely used today, replaced by 8D to address major deviations and PDCA for smaller issues.

Comparing the most-popular processes for trouble-shooting and root-cause analysis shows how similar they are. For example, the PDCA planning phase covers the first three steps in DMAIC and the first five steps in A3 and 8D. Of all those processes, there are two that stick out, that all others are based on – PDCA and 8D – they are therefore considered the “mother” and “father” of practical problem solving tools used today.

Answer 5 Questions to Select the Best Method

When it comes to choosing the right process, it merely depends on the complexity of the situation to address. The more complex or severe, the more formal steps should be applied to make sure no step is missed. Here are five questions that will help you selecting the best process:

• Is the issue small, medium, or large?
• Is the solution obvious or unknown?
• Is it reoccurring or a single incident?
• Is it a single cause or multiple causes?
• Is statistical data analysis required?

3 Practical Problem Solving Tools: Fix, Fish, Tree

There are three practical, yet effective tools to address daily issues in factory and office: The 3W or “Fix” because it is quick, simple, informal;, the PDCA or “Fish” because it is based on the Ishikawa or Fishbone diagram;, and the 8D or “Tree” because it uses logical trees to analyze complex root causes.

• Fix: use 3W (What-Who-When) for informal trouble-shooting , finding a quick action to fix a small issue within a day .
• Fish: use PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act) to analyze simple and repeat issues within a week , using the fishbone diagram.
• Tree: use 8D (Eight Disciplines) to systematically eliminate multiple root-causes or complex problems within a month .

Tools and Templates to Eliminate Root Causes

To encourage people to go beyond containment and quick fixes, the method they use must be simple and practical, but also effective and efficient. Over the course of several years, we have tested dozens of different templates and found that the following two forms work best by far. Why? Because the user is given a clear structure, enhanced with pictograms, and the entire solving process can be completed on a single sheet, the key for broad adoption.

The PDCA and 8D templates have proven to be extremely effective in addressing non-conformances; they are practical problem solving tools for teams in manufacturing, quality control, product development, healthcare, back office, and corporate administration to successfully resolve daily issues and prevent them from coming back. You can download the free toolkit in 22 languages here .

Use PDCA Template to Solve Simple Problems

4 Steps to Eliminate Simple Causes

• Plan-1 Record Problem : Describe what happened, where and when, and who is involved solving it.
• Plan-2 Analyze Problem : Assign potential causes to categories: Man, Method, Machine, Material, Management, Milieu (Environment).
• Plan-3 Identify Causes : Ask “why” to drill down to root causes; for complex problems, use several forms, one per branch or issue.
• Do Implement Actions : Create and implement an action plan to contain, correct, and prevent the problem from reoccurring.
• Check Results and Act : Review impact, standardize solution; close the case or initiate further actions by starting a new PDCA cycle.

Use 8D Template to Solve Complex Problems

8 Steps to Eliminate Complex Causes

• D0 Plan : Register problem and define emergency response.
• D1 Team : Identify team members to address the problem.
• D2 Problem : Grasp the situation and describe the problem.
• D3 Containment : Prevent the problem from spreading.
• D4 Diagnostics : Identify direct causes and root causes.
• D5 Correction : Define and prioritize corrective actions.
• D6 Validation : Implement actions and evaluate effectiveness.
• D7 Prevention : Systemize solutions to prevent reoccurrence.
• D8 Completion : Transfer knowledge and recognize contributors.

Become an Effective Problem Solver by Applying Practical Tools and Learning Battle-Tested Methods

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8D Manufacturing Report: Your Guide to Effective Problem Solving

The 8D method structure

The 8 disciplines, how to write an 8d report for your company when you have a product defect or a problem to solve, 8d report pros and cons for manufacturers, technology to assist in 8d reporting for manufacturers, digitize your 8d processes.

That’s why manufacturers often use 8D reports to identify and solve problems before they impact their production and business to  ensure the quality of produced goods.  The methodology was developed by Toyota Motors Manufacturing (TMM) in Japan in the 1960s to help the company achieve better performance.

For companies who want to compete with other manufacturers around the world, it’s essential to  identify and track root causes of non-conformities or problems  in a production environment. This helps them achieve a high level of product efficiency and quality, which translates into lower costs and higher profits.

In this article we cover the ins and outs of 8D reporting, how to use it, and the advantages it may offer to your workforce.

Download our 8D template as well to make your problem-solving process simpler.

Download Your Free 8D Report Template

The 8D problem-solving method is a systematic approach to problem solving that emphasizes team participation. This method generally covers:

• Identifying the Problem — You must first identify what is wrong with the process or operation.
• Determining Causes — After identifying a problem, you will have to determine its root cause(s). This may not be easy, but it’s imperative if you want to fix your processes and prevent future problems from arising again.
• Developing Corrective Action — Once you’ve identified the causes of your problems and analyzed all possible solutions, it’s time to develop corrective actions. Create a plan for how each possible solution would work (i.e., “if we use this part instead,” or “if we add these people,” etc.). You’ll also need metrics and checkpoints throughout this process to ensure that everything is working as intended.

The  eight disciplines (8D)  follow a logical sequence of eight steps. It’s one of the most common methods used in manufacturing because it’s a structured approach, but it can also be applied to other industries.

D1: Create a team When using 8D, it is important to have a cross-functional team with individuals from different disciplines to assist you cover more territory. There should be two subgroups for the team members:

• Core members: people who are more data-driven and typical product, process, and data experts.
• Subject Matter Experts (SME): members who may contribute to brainstorming, research, and process observation. Bring in fresh SMEs without hesitation to assist with any step of the process.

These team members have to be equipped with the knowledge necessary to identify the issue and implement solutions.

D2: Describe the problem

The problem description is a narrative that describes the issue in detail and should be understood across the team members. It explains how the issue happened, what impact it had on your business, and why you need to fix it. The problem description should include:

• The underlying causes of your problem (the root cause). Why did this happen?
• What’s the impact of this issue? How much money are you losing because of this? What other problems does it cause within your company?
• How will fixing these underlying causes help solve or prevent future issues related to this one?

