Unit – 2
Problem Solving & Skills
In your mind what
is a problem?
• A Situation,
• Any Question / Matter Involving
Doubt, Mystery, Puzzle, Riddle,
• Unsolved Creates Doubt / Difficulty,
Stress,
• A Problem Is Also A Question Raised
To Inspire Thought
• In Mathematics, A Problem Is A
Statement Or Equation That Requires
A Solution.
• Humans [Literate / Illiterate]
Who all • Animals & Birds
have the • Insects
• Everyone has the ability to
ability to solve problems.
solve a
problems
Problem Solving
• Everybody States that “A
Manager “Or “A Professor”
Has To Be A Master At
Problem Solving.
• But This Is Not True!
• Every Human Being Faces
Multiple Problems In Life That
He Must Try To Solve.
Everyone Has Problem and
Solving Ability
Example:
• A housewife has her
ability to manage / plan
her expenditure A
Housewife has to plan the
expenditure for her house
carefully.
• A Student has his/her
ability to manage study
routine.
What is a Problem
Solving?
o The Process Of Finding A Solution
To A Difficult Or Complex Issue.
o Involves Logical Reasoning,
Creativity, And Critical Thinking.
Importance of
Problem Solving:
o Essential Skill
In Academic
And Real-world
Scenarios.
o Helps In
Decision-
making,
Innovation, And
Overcoming
Challenges.
Understanding the Nature of Problems
• What Is A Problem?
There Is A Gap
• A Problem Is Any Situation Where
Between The Current State And A Desired
State, With Obstacles In The Way.
• Types Of Problems:
• Well-defined: Clear Goals And Solution Paths (Example:
Mathematical Problems).
• Ill-defined: Unclear Goals And Multiple Possible Solutions
(Example: Real-world Challenges).
Why Problem Solving Matters:
• Crucial Skill For Academic Success And Career
Development.
• Enhances Decision-making And Innovation.
Core Problem-Solving Skills
Analytical Skills:
• Ability To Break Down Complex Problems Into
Manageable Parts.
• Creative Thinking:
• Generating Innovative And Diverse
Solutions.
• Decision-making:
• Choosing The Best Solution Based On Evidence
And Reasoning.
• Resilience:
• Persistence In Overcoming Obstacles And
Learning From Failures.
Do You Guess What Is This?
Huge Queue For
Journey Ticket
booking At Railway
Station.
This Problem has
been now eased out
with Mobile
Application & Online
Bookings
Problem Solving Process
• Identify/ understand The Problem
• Clarify The Issue: Understand What The
Problem Is And Why It Needs To Be Solved.
• Gather Information: Collect Relevant
Data And Insights To Understand The
Problem's Context.
• Define The Problem: Articulate The
Problem Clearly, Ensuring Everyone
Involved Has A Common Understanding.
Understanding
the Problem
[Link] Define The Problem
Before Seeking Solutions.
[Link] All Relevant Information
And Data.
[Link] The Root Cause, Not Just
The Symptoms.
[Link] Critical Questions To Uncover
Hidden Issues.
[Link] A Complete
Understanding To Guide Effective
Solutions.
Define the problem
• Defining The Problem Is The Hardest Part.
• We Usually Tend To Worry About The Problem Before
Trying To Identify What The Problem Actually Is.
• We Perceive A Problem, Which Might Not Actually Be
The Problem And Start Worrying About It. Instead, Try To
Define The Problem
Defining the Problem – 1 – 6 Points
1. What Are The Causes To The Problem?
• Here You Might Not Identify The Main Causes As Such But It Is
A Start. You Have To Keep In Mind That You are not Blaming
Somebody As A Cause To The Problem Right At The
Beginning.
• The Person Might Be The Cause, But See What Led To That
Person Being The Cause Of The Problem
2. Where Is The Problem Actually Occurring?
3. How Is The Problem Occurring?
4. At What Times Specifically Is The Problem Occurring?
5. Who Is The Problem Happening With?
6. Why Is The Problem Arising? Here You Will Have To Jot
Down The Exact Details As To Why The Problem Is
The Steps
• Understanding The Problem
• Critical Thinking: Think Outside The Box And Consider Multiple Solutions To A Problem
• Analytical Tools: SWOT Analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats
• Decision Making: Making Decisions Based On The Information And Analysis Gathered.
• Implementing Solutions : Planning, Resource Allocation, And Monitoring The
Implementation Process To Ensure Success
• Reflecting And Learning: Emphasizes The Importance Of Reflecting On The
Outcome Of The Solution And Learning From The Experience
• Collaboration And Communication : Stresses The Importance Of Working
With Others To Solve Problems
Common fields where problem solving is practiced
• Psychology: Problem Solving Is Used In Psychology To Try And
Obtain Solutions To Problems Dealing With Mental Health
• Computer Science And Algorithms: Every Software Company That
Develops New Software Has To Troubleshoot And Solve Problems
That The New Software Might Have. In The Field Of Computer
Science And Artificial Intelligence Where Algorithms Are The
Methods Through Which The Programs Are Designed, Problem
Solving Is A Hero!
• Engineering: Problem Solving In Engineering Is Used To Overcome
Product Or Process Failures. It Is Usually Done To Rectify The
Problem And Also To Ensure That The Problem Does Not Occur Again
• Medicine Science And Health: Research Studies / Public Health.
