Problem Solving

Class notes #9 Deciding The Course of Action October 8, 2003

Once the real problem(s) is defined and we have generated a number of possible
solutions, it is time to make some decisions. We must:
• Decide which problem to work on first
• Choose the best alternative solution
• Decide how to successfully implement the solution

An organized process form making decisions is the Kepner-Tregoe (K.T.) approach and
is shown in figure one.

Situation Analysis

Problem Analysis Decision Analysis Potential Problem Analysis

(Past) (Present) (Future)

Figure 1: Kepner-Tregoe approach

The situation analysis helps us decide which problem to work on first and to guide us
with respect to what is to be done. In situation analysis we classify the problem into one
of the three analysis groups shown in figure one:
• Do we need to learn the cause (Problem Analysis)
• Do we need to make a decision (Decision Analysis)
• Do we need to plan for the future (Potential Problem Analysis)

In problem analysis, the cause of the problem is unknown and we have to find it. What
happened in the past that is causing the current trouble? Problem analysis actually fits
into the first phase of the problem solving technique: Defining the problem.

In decision analysis, the cause of the problem has been found and now we need to decide
what to do about it. The decision at the present time is how to correct the fault.

In potential problem analysis, we want to ensure the success of the decision and
anticipate and prevent future problems from happening.

Situation Analysis
In many situations, a number of problems arise at the same time. In some cases they are
interconnected; in other cases, they are totally unrelated. When these situations occur,
situation analysis can prove useful in helping us to decide which problem receives the
highest priority.

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We first make a list of all the problems and then try to decide which problem in this
group should receive attention first. Each problem will be measured against three
criteria:
1. Timing
2. Trend
3. Impact

Each of these criteria will be evaluated as being of a high (H), moderate (M), or low(L)
degree of concern. We also decide what type of K.T. analysis is to be carried out:
problem analysis, decision analysis, or potential problem analysis.

1. Timing
How urgent is the problem? Is a deadline involved? What will happen if nothing is done
for a while? For example, if one of the five ovens in a bakery is malfunctioning and the
other four ovens could pick up the extra load, it may be possible to wait on this problem
and address more urgent problems, so we would give the problem an L rating. On the
other hand if the ovens are operating at maximum capacity and a major order must be
filled by the evening, the rating for timing would be H because the problem must be
solved now.

2. Trend
What is the problem’s potential for growth? In the bakery example, suppose the
malfunctioning oven is overheating, getting hotter and hotter, and cannot be turned off.
Consequently the trend is getting worse, and you have a high degree (H) of concern about
a fire starting. You also could have a high degree of concern if you are getting further
and further behind on your customer’s orders. On the other hand, if the oven is off and
you can keep up with the orders with four ovens, the trend is a low degree of concern (L).

3. Impact
How serious is the problem? What are the effects on the people, the product, the
organization, and its policies? In the bakery example, suppose you cannot get the oven
repaired in time to fill the order of a major client. If you could subsequently lose the
client’s business, then the impact is a high degree of concern (H). On the other hand, if
you can find a way to fill all the orders for the next few days, then the impact of one
malfunctioning oven is moderate degree of concern (M).

Example: Jesse James started a new position as manager of a motorcycle store. On his
first day of work, the following problems occur:
• A very expensive bike has received a number of scratches during unpacking and
assembly.
• The store has not yet paid the utility bill from last month.
• There are a large number of parts that have yet to be unpacked and inventoried.
• All the shops employees seem to be in a foul mood this morning.
• A large shipment of new motorcycles has just arrived and need to be placed in the
show room. The shipment arrived a week early.
• A few customers have not paid their bill.

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 Situation Analysis
Major Concern Item Timing Trend Impact Analysis
Space New parts L L L Decision
New motorcycles H H H Decision
Personnel Employee morale M M H Problem
Finances Money owed M M H Decision
Money Due M M M Problem
Quality Scratched motorcycle L L M Decision/
Potential Problem

The Pareto Analysis and Diagram

When it is evident that there is more than one problem to be dealt with, a Pareto Analysis
is another helpful tool for deciding which problems to attack first. This tool is commonly
used in industry for quickly deciding which problem to attack first. The Pareto Analysis
shows the relative importance of each individual problem to the other problems in the
situation. Pareto Analysis draws its name from the Pareto Principle which states that
80% of the trouble comes form 20% of the problems. Thus, it helps to highlight the vital
few concerns as opposed to the trivial many. The defects to investigate first for
corrective action are those that will make the largest impact.

Example: Toasty O’s plant had a problem with their production last year. The problem
was classified as follows:
Number of Boxes Lost Revenue
A. Inferior printing on boxes (smeared/blurred) 10 000 $100
B. Overfilling boxes (too much weight) 30 000 $6 000
C. Boxes damaged during shipping 2 000 $7 000
D. Inner wrapper not sealed (stale) 25 000 $87 500
E. No prize in the box 50 000 $17 500

Based on the number of boxes affected, the Toasty O’s plant would probably attack the
problem in the following order: E, B, D, A, C.
No. of Boxes
50,000 Lost revenue
45,000
40,000 $80,000
35,000 $70,000
30,000 $60,000
25,000 $50,000
20,000 $40,000
15,000 $30,000
10,000 $20,000
5,000 $10,000
E B D A C D E C B A
Problem Problem

Figure 2: Pareto diagram for Toasty O's

But, if they reexamine the data in terms of lost revenue instead of the number of boxes
affected, a different picture emerges. The Toasty O’s plant would probably attack the
problem in the following order: D, E, C, B, A.