Here are some techniques and tools to identify and formulate the problems:

• 5 Why’s formulation
• Affinity Diagram
• Fishbone Diagram
• Is / Is Not method

D3: Develop a containment plan

Once you have identified, isolated, and controlled your  manufacturing process  problems, it’s time to create a plan for containment. You need clear descriptions so that everyone understands what they’re supposed to do in order to solve this issue.

Be aware, an Interim Containment Action (ICA) is a temporary plan and should only be replaced with the Permanent Corrective Action (PCA) after completing 8D.

D4:  Root Cause Analysis  (RCA) and Escape Point

You might find yourself wandering down several rabbit holes before reaching this point. Be patient and methodical as you work through each step in your investigation process. This process should always be guided by facts rather than assumptions or guesses about what could be going wrong behind closed doors at your company’s factories overseas!

Review your results, then talk with your team about potential causes of the issue. Each probable root cause is mapped to the issue statement and any associated test results as part of the root cause analysis. Be cautious to rule out all probable reasons; hazy brainstorming and careless analysis might lead you to miss important details.

Some methods during this step include:

• Comparative Analysis
• Development of Root Cause Theories
• Verification of Root Cause Theories
• Review Process Flow Diagrams
• Determine Escape Points, the closest point in the process where root cause could be found

In addition to determining the underlying causes, attempt to remember when and why you first discovered the issue in the process. This is called an escape point, and there can be more than one.

D5: Formulate Permanent Corrective Actions (PCA)

Corrective actions should be based on the root cause analysis. The first step in formulating corrective actions is to determine the root cause of the failure mode. To do this, you will need to analyze all of your data and identify which potential factors contributed to the problem. Once you have determined what caused the failure, you can then come up with ways of preventing similar failures from occurring in the future.

For example, if an assembly line stops due to an electrical issue with one machine, it would not make sense to fix just one machine; rather, you should look at all machines on that line and make sure they have proper electrical connections so that they are able to function properly.

So when something goes wrong, you will have a plan for fixing it before it causes even bigger problems down the road. There are several steps involved in creating an effective corrective action plan:

• Plan out how long it will take before implementing any changes that can help fix whatever issue has arisen;
• Create an actionable plan detailing exactly what needs changing;
• Check in at regular intervals on progress made toward completing this project so that no one gets forgotten along its path until completion (this includes monitoring by both parties involved)
• If necessary take appropriate steps like adding more resources or reallocating existing ones when delays arise from unforeseen factors such as weather conditions etc.”

D6: Implement and Validate the Permanent Corrective Action

Interim measures are temporary solutions to a problem. They can be used to prevent further damage or to allow time for a permanent solution to be implemented. Interim measures can also be used to reduce the impact of the problem until it is solved.

When you have identified an issue in your business, create an action plan that includes interim measures as well as final goals and expectations. If there is some sort of delay in implementing these interim measures, report back on progress at least monthly so management stays up-to-date on what is happening within your department and company at large.

Some activities during the 6D step include:

• Creating a project plan
• Share the plan with relevant parties.
• Use metrics to verify progress

D7: Monitoring of corrective measures

Monitoring is a key part of the 8D method. Monitoring is a way to check if a corrective action is working, or if it needs to be changed or completed. It’s also a way to check if the root cause has been addressed, and if your company has learned anything new from the incident that could help prevent future errors.

Your team needs to retain and document the shared knowledge that was gained while identifying, resolving, and preventing this problem. It’s important to review existing documents or procedures and update them accordingly to improve future outcomes.

Activities you need to keep in mind during this step are:

• Reviewing comparable products and procedures to avoid other problems.
• Creating or updating  work instructions  and procedures.
• Capturing new industry standards and procedures.
• Confirming the most recent failure mode and effect analysis (FMEA).
• Confirming the revision of control plans.

D8: Recognize team and individual efforts

Giving feedback to ensure a good outcome is crucial for any team to flourish. Recognize the efforts and labor that each person has put into what they have brought to the process at this moment.

The tasks in this stage consist of:

• Archive 8D for later use.
• Keep track of your learnings to enhance your problem-solving techniques.
• Comparisons of the before and after
• Celebration and acknowledgement of the group

An 8D report is a tool for managing a problem. It consists of eight columns and four rows:

• The first row, called the title row, lists each column’s name.
• Define the Problem
• Determine Causes
• Develop Solutions
• Verify Solutions
• Control Risks
• Document Your Improvements and Lessons Learned (optional)
• Closeout (optional).
• 1a through 7a include action steps related to 1 through 7 above;
• 6b includes an optional section that can be used if it becomes necessary to document lessons learned from this process at some later time (e.g., after you implement Solution 3b).

8D report advantages:

More awareness of the  root cause (s)

It improves your quality control processes by identifying the potential causes of nonconformance at each stage of production and prioritizes corrective action steps based on their risk level, priority, impact, probability, etc., thus ensuring that you address the system issues first before they result in incurring costs due to rework/scrap or adverse customer response or regulatory intervention.

Enhanced  quality control  strategies and plans.

8D enables you to reduce lead times by identifying where bottlenecks are occurring within a process so that resource allocation can be adjusted accordingly in order to improve throughput while maintaining quality standards (i.e., having sufficient workers available at all stages). This can also help with preventing employee burnout by covering more shifts so there is less overtime required from employees who might otherwise be tired from working too many hours without breaks when there is high demand for their services during peak times (like Christmas shopping season).

Avoid future problems

The 8D report can help your manufacturing company avoid costly mistakes, as you can see exactly where problems may occur and take action to prevent them.

Team-based approach

An 8D report gives you an opportunity to check if everything is running smoothly and confirm that everyone understands their tasks and responsibilities. With this information at hand, it’s easier to make improvements based on what works best or needs improvement in different areas of your business. In addition, it’s easy to access  historical data on procedures and products.

Better  communication flows

Finally, It also allows for better communication flows between teams responsible for different processes in the manufacturing process and reduces the amount of time spent investigating issues that aren’t really problems.

