Course. Complex problem solving. Tools and practical examples

The purpose of this training material is to educate the recipients of the skills to identify problems, as well as to correctly categorize them due to the degree of complexity, and to set out activities aimed at solving them. In addition to the content that builds the proper foundations for the development of skills in solving complex problems, the course is equipped with tools for their identification, as well as tools to help solve them. Additionally, the course is completed with case studies, a self-assessment tool and a glossary of keywords. The course creates a comprehensive material for both building knowledge on how to solve complex problems and its practical application.

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CASE STUDY
A Step forward for JJ Electronics
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John Smith is a CEO of JJ Electronics. His company is a monopolist in producing parts for standard cassette and tape recorders. Smith was afraid observing a digital technology revolution which hit the market of compact disc players, and he had to solve the problem whether to lead JJ into the digital age.

From the one hand, digital tape players had legal obstacles in the American market, on the other hand Japanese and European market stared to growth.

The whole JJ Electronics team was involved in solving the problem. Firstly, Smith met with the company’s marketing department. Some of people forecasted that every audio element would be digital by the end of the century. In turn, others believed the fame of even compact disc players will be a thing of the past. Everyone agreed that company will need in depth market research included: conducting surveys, gathering data, and finding out what kind of products are really desired and what kind of price is acceptable for target group.

In turn, staff from research and development had a completely different approach. They were exhausted of making small improvements in products. They had been reading technical material about digital tape. In their opinion it is an exciting new technology that would give a chance for dynamic development. Time was the crucial factor. If JJ Electronics was to become an significant supplier of fragments for the new sundecks, it had to have the machineries ready.

A meeting of the CEo’s produced a scenario with which Smith was all too familiar. Previously, these executives had revealed that they could not claim one another, but they had faith in their staffs’ abilities to succeed where they had failed. Before Smith even came into the room, he knew what kind of recommendations he would get: to make a committee of representatives from each department and let them thoroughly explore all features of the choice.

Intellectually, Smith thought he was right. The previous thirty years had revealed that Americans had an greedy appetite for electronic devices. Quadraphonic sound and video discs were the only exclusions he could imagine of to the regulation that if someone created an enhanced way of duplicating images or sound, someone else would want to buy it.

But naturally, Smith was not so sure. He had a bad feeling about this new technology. He supposed the record firms, which had misplaced the battle to tape producers, might become collected with compact disc producers and audio device manufacturers to break the digital technology from inflowing the American market. So far, no American corporation had capitalized significantly in the technology, so no one had an curiosity in funding the legal fight to eliminate the fences to the new machines.

Case Questions:

  1. Define the characteristic of the problem (simple, complex or complicated)?
  2. What kind of steps should be taken into account in order to find possible solutions for the problem?
  3. Determine possible positive and negative outcomes of decision.
See answers

1. The problem under consideration can be classified as: complex. The problem of entry with a new technology should be viewed individually. Although the solution of one problem provides experience, it does not guarantee success in solving another problem. Experience is not enough. In the case of introducing a new technology at JJ Electronics, intuition and knowledge of market forecasts are important. Thus, the results of measures taken to solve it remain highly uncertain.

2. Considerations should include the following steps:
a) Identification of the problem and its causes
b) Consider the effects of a defined problem
c) Brainstorming
d) Verification of the impact of the proposed solutions
e) Choosing the optimal solution to the problem

3. Positive effects of the decision:
a) Increase in sales of the company's products after the introduction of the new technologie
b) Increasing customer loyalty
c) Building a strong brand
d) Increasing sales revenues
e) Being a pioneer and market leader by JJ Electronics

Negative effects of the decision:
a) Investing a large amount of money and in case of failure, their loss
b) Economic, legal and political barriers
c) in case of failure, loss of customer trust


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Brainstorming - The Titanic
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We all know the history of the Titanic. On April 14, 1912, the largest passenger ship then collided with an iceberg, as a result of which, out of 2,200 passengers and crew members, only 705 people were saved, pulled from 16 lifeboats by sailors from the other ship named Carpathia.