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When a Pareto Diagram is made, care should be taken to “weight” the problems using the
most relevant quantity to the particular situation. In the above example, the impact on
plant revenue is the key parameter. Pareto diagram are merely a useful, convenient way
to organize and visualize problem data to help decide which of multiple problems to
attack first.

Problem Analysis and Troubleshooting

Learn to ask questions that will penetrate to the heart of the problem and to interview as
many people as necessary that might have useful information about the problem. A
technique that facilitates asking the proper questions is K.T. problem analysis. In this
technique, distinctions are made between:
• What is the problem and what is not the problem?
• Where did the problem occur? Where is everything okay?
• When did the problem first occur? When was everything okay?
• What is the magnitude (extent) of the problem?

This analysis is most useful in troubleshooting operations where the cause of the problem
or fault is not known. Problems that lend themselves to K.T. problem analysis are ones
in which an undesirable level of performance can be observed and compared with the
accepted standard performance. The four K.T. dimensions of a problem are given below:

IS IS NOT DISTINCTION CAUSE

Identify: What is the What is not the What is the What is a
(What) problem? problem distinction possible cause?
between the IS
and the IS Not?
Locate: Where is the Where is the What is What is the
(Where) problem found? problem not distinctive possible cause?
found? about the
difference in
locations?
Timing: When does the When does the What is What is a
(When) problem occur? problem not distinctive possible cause?
occur? about the
difference in
the timing?

When was it When was it What is the What is a

first observed? last observed? distinction possible cause?
between these
observations?
Magnitude: How far does How localized What is the What is a
(Extent) the problem is the problem? distinction? possible cause?
extend?

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 How many How many What is the What is a
units are units are not distinction? possible cause?
affected? affected?

How much of How much of What is the What is a

any one unit is any one unit is distinction? possible cause?
affected? not affected?

The basic premise of K.T. problem analysis is that there is always something that
distinguishes what the problem IS from what it IS NOT. The cause of the problem is
usually a change that has taken place to produce undesirable effects. Things were okay,
now they are not. Something has changed. The possible causes of the problem are
deduced by examining the differences found in the problem. The most probable cause of
the problem is the one which best explains all the observations and facts in the problem
statement.

The real challenge is to identify the distinction between the IS and the IS NOT.
Particular care should be taken when filling in the distinction column. Sometimes the
distinction statement should be rewritten more than once in order to sharpen the
statement to specify the distinction exactly. Think in terms of dissimilarities. What
distinguishes this fact from that fact? By examining the distinctions, possible causes are
generated. This step is the most critical in the process and usually requires careful
analysis, insight, and practice to ferret out the differences between the IS and IS NOT.
From the possible causes, we try to ascertain the most probable cause. The most
probable cause is the one that explains each dimension in the problem specification. The
final step is to verify that the most probable cause is the true cause. This may be
accomplished by making the appropriate change to see if the problem disappears.

In addition to what, when, where, and to what extent, it can sometimes be beneficial to
add who, why, and how. For example:
• Who was involved?
• Who was not involved?
• Why is it important?
• Why is it not important?
• How did you arrive at this conclusion?

Troubleshooting is an important skill for problem solvers. The problem solver should
also separate people’s observations from their interpretations of what went wrong. A
common mistake is to assume that the most obvious conclusion or the most common is
always the correct one (This is a good place to start, though not necessarily to stop). A
famous medical school proverb that relates to the diagnosis of disease is: “When you hear
hoof beats, don’t think zebras”. In other words, look for common explanations first.
Finally, the problem solver should continually reexamine the assumptions and discard
them when necessary.

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Example: A new model airplane was delivered to Eastern Airlines in 1980. Immediately
after the planes were in operation, the flight attendants developed a red rash on their
arms, hands, and faces. It did not appear on any other part of the body and the rash
occurred only on flights that were over water. Fortunately, it usually disappeared in 24
hours and caused no additional problems beyond that time. When the attendants flew
other planes over the same routes, no ill effects occurred. The rash did not occur on all
the attendants of a particular flight. However, the same number of attendants contacted
the rash on each flight. In addition, a few of those who contracted the rash felt ill, and the
union threatened action because the attendants were upset, worried, and believed some
malicious force was behind it. Many doctors were called in, but all were in a quandary.
Industrial hygienists could not measure anything extraordinary in the cabins. The K.T.
problem analysis is given below:

IS IS NOT DISTINCTION
What: Rash Other illness External contact
When: New planes used Old planes used Different material
Where: Flights over water Flights over land Different crew
procedures.
Extent: Face, hands, arms Other parts of the Something
body. contacting face,
hand, and arms.
Only some All attendants Crew duties
attendants

The distinctions are: something contacting the arms and face could be causing the rash,
the rash occurs only on flights over water, and that the use of life vests are demonstrated
on flights over water, and the life vests on the new plane are made of new materials or of
a different brand of materials that usually three flight attendants demonstrated the use of
the life vests. The new life preservers have some material in or on them that was the rash
causing agent!