8D report Cons:

Extensive training

There aren’t many cons to applying 8D problem solving techniques. The most important one is that it will require that people who take part in problem-solving activities obtain the right training and instructions on how 8D operates.

They will also need to comprehend other closely linked concepts related to 8D issue solving methodologies. Examples of these may be  pareto charts , process maps, fishbone diagrams, and more.

Lack in flexibility

In addition, an 8D report is not a good tool when there are several problems at once or when an issue in the manufacturing process needs immediate attention.

Dedicated budget

An 8D report also has requirements that smaller enterprises with fewer resources can find complicated and costly. For example: you need to have a dedicated budget to provide extensive training so your team has the right knowledge to do the job right.

There are a number of software solutions available to help companies implement 8D programs and manage their Supplier Quality Management (SQM) efforts.

Why should you digitize your 8D processes?

Automating the 8D report process will ensure that all problems are captured and reported consistently, with no one falling through the cracks.

It facilitates collaboration across teams and departments. All stakeholders will have access to information on the status of every problem as it progresses through its lifecycle, so they can respond quickly if an issue arises or make suggestions for how best to resolve it. This saves time and allows everyone involved in a particular issue to feel more connected with one another than they otherwise would be able to do without this kind of technology at their disposal.

8D Solutions

8D reporting is a powerful tool for monitoring progress and identifying issues in manufacturing. This can help you improve your processes, reduce cost, and increase profits. With the help of technology, you can easily keep track of your 8D reports. Here are some solutions to assist manufacturers with this process:

• ERP systemsA program like SAP or Oracle ERP allows you to integrate 8D reporting into your system. This way, all information is in one place and updated automatically.
• SaaS solutionA no-code software tool like Azumuta allows you to integrate 8D reporting into your system. This way, all information is in one place and updated automatically.  Easily capture data with your phone or tablet , while offline from the field at any time! Create an 8D report right away and distribute it to your stakeholders and coworkers and track corrective actions to team members through a single app.With real-time data, companies can improve communication among team members, improve problem solving skills for individuals on the team (including managers), and develop new solutions for existing issues based on past experience with similar problems at other locations or companies.
• Microsoft Office If you don’t want to invest in new software at this time but still want an easy way to manage your project issues and progress, consider using an online database like Excel for managing risks, defects, quality assurance methods, etc. This will allow you to access information from anywhere with a laptop or mobile device. This way is rather tedious though and important information can be lost.

As you can see, there are many benefits to using a software for 8D reporting. While it may seem like a lot of work initially, once you get the hang of it, it will be easy to maintain and manage your 8D records. The most important thing is to start now! Make sure that your company gets started on an 8D reporting software today so that your team can begin documenting problems as soon as possible!

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• Problem Solving

What is Problem Solving?

Quality Glossary Definition: Problem solving

Problem solving is the act of defining a problem; determining the cause of the problem; identifying, prioritizing, and selecting alternatives for a solution; and implementing a solution.

• The problem-solving process
• Problem solving resources

Problem Solving Chart

The Problem-Solving Process

In order to effectively manage and run a successful organization, leadership must guide their employees and develop problem-solving techniques. Finding a suitable solution for issues can be accomplished by following the basic four-step problem-solving process and methodology outlined below.

1. Define the problem

Diagnose the situation so that your focus is on the problem, not just its symptoms. Helpful problem-solving techniques include using flowcharts to identify the expected steps of a process and cause-and-effect diagrams to define and analyze root causes .

The sections below help explain key problem-solving steps. These steps support the involvement of interested parties, the use of factual information, comparison of expectations to reality, and a focus on root causes of a problem. You should begin by:

• Reviewing and documenting how processes currently work (i.e., who does what, with what information, using what tools, communicating with what organizations and individuals, in what time frame, using what format).
• Evaluating the possible impact of new tools and revised policies in the development of your "what should be" model.

2. Generate alternative solutions

Postpone the selection of one solution until several problem-solving alternatives have been proposed. Considering multiple alternatives can significantly enhance the value of your ideal solution. Once you have decided on the "what should be" model, this target standard becomes the basis for developing a road map for investigating alternatives. Brainstorming and team problem-solving techniques are both useful tools in this stage of problem solving.

Many alternative solutions to the problem should be generated before final evaluation. A common mistake in problem solving is that alternatives are evaluated as they are proposed, so the first acceptable solution is chosen, even if it’s not the best fit. If we focus on trying to get the results we want, we miss the potential for learning something new that will allow for real improvement in the problem-solving process.

3. Evaluate and select an alternative

Skilled problem solvers use a series of considerations when selecting the best alternative. They consider the extent to which:

• A particular alternative will solve the problem without causing other unanticipated problems.
• All the individuals involved will accept the alternative.
• Implementation of the alternative is likely.
• The alternative fits within the organizational constraints.

4. Implement and follow up on the solution

Leaders may be called upon to direct others to implement the solution, "sell" the solution, or facilitate the implementation with the help of others. Involving others in the implementation is an effective way to gain buy-in and support and minimize resistance to subsequent changes.

Regardless of how the solution is rolled out, feedback channels should be built into the implementation. This allows for continuous monitoring and testing of actual events against expectations. Problem solving, and the techniques used to gain clarity, are most effective if the solution remains in place and is updated to respond to future changes.

You can also search articles , case studies , and publications  for problem solving resources.

Innovative Business Management Using TRIZ

Introduction To 8D Problem Solving: Including Practical Applications and Examples

The Quality Toolbox

Root Cause Analysis: The Core of Problem Solving and Corrective Action

One Good Idea: Some Sage Advice ( Quality Progress ) The person with the problem just wants it to go away quickly, and the problem-solvers also want to resolve it in as little time as possible because they have other responsibilities. Whatever the urgency, effective problem-solvers have the self-discipline to develop a complete description of the problem.

Diagnostic Quality Problem Solving: A Conceptual Framework And Six Strategies  ( Quality Management Journal ) This paper contributes a conceptual framework for the generic process of diagnosis in quality problem solving by identifying its activities and how they are related.