Consider what could have been done to prevent such a massive catastrophe - but no, it is not about hitting an iceberg, but saving more people.

Data that can be useful in defining the problem and generating solutions:

  • The ship was sinking for about 2 hours and 40 minutes;
  • "Titanic" after a collision with an iceberg remains steerable for some time;
  • The iceberg protrudes above the water surface and is 120 meters long;
  • It is estimated that (on board the ship) there were about 40 cars.
     

With the above information, as well as using the techniques you have learned to generate ideas - solve the problem faced by the ship's crew, in particular:

  1. Define the problem and formulate the goal.
  2. Identify the most obvious resources necessary to achieve the goal, then combine with the previously formulated goal proposing the most obvious solution.
  3. Reframe the goal in such a way that it allows you to generate more solutions and allows you to see new resources. Adopt different postures, use the techniques learned during the course (reverse brainstorming, three chair technique, method 635…).
  4. Suggest options that the ship's crew and passengers could take advantage of if this situation happened again (but forget about the events that connect with the memories of the Titanic's story, and don't limit yourself to the typical uses of items).
See answers

Proposed solution in accordance with McCaffrey Tony & Pearson Jim (2015). Find Innovation Where You Least Expect It [in:] Harvard Business Review, 12.2015, pp. 82–89. (https://hbr.org/2015/12/find-innovation-where-you-least-expect-it):

Main objective: Save people

The most obvious resource: lifeboats

The most obvious solution: Put people on the lifeboats.

Other terms for the goal to expand the possibilities / perspective for solving the problem:

For example:

"make sure that people are warm and that they have something to breathe all the time" "To prevent people from falling into the water" - we do not limit ourselves in this way. The authors of the text offer many interesting possibilities:

Source: McCaffrey Tony & Pearson Jim (2015). Find Innovation Where You Least Expect It [in:] Harvard Business Review, 12.2015, pp. 82–89. (https://hbr.org/2015/12/find-innovation-where-you-least-expect-it).


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Lorenzo-Pareto diagram.
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At “X” company, which produces grout templates. These stencils are an indispensable accessory used by designers and installers as well as people and companies planning to finish a facility, house, apartment and, perhaps, first of all, DIY stores (hypermarkets).

The joint template is an aluminum U-profile with a length of 4 to 12 cm, in which a sample of cement mortar is placed, which is to imitate a real joint between the tiles.

Most of the grout template manufacturers are small family businesses that make these products by hand with little machinery (most operations are hand-made).

Company “X” has developed and implemented a series of innovations aimed at improving work efficiency by mechanization a number of operations in the production process of joint formers, thus hoping to beat the competition.

After the trial period of introducing innovations, an increase in the number of production shortages was noticed. It was decided to carry out an internal control at the direct production department. The inspection report lists non-conformities related to insufficient processing quality or damage to the patterns at individual stages of the pattern production. The table below shows the number of deficiencies in individual production sections.

Based on the control data, the managers of the company “X” decided to carry out an analysis with the Lorenzo-Pareto diagram in order to detect areas in the production process that need special attention, where the application of corrective actions will have the greatest effect.

See answers

The analysis of the current situation of the enterprise was started with ranking according to the frequency of occurrence (column C). Then, the cumulative number of defects was calculated (column D), the relative number in percent (column E) and the relative cumulative number of defects (column F).

Based on the data from the table, the Lorenzo-Pareto diagram was prepared.

The analysis using the Lorenzo-Pareto diagram showed that company “X” should place particular emphasis on improving the quality of operations in the sections: cleaning of the probes, drilling holes, grinding and preparation of the cement mortar. The most problems occur during the implementation of these operations. The implementation of these operations entails the production of 79.2% of the deficiencies in the entire production process.


