A problem statement is important to a process improvement project because it helps clearly identify the goals of the project and outline the scope of a project. It also helps guide the activities and decisions of the people who are working on the project. The problem statement can help a business or organization gain support and buy-in for a process improvement project.
Related: Analytical Skills: Definitions and Examples. There are four key elements you should include when writing a problem statement:. The first thing your problem statement should describe is what the ideal situation would be if there wasn't a problem you needed to address. This section identifies the goals and scope of the project are.
This section should create a clear understanding of what the ideal environment will be once the issue has been resolved. The next section of your problem statement should describe what the current reality is for your company or organization. This section will identify what the problem is, state why it is a problem and identify who the problem is impacting. It will also describe when and where the problem was identified.
The next section of your problem statement should identify what the consequences of the problem are. This section describes the effects of the problem by describing how the people affected by the problem are being impacted and quantifying how much the problem is impacting them.
Common consequences can include the loss of time, money, resources, competitive advantage, productivity and more. The proposal section of a problem statement may contain several possible solutions to the problem, but it is important to remember that it does not need to identify a specific solution.
The purpose of the proposal section should be to guide the project team on how they can research, investigate and resolve the problem. A good problem statement can be created by identifying and answering several questions related to the problem.
The process used to write a problem statement should involve answering questions using a method commonly known as 5W2H. This process involves identifying what the problem is, why it is a problem, when and where the problem was identified, who the problem impacts, how they are impacted by the problem and how much of an impact the problem has.
You can use the following process to craft a problem statement that addresses the following:. Before you can begin writing your problem statement, you first need to identify what the problem is. Next, you can begin writing your problem statement by describing what the ideal environment would look like if your problem didn't exist. This section should try to describe what your company hopes to accomplish as a result of the process improvement project. Next, write the reality section of your problem statement.
With three core components: At this stage, you may want to form a core team or steering group whose skills and experience will largely determine later interventions Very rarely will there be only one approach. Teams require a mix of abilities relevant to the stage of the process and the tasks at hand.
It is quite possible that the composition of the team and the stakeholders involved will need to change because the skills and experience needed will themselves be constantly evolving. At this stage, the initial expectations of the team and major stakeholders such as funding bodies and commissioners will be assessed This will be an ongoing process as yet more stakeholders are identified, and expectations may therefore change. It is not uncommon for people to have different expectations and failing to acknowledge this at the start means they are likely to resurface later.
Working together to agree the initial challenge statement, helps identify these differing perceptions Set out an initial statement of the challenge being addressed.
There are a number of important questions to ask in order to develop a clear statement. This can be adapted as the work progresses, but having a basic statement at the start should help all those involved.
More In developing a Challenge Statement, the following questions should be asked: What is the presenting issue? It could mean walking to school rather than taking the bus, or applying for a part-time job. Step 3. Brainstorm possible solutions. Be creative and come up with as many solutions as you can think of. Keep an open mind and list anything that comes to mind, plausible or not.
Step 4. Rule out any obvious poor options. Okay, reality check. Evaluate your list of ideas and rule out the ones that are unrealistic or unhelpful. Bye-bye, rainbow unicorn. That option should probably stay on your list. Step 5. Examine the consequences. Step 6. Identify the best solutions. Look at your list of options, and pick out the ones that are most practical and helpful.
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