Weathering The Storm ( Quality Progress ) Even in the most contentious circumstances, this approach describes how to sustain customer-supplier relationships during high-stakes problem solving situations to actually enhance customer-supplier relationships.

The Right Questions ( Quality Progress ) All problem solving begins with a problem description. Make the most of problem solving by asking effective questions.

Solving the Problem ( Quality Progress ) Brush up on your problem-solving skills and address the primary issues with these seven methods.

Refreshing Louisville Metro’s Problem-Solving System  ( Journal for Quality and Participation ) Organization-wide transformation can be tricky, especially when it comes to sustaining any progress made over time. In Louisville Metro, a government organization based in Kentucky, many strategies were used to enact and sustain meaningful transformation.

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Quality Improvement Associate Certification--CQIA

Certified Quality Improvement Associate Question Bank

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Problem Solving Using A3

NEW   Root Cause Analysis E-Learning

Quality 101

Making the Connection In this exclusive QP webcast, Jack ReVelle, ASQ Fellow and author, shares how quality tools can be combined to create a powerful problem-solving force.

Adapted from The Executive Guide to Improvement and Change , ASQ Quality Press.

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A guide to problem-solving techniques, steps, and skills

You might associate problem-solving with the math exercises that a seven-year-old would do at school. But problem-solving isn’t just about math — it’s a crucial skill that helps everyone make better decisions in everyday life or work.

Problem-solving involves finding effective solutions to address complex challenges, in any context they may arise.

Unfortunately, structured and systematic problem-solving methods aren’t commonly taught. Instead, when solving a problem, PMs tend to rely heavily on intuition. While for simple issues this might work well, solving a complex problem with a straightforward solution is often ineffective and can even create more problems.

In this article, you’ll learn a framework for approaching problem-solving, alongside how you can improve your problem-solving skills.

The 7 steps to problem-solving

When it comes to problem-solving there are seven key steps that you should follow: define the problem, disaggregate, prioritize problem branches, create an analysis plan, conduct analysis, synthesis, and communication.

1. Define the problem

Problem-solving begins with a clear understanding of the issue at hand. Without a well-defined problem statement, confusion and misunderstandings can hinder progress. It’s crucial to ensure that the problem statement is outcome-focused, specific, measurable whenever possible, and time-bound.

Additionally, aligning the problem definition with relevant stakeholders and decision-makers is essential to ensure efforts are directed towards addressing the actual problem rather than side issues.

2. Disaggregate

Complex issues often require deeper analysis. Instead of tackling the entire problem at once, the next step is to break it down into smaller, more manageable components.

Various types of logic trees (also known as issue trees or decision trees) can be used to break down the problem. At each stage where new branches are created, it’s important for them to be “MECE” – mutually exclusive and collectively exhaustive. This process of breaking down continues until manageable components are identified, allowing for individual examination.

The decomposition of the problem demands looking at the problem from various perspectives. That is why collaboration within a team often yields more valuable results, as diverse viewpoints lead to a richer pool of ideas and solutions.

3. Prioritize problem branches

The next step involves prioritization. Not all branches of the problem tree have the same impact, so it’s important to understand the significance of each and focus attention on the most impactful areas. Prioritizing helps streamline efforts and minimize the time required to solve the problem.

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4. Create an analysis plan

For prioritized components, you may need to conduct in-depth analysis. Before proceeding, a work plan is created for data gathering and analysis. If work is conducted within a team, having a plan provides guidance on what needs to be achieved, who is responsible for which tasks, and the timelines involved.

5. Conduct analysis

Data gathering and analysis are central to the problem-solving process. It’s a good practice to set time limits for this phase to prevent excessive time spent on perfecting details. You can employ heuristics and rule-of-thumb reasoning to improve efficiency and direct efforts towards the most impactful work.

6. Synthesis

After each individual branch component has been researched, the problem isn’t solved yet. The next step is synthesizing the data logically to address the initial question. The synthesis process and the logical relationship between the individual branch results depend on the logic tree used.

7. Communication

The last step is communicating the story and the solution of the problem to the stakeholders and decision-makers. Clear effective communication is necessary to build trust in the solution and facilitates understanding among all parties involved. It ensures that stakeholders grasp the intricacies of the problem and the proposed solution, leading to informed decision-making.

Exploring problem-solving in various contexts

While problem-solving has traditionally been associated with fields like engineering and science, today it has become a fundamental skill for individuals across all professions. In fact, problem-solving consistently ranks as one of the top skills required by employers.

Problem-solving techniques can be applied in diverse contexts:

• Individuals — What career path should I choose? Where should I live? These are examples of simple and common personal challenges that require effective problem-solving skills
• Organizations — Businesses also face many decisions that are not trivial to answer. Should we expand into new markets this year? How can we enhance the quality of our product development? Will our office accommodate the upcoming year’s growth in terms of capacity?
• Societal issues — The biggest world challenges are also complex problems that can be addressed with the same technique. How can we minimize the impact of climate change? How do we fight cancer?

Despite the variation in domains and contexts, the fundamental approach to solving these questions remains the same. It starts with gaining a clear understanding of the problem, followed by decomposition, conducting analysis of the decomposed branches, and synthesizing it into a result that answers the initial problem.

Real-world examples of problem-solving

Let’s now explore some examples where we can apply the problem solving framework.

Problem: In the production of electronic devices, you observe an increasing number of defects. How can you reduce the error rate and improve the quality?

Before delving into analysis, you can deprioritize branches that you already have information for or ones you deem less important. For instance, while transportation delays may occur, the resulting material degradation is likely negligible. For other branches, additional research and data gathering may be necessary.

Once results are obtained, synthesis is crucial to address the core question: How can you decrease the defect rate?

While all factors listed may play a role, their significance varies. Your task is to prioritize effectively. Through data analysis, you may discover that altering the equipment would bring the most substantial positive outcome. However, executing a solution isn’t always straightforward. In prioritizing, you should consider both the potential impact and the level of effort needed for implementation.

By evaluating impact and effort, you can systematically prioritize areas for improvement, focusing on those with high impact and requiring minimal effort to address. This approach ensures efficient allocation of resources towards improvements that offer the greatest return on investment.