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BEST PRACTICES
Remote tool for conducting brainstorming - MIRO
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Bluerank it is a company planning complex strategies the presence of brands online based on concept Customer Journey. Additionally, the company creates advertising campaigns involving online marketing tools.

The company uses modern tools not only to work remotely, but also to support group work or brainstorming even in pandemic time. In the case of the latter, the free MIRO online tool is used. Brainstorm participants have a common board at their disposal, on which they "insert" colorful cards with their ideas. Ideas can be organized, rearranged and even assigned colors denoting different point categories (for example: green for creativity, yellow for strengths, and black for weaknesses). By using the MIRO online tool, it is even possible to vote.

The role of the moderator is extremely important in the brainstorming process. The role of the moderator is to lead the team, inspire and stimulate creativity and prevent blockades. In addition, its role is to control time and control the implementation of individual stages of brainstorming. All for this, ending the brainstorming session, we do not leave any unfinished ideas. The more specific ideas are defined, the greater the chance that they will be implemented.

– When an experienced moderator monitors everything and runs the process efficiently, everyone can be equally involved in online brainstorming – claim Magdalena Euejda, Digital Strategy Manager in agency Bluerank.


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Remote brainstorming tools - Reverse Brainstorming, Six Thinking Hats, Ishikawa Diagram and more.
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Creately is an offer for teams working online. The company offers tools to help you sketch concepts, from process analysis to brainstorming plans. They are real-time collaboration tools - as the solution provider assures, “Creately can be customized for any workflow” as it connects to many popular cloud platforms.

Creately proves that cooperation is the source of the greatest strength in solving problems and finding solutions. The offered tools are used for communication and cooperation in a visual form, it offers templates that allow you to organize work in a creative team. Among the tools we can find, among others templates for use during reverse brainstorming, which accelerate problem solving, decision making.

The solution is used, among others by teams from companies such as NASA, Amazon, eBay, PayPal, National Geographic.


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Case study, how did a global concern increase the sales of its product?
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Febreze - an air freshener manufactured by the global concern Procter & Gamble Company (hereinafter P&G). The sale of this product turned out to be a failure at first. As Charles Duhigg points out in the book entitled “Strength of habit”, the company spent several million dollars to launch a spray air freshener that removes odors from almost any space and fabric (the technology itself that was used to develop the solution was also captured by NASA for interior cleaning ships after they return from outer space).

The problem that P&G faced when launching Febreze on the market was related to low customer interest, i.e. low sales.

To meet this challenge, researchers from the Procter & Gamble Company department began to analyze the causes of the problem, went to the field, and interviewed clients. Thanks to these activities, it was found that the most interested group of people are not (as assumed) the owners of animals (especially cats) or mothers of adolescents, but those who want to emphasize the efforts put in cleaning.

The reason for the failures leading to low sales was a wrong starting point. The producers assumed that we use the air freshener at the beginning of cleaning, thus directing the marketing to the wrong target group. Lack of observation, thinking according to the usual patterns did not allow for achieving high levels of sales (in this case, potential customers did not want to be associated with "uncleanness" / "dirt”).

It was only thanks to intense efforts, an attempt to investigate the causes of the problem, the question of why this is the case, to drill down and observe the topic, that P&G changed customer habits and solved the problem of small sales of Febreze brand products.


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TEST
10 QUESTIONS
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Keywords:

The complexity of problems, categorization of issues, the basis and consequences of problems, tools and methods of effective problem solvin

Learning outcomes:

After completing the course, the student will have knowledge of defining problem phenomena and categorizing identified problems in terms of their complexity. Implementation of the course will also allow you to build knowledge in the field of methods and tools for identifying and solving problems. As a result of the completed training, the participant will have comprehensive knowledge to solve complex problems, and due to the tools included in the course, he will also acquire the ability to use the learned tools and methods in practice. As a result, the outcome of learning will be the development of cognitive and application competences related to complex problem-solving.

