Problem Solving

The purest definition of the word “Problem” is: the difference between what is happening and what should be happening. Problem solving involves a structured approach to eliminate this difference. 

t’s vital that a root cause of the problem is identified using a process called “Root cause analysis.” There are two major ways of performing root cause analysis, 5 whys, and Fishbone or Ishikawa.

The 5 whys method is simply to keep asking “Why,” until you find the cause of the problem, whereas Fishbone/Ishikawa is a diagram to identify possible causes and the effects of the problem, moreover, this methodology requires team brainstorming sessions, furthermore, the outcome is to achieve a diagram where each possible cause is evaluated until a solution is determined.

Problem solving is more effective when performed by a group as it generates more ideas from different perspectives, thus making it quicker to find a solution.

Once you’ve established the root cause of your problem and you want to test your solutions, you adhere to the Deming cycle, otherwise known as PDCA: plan, do, check, act. 
It should be noted, that if a solution proposed and tested is not viable, you redo the PDCA cycle with the lessons learned from the previous run. 

The key to success in these sorts of activities is the quality of the data that’s input, which means understanding the process being reviewed, and describing accurately the current situation; this has a direct effect on the quality of the output, you do this by going to see where the action is and seeing the problem yourself, asking questions, and taking notes, this is referred to as, “Go to Gemba.”

Learning Objectives:
• Identify what the definition of a problem is and what does root cause analysis have to do with it
• Examine and assess the two major methodologies of root cause analysis
• Distinguish between the different stages in the PDCA cycle (Deming cycle), and examine how each stage is utilised