Problem : What should be my next job role?

When breaking down this problem, you need to consider various factors that are important for your future happiness in the role. This includes aspects like the company culture, our interest in the work itself, and the lifestyle that you can afford with the role.

However, not all factors carry the same weight for us. To make sense of the results, we can assign a weight factor to each branch. For instance, passion for the job role may have a weight factor of 1, while interest in the industry may have a weight factor of 0.5, because that is less important for you.

By applying these weights to a specific role and summing the values, you can have an estimate of how suitable that role is for you. Moreover, you can compare two roles and make an informed decision based on these weighted indicators.

Key problem-solving skills

This framework provides the foundation and guidance needed to effectively solve problems. However, successfully applying this framework requires the following:

• Creativity — During the decomposition phase, it’s essential to approach the problem from various perspectives and think outside the box to generate innovative ideas for breaking down the problem tree
• Decision-making — Throughout the process, decisions must be made, even when full confidence is lacking. Employing rules of thumb to simplify analysis or selecting one tree cut over another requires decisiveness and comfort with choices made
• Analytical skills — Analytical and research skills are necessary for the phase following decomposition, involving data gathering and analysis on selected tree branches
• Teamwork — Collaboration and teamwork are crucial when working within a team setting. Solving problems effectively often requires collective effort and shared responsibility
• Communication — Clear and structured communication is essential to convey the problem solution to stakeholders and decision-makers and build trust

How to enhance your problem-solving skills

Problem-solving requires practice and a certain mindset. The more you practice, the easier it becomes. Here are some strategies to enhance your skills:

• Practice structured thinking in your daily life — Break down problems or questions into manageable parts. You don’t need to go through the entire problem-solving process and conduct detailed analysis. When conveying a message, simplify the conversation by breaking the message into smaller, more understandable segments
• Regularly challenging yourself with games and puzzles — Solving puzzles, riddles, or strategy games can boost your problem-solving skills and cognitive agility.
• Engage with individuals from diverse backgrounds and viewpoints — Conversing with people who offer different perspectives provides fresh insights and alternative solutions to problems. This boosts creativity and helps in approaching challenges from new angles

Final thoughts

Problem-solving extends far beyond mathematics or scientific fields; it’s a critical skill for making informed decisions in every area of life and work. The seven-step framework presented here provides a systematic approach to problem-solving, relevant across various domains.

Now, consider this: What’s one question currently on your mind? Grab a piece of paper and try to apply the problem-solving framework. You might uncover fresh insights you hadn’t considered before.

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The 5 steps of the solving problem process

August 17, 2023 by MindManager Blog

Whether you run a business, manage a team, or work in an industry where change is the norm, it may feel like something is always going wrong. Thankfully, becoming proficient in the problem solving process can alleviate a great deal of the stress that business issues can create.

Understanding the right way to solve problems not only takes the guesswork out of how to deal with difficult, unexpected, or complex situations, it can lead to more effective long-term solutions.

In this article, we’ll walk you through the 5 steps of problem solving, and help you explore a few examples of problem solving scenarios where you can see the problem solving process in action before putting it to work.

Understanding the problem solving process

When something isn’t working, it’s important to understand what’s at the root of the problem so you can fix it and prevent it from happening again. That’s why resolving difficult or complex issues works best when you apply proven business problem solving tools and techniques – from soft skills, to software.

The problem solving process typically includes:

• Pinpointing what’s broken by gathering data and consulting with team members.
• Figuring out why it’s not working by mapping out and troubleshooting the problem.
• Deciding on the most effective way to fix it by brainstorming and then implementing a solution.

While skills like active listening, collaboration, and leadership play an important role in problem solving, tools like visual mapping software make it easier to define and share problem solving objectives, play out various solutions, and even put the best fit to work.

Before you can take your first step toward solving a problem, you need to have a clear idea of what the issue is and the outcome you want to achieve by resolving it.

For example, if your company currently manufactures 50 widgets a day, but you’ve started processing orders for 75 widgets a day, you could simply say you have a production deficit.

However, the problem solving process will prove far more valuable if you define the start and end point by clarifying that production is running short by 25 widgets a day, and you need to increase daily production by 50%.

Once you know where you’re at and where you need to end up, these five steps will take you from Point A to Point B:

• Figure out what’s causing the problem . You may need to gather knowledge and evaluate input from different documents, departments, and personnel to isolate the factors that are contributing to your problem. Knowledge visualization software like MindManager can help.
• Come up with a few viable solutions . Since hitting on exactly the right solution – right away – can be tough, brainstorming with your team and mapping out various scenarios is the best way to move forward. If your first strategy doesn’t pan out, you’ll have others on tap you can turn to.
• Choose the best option . Decision-making skills, and software that lets you lay out process relationships, priorities, and criteria, are invaluable for selecting the most promising solution. Whether it’s you or someone higher up making that choice, it should include weighing costs, time commitments, and any implementation hurdles.
• Put your chosen solution to work . Before implementing your fix of choice, you should make key personnel aware of changes that might affect their daily workflow, and set up benchmarks that will make it easy to see if your solution is working.
• Evaluate your outcome . Now comes the moment of truth: did the solution you implemented solve your problem? Do your benchmarks show you achieved the outcome you wanted? If so, congratulations! If not, you’ll need to tweak your solution to meet your problem solving goal.

In practice, you might not hit a home-run with every solution you execute. But the beauty of a repeatable process like problem solving is that you can carry out steps 4 and 5 again by drawing from the brainstorm options you documented during step 2.

Examples of problem solving scenarios

The best way to get a sense of how the problem solving process works before you try it for yourself is to work through some simple scenarios.

Here are three examples of how you can apply business problem solving techniques to common workplace challenges.

Scenario #1: Manufacturing

Building on our original manufacturing example, you determine that your company is consistently short producing 25 widgets a day and needs to increase daily production by 50%.

Since you’d like to gather data and input from both your manufacturing and sales order departments, you schedule a brainstorming session to discover the root cause of the shortage.