Barriers to Problem Solving
1. Problems Are Barriers Themselves
2. Irrelevant Information,
3. Bias Towards Confirmation,
4. Baseless Constraints,
5. Mindset And Fixedness To One Method Of
Solving Problems.
Problem Solving Tools & Techniques
1. Root Cause Analysis: Toyota 5 Whys Techniques: Keep
asking "Why?" until the root cause is identified.
2. Root cause Analysis: Fishbone Diagram (Ishikawa):
Visualizes the cause-and-effect relationship of
problems: The Fishbone Diagram, also known as the Ishikawa
Diagram or Cause-and-Effect Diagram, is a powerful visual tool used to
identify, explore, and display the possible causes of a specific
problem.
3. SWOT Analysis: SWOT Analysis is a structured
planning tool used to evaluate the Strengths,
Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats involved
in a project, organization, individual, or situation. It
helps in strategic decision-making by providing a
comprehensive view of internal and external factor
Problem Solving Tools & Techniques
4. Brainstorming: Brainstorming is a creative group
problem-solving technique used to generate a large
number of ideas or solutions quickly. It emphasizes
quantity over quality initially, encouraging free
thinking and deferring judgment to foster innovation
and uncover unique perspectives.
5. Flowcharting: Flowcharting is a visual method for
representing the steps in a process, workflow, or
system using standardized symbols. It helps break down
complex procedures, analyze inefficiencies, and improve
communication and understanding among stakeholders.
Problem Solving Tools & Techniques
6. Pareto Analysis: is a decision-making technique used to identify the
most significant factors in a dataset. It’s based on the Pareto Principle,
also known as the 80/20 rule, which suggests that 80% of
consequences come from 20% of causes
7. Stakeholder Analysis: Stakeholder Analysis is a technique used to
identify, understand, and prioritize all individuals or groups that
are affected by, have influence over, or are interested in a project, policy,
or intervention. It’s essential for ensuring successful planning,
communication, and implementation.
8. Gap Analysis: GAP Analysis is a strategic tool used to compare
current performance or state with desired goals or standards and
identify the “gap” that needs to be addressed to achieve those goals
9. Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) Failure Mode and Effects
Analysis (FMEA) is a systematic, proactive tool used to identify where
and how a process, product, or system might fail and assess the impact of
Problem Solving Tools & Techniques
10. Six Sigma Tools (DMAIC): A data-driven methodology
to improve processes by reducing defects and variation.
Uses DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control)
framework. Employs various tools at each phase to
identify problems, analyze causes, and implement
solution.
11. Survey and Feedback Analysis: Collecting information
through structured questionnaires or feedback forms.
Analyzing responses to understand attitudes,
satisfaction, needs, or performance. Helps in decision-
making, program evaluation, and improvement.
What is RCA – Root Cause Analysis
It is a systematic process of discovering the origin of
problems or the root cause of the problem in order to
determine appropriate solutions. It is the fundamental
aspect of problem solving in any field.
• Identify the underlying cause or causes of a problem
rather than addressing the immediate symptoms. It
ensure that same problem does not occur.
RCA – Root Cause Analysis
• Root Cause Analysis
is not only just
Step1: Problem must be clearly and understood [ By
gathering all data, documenting the data, understanding its fixing problem but
impact on the process or system) about
Step 2: Asking series of Why Questions – A method known • Learning
as 5 Whys. The goal of asking this 5 Whys is to peel the
symptoms and find out the root cause. Opportunity
Step 3: One the root cause is been identified solutions can • Document Valuable
be addressed Insights.
Step 4: Develop solutions
• How systems works
Step 5: Implement and Monitor the Solutions
and how it can be
improved.
• Culture of Learning
and Improvement
RCA – Root Cause Analysis
Root • Purpose: Identify the fundamental cause
of a problem, rather than just addressing
Cause its symptoms.
• Methods:
Analys • 5 Whys: Keep asking "Why?" until the
root cause is identified.
is
• Fishbone Diagram (Ishikawa):
Visualizes the cause-and-effect
relationship of problems.
(RCA)
Toyota & 5 Whys Tool”
• This method was initially developed by Sakichi Toyoda;
the founder of Toyota industries and till time is being
used in Toyota Motor Corporation. This is considering as
the basic tools for Toyota’s scientific approach.
• Along with Toyota this tool has widespread application
in many other industries including food safety to rectify
root cause of customer complaints and other non-
conformances underlying in product and processing.
Problem: A Food Processing Facility Experiences An Increase In Bacterial
Contamination In Its Packaged Salads, Leading To A Product Recall
Example for 5 Whys
Microsoft Word
Document
Activity: Identify the fundamental root cause of the
problem using 5 Whys Tool:
Problem Statement: Choose ONE
1. Increasing drug abuse rates among college students in urban areas.
2. Rising cases of cyberbullying among teenagers on social media
platforms.
3. Increasing cybercrimes and online money laundering
4. Lack of Financial Management among young adults
5. Visualize and explore trends in global climate change data over the past
50 years in Delhi NCR.
6. Visualize and explore trends in food and eating habits among college
going youth.
7. Visualize and explore trends in Fitness level and Exercise patterns among
youth.