Bibliography:

PPT Complex Problem Solving
Best Practices: MIRO, Creately, P&G Febreze
Case study for Complex Problem Solving no. 1, 2, 3

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Video:

  1. How To Do Reverse Brainstorming To Generate Ideas: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5SmSoVuPRA (Access 2021 10 20).
  2. Reverse Brainstorming Activity for Idea Generation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKe75wT90ac (Access 2021 10 20).
  3. Method 6-3-5 (BrainWriting): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TR1i1PPd8ZU (Access 2021 10 20).
  4. Creative Thinking | SCAMPER Technique: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aj6a8cHmug8 (Access 2021 10 22).
  5. How can SCAMPER help build & shape ideas?:
  6. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qRY-1YAmbY4 (Access 2021 10 22).
  7. The SCAMPER brainstorming technique: how it works!: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zEMYzys0fNQ (Access 2021 10 22).
  8. The Scamper Technique Explained: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4hKqgEeWRg (Access 2021 10 22).
  9. Working collaboratively: The Disney Strategy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FyOBk0filqs (Access 2021 10 21).
  10. The Disney Strategy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQOnsVSg5VQ (Access 2021 10 21).
  11. The Disney way: inspiration, creativity, and having faith in your team | Tom Craven | TEDxACU: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPFhSWwp-ds (Access 2021 10 21).
  12. 3 Powerful Ways To Use The 80/20 Rule: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJIJtWuAbBc (Access 2021 10 21).;
  13. How to Use the 80/20 Rule - 5 WAYS with Examples | The Pareto Principle: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TqI6Axe_ZOk (Access 2021 10 21).;
  14. Improve Your Productivity With the 80/20 Rule: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zPoA6dzKmtg (Access 2021 10 21).;
  15. The 5 Whys - An Introduction: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_56GhHgGU2U (Access 2021 10 21);
  16. 5 Whys: Root Cause Analysis and Problem Solving: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zAs40EbTPnw (Access 2021 10 21);
  17. What is 5 Why - A Root Cause Analysis Technique: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_nN_YTDsuk (Access 2021 10 21);
  18. The 5 Whys Explained - Root Cause Analysis: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7FcK8jV2yA (Access 2021 10 21);
  19. How to Conduct a 5-Why - Titanic Example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=38RlXdr4Np0 (Access 2021 10 21);
  20. Clarifying the '5 Whys' Problem-Solving Method: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SrlYkx41wEE (Access 2021 10 21);
  21. How to create cause-and-effect diagrams: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLvizyDFLQ4 (Access 2021 10 21);
  22. What is Fishbone Diagram? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-qAON7R06c (Access 2021 10 21);
  23. Fishbone Diagram Explained with Example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JbRx5pw-efg (Access 2021 10 21);
  24. Fish bone diagram (cause and effect): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_HWzOnvNnU (Access 2021 10 21);
  25. What is 8D Problem solving methodology?: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-1XkPCI204 (Access 2021 10 21);
  26. 8D - Problem Solving: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXRX6-b7204 (Access 2021 10 21);
  27. 8D Problem Solving Methodology: Introduction: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EpK2xan6IrU (Access 2021 10 21);
  28. 8D problem solving approach: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9MUBLT0DjI (Access 2021 10 21);
  29. What is CATWOE?: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lvQYLIzE9gE (Access 2021 10 21);
  30. CATWOE analysis, data collection tool for problem solving: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIFYD05PLr4 (Access 2021 10 21);
  31. CATWOE ANALYSIS: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YRqbM6ZpTHI (Access 2021 10 21);
  32. 3 Powerful Ways To Use The 80/20 Rule: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJIJtWuAbBc (Dostęp 2021 10 21);
  33. How to Use the 80/20 Rule - 5 WAYS with Examples | The Pareto Principle: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TqI6Axe_ZOk (Dostęp 2021 10 21);
  34. Improve Your Productivity With the 80/20 Rule: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zPoA6dzKmtg (Dostęp 2021 10 21).