After examining four key production areas – machines, materials, methods, and management – you determine the cause of the problem: the material used to manufacture your widgets can only be fed into your equipment once the machinery warms up to a specific temperature for the day.

Your team comes up with three possible solutions.

• Leave your machinery running 24 hours so it’s always at temperature.
• Invest in equipment that heats up faster.
• Find an alternate material for your widgets.

After weighing the expense of the first two solutions, and conducting some online research, you decide that switching to a comparable but less expensive material that can be worked at a lower temperature is your best option.

You implement your plan, monitor your widget quality and output over the following week, and declare your solution a success when daily production increases by 100%.

Scenario #2: Service Delivery

Business training is booming and you’ve had to onboard new staff over the past month. Now you learn that several clients have expressed concern about the quality of your recent training sessions.

After speaking with both clients and staff, you discover there are actually two distinct factors contributing to your quality problem:

• The additional conference room you’ve leased to accommodate your expanding training sessions has terrible acoustics
• The AV equipment you’ve purchased to accommodate your expanding workforce is on back-order – and your new hires have been making do without

You could look for a new conference room or re-schedule upcoming training sessions until after your new equipment arrives. But your team collaboratively determines that the best way to mitigate both issues at once is by temporarily renting the high-quality sound and visual system they need.

Using benchmarks that include several weeks of feedback from session attendees, and random session spot-checks you conduct personally, you conclude the solution has worked.

Scenario #3: Marketing

You’ve invested heavily in product marketing, but still can’t meet your sales goals. Specifically, you missed your revenue target by 30% last year and would like to meet that same target this year.

After collecting and examining reams of information from your sales and accounting departments, you sit down with your marketing team to figure out what’s hindering your success in the marketplace.

Determining that your product isn’t competitively priced, you map out two viable solutions.

• Hire a third-party specialist to conduct a detailed market analysis.
• Drop the price of your product to undercut competitors.

Since you’re in a hurry for results, you decide to immediately reduce the price of your product and market it accordingly.

When revenue figures for the following quarter show sales have declined even further – and marketing surveys show potential customers are doubting the quality of your product – you revert back to your original pricing, revisit your problem solving process, and implement the market analysis solution instead.

With the valuable information you gain, you finally arrive at just the right product price for your target market and sales begin to pick up. Although you miss your revenue target again this year, you meet it by the second quarter of the following year.

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Problem Solving: What Skills do Manufacturers use to Get the Job Done?

Problem solving in engineering is important, but finding solutions to manufacturing processing problems is crucial to maintaining the flow of the entire supply chain. So, what skills do Manufacturers use?

In manufacturing problem solving, a key method stands out: Lean. This problem solving method focuses in on eliminating waste and finding a solution as quickly and efficiently as possible. This is by far the leading method that manufacturing engineers use to solve problems throughout the production process, so let’s take a look at some of it’s various methods at getting the job done.

Lean manufacturing is broader than just problem solving, it is a way of approaching design, manufacturing, and virtually every aspect of production. This could be said of any problem solving method, after all, as engineers we are trained to anticipate problems and design around projected issues. Looking first at a way to prevent problems from occurring, we can see the process of 5S. 5S is essentially a way of categorizing your workspace and your thought process through, you guessed it, five S categories. This process goes Sort, Set in Order, Shine, Standardize, and Sustain. First you sort your workspace and processes into respective categories, then you organize them, clean and inspect the workstation, create a standard method of workflow, then regularly sustain all of the above processes. Following along with 5S problem solving, or should we say problem prevention, method will allow you to be the most efficient manufacturer you can be.

However, what happens if you actually encounter a problem? After all, even the most categorized and standardized workflow is still going to run into the occasional problem. Your problem is ultimately going to differ depending on your industry, but whatever it may be, we need to apply Root Cause Analysis to the situation. As tempting as it may be to just fix a problem by slapping on some duct tape, it becomes important as a manufacturer to get down to the initial cause. In this method, we have to tap into our inner 5-year-old and ask why as much as humanly possible. Generally, however, it’s good to stop somewhere in the range of asking 5 times as not to annoy your coworkers. When we get into the habit of asking “why?” we begin to see that a small problem on the surface may actually be evidence of a bigger problem developing deeper in your manufacturing process. So, work to solve the root problem, not just the surface issues.

Finding the root cause can take a long time if your process isn’t designed to facilitate problem solving. This means no haphazard engineering, as fun as it may be. It’s important to maintain a Standardized Work Procedure to allow for quick and easy problem solving. As you may be starting to tell, a lot of the Lean problem solving methods aren’t actually problem solving, rather they’re problem prevention.

In many senses, preventing problems from occurring can drastically increase your value as an engineer, although this tends to be a more thankless side of the industry. As a manufacturer, we have to be willing to go the extra mile in the planning and design phase to make problem solving easier down the line. If you do encounter a problem and your assembly line is a mess, try to approach it in the most methodological way possible, and ultimately find the root cause. Working fast is great to keep the assembly line moving, but it means nothing if bigger problems occur in the future as a result.

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Problem Solving Techniques for Process Industry Professionals

Problem solving and decision making are key facets of any successful operation. Engineers are blessed with typically excellent logic skills. But sometimes these innate skills require channeling; especially when working through problems with a team of colleagues. So PIF has looked at five problem solving solutions that will take your decision making to the next level.

5-Why Problem Solving Technique

The 5-Why Problem Solving technique is said to have been popularised in the 1970s by the Toyota Production System. “When you have a problem, go to the place where the problem occurred and ask the question 'Why' five times,” say Reliable Plant . “In this way, you will find the root causes of the problem and you can start treating them and rectifying the problem.”

It's a good tool to start your problem solving process but often requires additional follow-on methods. Mind Tools add, “The 5 Whys strategy is an easy and often-effective tool for uncovering the root of a problem. Because it's simple, you can adapt it quickly and apply it to almost any problem. Bear in mind, however, that if it doesn't prompt an intuitive answer, you may need to apply other problem-solving techniques.”

Ishikawa Diagram

The Ishikawa Diagram – also known as the Fishbone or Cause and Effect Diagram – is a graphical aid to determine the relationship between a problem and its potential causes.

