Detailed Course Outline
Course benefits:
The problem with problem solving is the diversity of problems that need to be addressed. Every day, management and staff in an organisation wrestle with one or a number of problem situations. The solutions to these problems can have impacts ranging from hardly noticeable to having significant consequences for the employees and organisation as a whole. Many problems could be solved at a stroke, simply by taking a quick and effective decision, whilst others need careful analysis and rational decision making before solutions can be proposed, let alone implemented.
This course provides a framework for, and teaches, the techniques that we believe are the most successful in problem analysis and problem solving situations.
This course is suitable for each of:
- Business Managers, Business Staff and Business Analysts who wrestle with business problems
- Systems Analysts and Designers who develop and implement solutions to technical problems
- Any member of a team having a need to participate effectively in problem analysis and problem solving activities
There are no prerequisites for this course.
On successful completion of the course, attendees will be able to:
- analyse, quantify and describe problems in terms of their causes and effects
- identify solutions to these problems and to evaluate these in terms of their consequences to the organisation
- make decisions about which solutions should be implemented
- Getting Started - recognising that a problem exists; initial problem definition; terms of reference; resources and matching these to the seriousness of the problem faced; what a problem is and what it isn't; basic parameters like problem owner, location and scope of effect
- Understanding the Problem - problem analysis techniques including critical examination, classic work study techniques, cause and effect analysis and observation; quantifying the causes and effects and arriving at an agreed definition of what the problem is and isn't; distinctions and similarities; setting priorities based on the deviation from what is desired; representing the results of analysis in graphical and written form
- Identifying the Solution - agreeing and working within a framework of objectives, musts and wants; scope of the required solution; the use of both logical and creative thinking approaches to identifying solutions; identifying the non-starters and candidates for evaluation
- Evaluating the Solution - agreeing the alternatives and assessing the fit and suitability of each one; solutions that are really a collection of interrelated solutions with important pre and post conditions for overall success; quantifying the benefits and disadvantages of each solution; using decision analysis to arrive at a conclusion; anticipating potential problems and quantifying these in terms of risk, seriousness and visibility; agreeing what and what not to address; refining the solution and agreeing any contingency plans and the way forward from here
The teaching methods used on this course are geared towards the practicalities of problem solving rather than the theory. Where appropriate, simulations are used, including ones that will put a certain amount of pressure on attendees to perform. Related exercises provide a framework on which to practice the techniques as a project, and within a team.