Reliable Plant say, “One of the most effective ways of constructing such a diagram is to brainstorm potential causes in a team environment. For example, a cause and effect diagram might be used to determine possible causes of a recurring defect in a manufacturing process.”

The diagram resembles the skeleton of a fish, with the problem on the right side. They continue, “The major cause categories are written in the boxes on the left side of Cause and Effect Diagram. Summarize the major causes under the categories. These categories are usually Methods, Measurements, Machines, Materials and People.”

Plan, Do, Check, Act (PDCA)

The Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) Cycle ensures that ideas are appropriately tested before committing to full implementation. “It begins with a Planning phase in which the problem is clearly identified and understood,” say Mind Tools.

“Potential solutions are then generated and tested on a small scale in the 'Do' phase, and the outcome of this testing is evaluated during the Check phase. 'Do' and 'Check' phases can be iterated as many times as is necessary before the full, polished solution is implemented in the 'Act' phase,” they add.

Simplified Failure Modes and Effects Analysis

Simplified Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (SFMEA) is a recognised industry approach for top-down analysis of a design. According to Reliable Plant, “You start by considering each component or functional block in the system and how it can fail, referred to as failure modes. You then determine the effect of each failure mode, and the severity on the function of the system.

“Then you determine the likelihood of occurrence and of detecting the failure. The procedure is to calculate the Risk Priority Number, or RPN, using the formula:
RPN = Severity × Occurrence × Detection.” It's then a case of figuring out corrective actions to either reduce occurrence or increase detection and ultimately bring down the RPN as low as possible.

These four tools, when allied with common sense and logic, can be be a potent force for change when your team is dealing with any manner of problem solving situations that can crop up on a daily basis. Visit Reliable Plant or Mind Tools for more ideas.

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What is Problem Solving? (Steps, Techniques, Examples)

What is problem solving, definition and importance.

Problem solving is the process of finding solutions to obstacles or challenges you encounter in your life or work. It is a crucial skill that allows you to tackle complex situations, adapt to changes, and overcome difficulties with ease. Mastering this ability will contribute to both your personal and professional growth, leading to more successful outcomes and better decision-making.

Problem-Solving Steps

The problem-solving process typically includes the following steps:

• Identify the issue : Recognize the problem that needs to be solved.
• Analyze the situation : Examine the issue in depth, gather all relevant information, and consider any limitations or constraints that may be present.
• Generate potential solutions : Brainstorm a list of possible solutions to the issue, without immediately judging or evaluating them.
• Evaluate options : Weigh the pros and cons of each potential solution, considering factors such as feasibility, effectiveness, and potential risks.
• Select the best solution : Choose the option that best addresses the problem and aligns with your objectives.
• Implement the solution : Put the selected solution into action and monitor the results to ensure it resolves the issue.
• Review and learn : Reflect on the problem-solving process, identify any improvements or adjustments that can be made, and apply these learnings to future situations.

Defining the Problem

To start tackling a problem, first, identify and understand it. Analyzing the issue thoroughly helps to clarify its scope and nature. Ask questions to gather information and consider the problem from various angles. Some strategies to define the problem include:

• Brainstorming with others
• Asking the 5 Ws and 1 H (Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How)
• Analyzing cause and effect
• Creating a problem statement

Generating Solutions

Once the problem is clearly understood, brainstorm possible solutions. Think creatively and keep an open mind, as well as considering lessons from past experiences. Consider:

• Creating a list of potential ideas to solve the problem
• Grouping and categorizing similar solutions
• Prioritizing potential solutions based on feasibility, cost, and resources required
• Involving others to share diverse opinions and inputs

Evaluating and Selecting Solutions

Evaluate each potential solution, weighing its pros and cons. To facilitate decision-making, use techniques such as:

• SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats)
• Decision-making matrices
• Pros and cons lists
• Risk assessments

After evaluating, choose the most suitable solution based on effectiveness, cost, and time constraints.

Implementing and Monitoring the Solution

Implement the chosen solution and monitor its progress. Key actions include:

• Communicating the solution to relevant parties
• Setting timelines and milestones
• Assigning tasks and responsibilities
• Monitoring the solution and making adjustments as necessary
• Evaluating the effectiveness of the solution after implementation

Utilize feedback from stakeholders and consider potential improvements. Remember that problem-solving is an ongoing process that can always be refined and enhanced.

Problem-Solving Techniques

During each step, you may find it helpful to utilize various problem-solving techniques, such as:

• Brainstorming : A free-flowing, open-minded session where ideas are generated and listed without judgment, to encourage creativity and innovative thinking.
• Root cause analysis : A method that explores the underlying causes of a problem to find the most effective solution rather than addressing superficial symptoms.
• SWOT analysis : A tool used to evaluate the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats related to a problem or decision, providing a comprehensive view of the situation.
• Mind mapping : A visual technique that uses diagrams to organize and connect ideas, helping to identify patterns, relationships, and possible solutions.

Brainstorming

When facing a problem, start by conducting a brainstorming session. Gather your team and encourage an open discussion where everyone contributes ideas, no matter how outlandish they may seem. This helps you:

• Generate a diverse range of solutions
• Encourage all team members to participate
• Foster creative thinking

When brainstorming, remember to:

• Reserve judgment until the session is over
• Encourage wild ideas
• Combine and improve upon ideas

Root Cause Analysis

For effective problem-solving, identifying the root cause of the issue at hand is crucial. Try these methods:

• 5 Whys : Ask “why” five times to get to the underlying cause.
• Fishbone Diagram : Create a diagram representing the problem and break it down into categories of potential causes.
• Pareto Analysis : Determine the few most significant causes underlying the majority of problems.

SWOT Analysis

SWOT analysis helps you examine the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats related to your problem. To perform a SWOT analysis:

• List your problem’s strengths, such as relevant resources or strong partnerships.
• Identify its weaknesses, such as knowledge gaps or limited resources.
• Explore opportunities, like trends or new technologies, that could help solve the problem.
• Recognize potential threats, like competition or regulatory barriers.

SWOT analysis aids in understanding the internal and external factors affecting the problem, which can help guide your solution.

Mind Mapping

A mind map is a visual representation of your problem and potential solutions. It enables you to organize information in a structured and intuitive manner. To create a mind map:

• Write the problem in the center of a blank page.
• Draw branches from the central problem to related sub-problems or contributing factors.
• Add more branches to represent potential solutions or further ideas.

Mind mapping allows you to visually see connections between ideas and promotes creativity in problem-solving.

Examples of Problem Solving in Various Contexts

In the business world, you might encounter problems related to finances, operations, or communication. Applying problem-solving skills in these situations could look like:

• Identifying areas of improvement in your company’s financial performance and implementing cost-saving measures
• Resolving internal conflicts among team members by listening and understanding different perspectives, then proposing and negotiating solutions
• Streamlining a process for better productivity by removing redundancies, automating tasks, or re-allocating resources

In educational contexts, problem-solving can be seen in various aspects, such as:

• Addressing a gap in students’ understanding by employing diverse teaching methods to cater to different learning styles
• Developing a strategy for successful time management to balance academic responsibilities and extracurricular activities
• Seeking resources and support to provide equal opportunities for learners with special needs or disabilities

Everyday life is full of challenges that require problem-solving skills. Some examples include:

• Overcoming a personal obstacle, such as improving your fitness level, by establishing achievable goals, measuring progress, and adjusting your approach accordingly
• Navigating a new environment or city by researching your surroundings, asking for directions, or using technology like GPS to guide you
• Dealing with a sudden change, like a change in your work schedule, by assessing the situation, identifying potential impacts, and adapting your plans to accommodate the change.
• How to Resolve Employee Conflict at Work [Steps, Tips, Examples]
• How to Write Inspiring Core Values? 5 Steps with Examples
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You will join a collaborative and strategic team dedicated to driving efficiency and scalability across Zoom's operations. The team is focused on leveraging data to make well-founded business decisions and improving systems and processes. Working alongside cross-functional teams, you will contribute to a positive and innovative environment that values clear communication, strategic thinking, and teamwork.

Responsibilities

Delivering data-driven insights and analyses using diverse cross-functional data sources to support technical business decisions and recommendations.

Applying business principles in User Acceptance Testing (UAT), conducting UAT, generating recommendations, and offering alternatives to enhance technical business performance.

Identifying business and technical challenges and creating clear and concise documentation of business requirements.

Monitoring operational and technical performance, proactively identifying opportunities for efficiency and system improvements.

Developing and maintaining comprehensive process documentation and workflows.

Supporting the administration and troubleshooting of Salesforce.com, quoting systems, and other related tools.

What we’re looking for

Bachelor’s in Business Administration or a related field, or equivalent work experience.

Experience working in a SaaS or technology company.

Have a deep understanding of standardized processes to ensure efficiency, consistency, and scalability across operations.

Demonstrate analytical, technical, and strategic thinking skills with creative problem-solving abilities and confidence.

Experience in analyzing datasets to identify trends, patterns, and key insights, with the ability to communicate findings effectively.

Experience working with Salesforce.com and Google Suite.

Collaborate seamlessly across all organizational levels.

Salary Range or On Target Earnings:

In addition to the base salary and/or OTE listed Zoom has a Total Direct Compensation philosophy that takes into consideration; base salary, bonus and equity value.

Note: Starting pay will be based on a number of factors and commensurate with qualifications & experience.

We also have a location based compensation structure;  there may be a different range for candidates in this and other locations

At Zoom, we offer a window of at least 5 days for you to apply because we believe in giving you every opportunity. Below is the potential closing date, just in case you want to mark it on your calendar. We look forward to receiving your application!

Anticipated Position Close Date:

Ways of Working Our structured hybrid approach is centered around our offices and remote work environments. The work style of each role, Hybrid, Remote, or In-Person is indicated in the job description/posting.

Benefits As part of our award-winning workplace culture and commitment to delivering happiness, our benefits program offers a variety of perks, benefits, and options to help employees maintain their physical, mental, emotional, and financial health; support work-life balance; and contribute to their community in meaningful ways. Click Learn for more information.

About Us Zoomies help people stay connected so they can get more done together. We set out to build the best collaboration platform for the enterprise, and today help people communicate better with products like Zoom Contact Center, Zoom Phone, Zoom Events, Zoom Apps, Zoom Rooms, and Zoom Webinars. We’re problem-solvers, working at a fast pace to design solutions with our customers and users in mind. Here, you’ll work across teams to deliver impactful projects that are changing the way people communicate and enjoy opportunities to advance your career in a diverse, inclusive environment.

Our Commitment​ We believe that the unique contributions of all Zoomies is the driver of our success. To make sure that our products and culture continue to incorporate everyone's perspectives and experience we never discriminate on the basis of race, religion, national origin, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, or marital, veteran, or disability status. Zoom is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and is an affirmative action employer. All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.

We welcome people of different backgrounds, experiences, abilities and perspectives including qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records and any qualified applicants requiring reasonable accommodations in accordance with the law. If you need assistance navigating the interview process due to a medical disability, please submit an Accommodations Request Form and someone from our team will reach out soon. This form is solely for applicants who require an accommodation due to a qualifying medical disability. Non-accommodation-related requests, such as application follow-ups or technical issues, will not be addressed.

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Fraudulent Employment Offers

Zoom is aware of scams that involve fake Zoom job listings posted on third-party sites. Responding applicants are contacted primarily over email, InMail and/or chat applications by people impersonating Zoom employees. Eventually a fake offer letter is sent in exchange for personal identification information as part of a fake new-hire screening process.

Please be advised that these offers, communications and impersonations are illegitimate and fraudulent. All communication with Zoom employees come from a “@zoom.us” email address. Zoom job applicants complete an interview process including in-person (on Zoom) meetings and phone calls. Our process also requires you to create an account with our applicant tracking system, Workday.

Zoom will never ask for your personally identifying information during the interview process or ask you to pay money or purchase equipment. If you have received a message from Zoom that appears suspicious, please contact us here . 

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