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People want fast and easy results without effort, but they often fail to realize that, many times, this method is more costly and the results are not as satisfactory as they could be. It is about problem solving tools. “You never saw such a commotion up and down a house, in all your life, as when my Uncle Podger undertook to do a job.” – this is from “Three Men in a Boat” by Jerome K. Jerome, chapter “Uncle Podger hangs a picture”. You can enjoy reading the famous book again and again, but this particular chapter exactly corresponds to…

The paper refers to problem solving using the creative thinking tool 40 Inventive principles. Trapshooting or clay-pigeon shooting was invented in England at the end of the 18th century. The drive of the game was to improve hunters shooting skills. Nowadays, trapshooting is a very popular sport with world championships and Olympic events. How does trapshooting work? Targets are launched into the air with a special machine at varying angles and speeds initially unknown to the shooter. The shooter fires at the targets with a shotgun and the score depends on the hit count given specific rules. We are not…

Root cause analysis (RCA) is a practical problem-solving tool. Once a root cause found we can concentrate on the solution that is related to the found root cause. A definition of a Root Cause is extremely important for the problem-solving process. We should clearly define and understand what a Root Cause is. Otherwise, RCA becomes completely useless, besides a problem will not be solved. What is Root Cause? Everyone remembers a traditional definition:  ROOT CAUSE IS A FUNDAMENTAL REASON FOR THE OCCURRENCE OF THE PROBLEM. This definition is very popular and clear, but we have to take into account the…

This paper is about problem solving. Let’s play a game. Please follow me step-by-step. First step: Try to invent something. Just suggest an idea, any new idea. Not an easy task, right? You don’t know what to invent. You don’t know what you should think about. I will try to help you to invent another query. Second step: Try to invent something for your kitchen. Oh, that sounds better. You can propose changing the backsplash,  relocate the fridge or the microwave and so on. Why such a query sounds more helpful? Because this query focuses your thinking on your kitchen….

As a matter of fact, we have already discussed the definition of a problem statement in our previous post “How to define a problem statement?” Since we received a lot of comments and questions regarding the difference between failure and problem, we decided to repeat the explanation and add a clear example. Here, we want to emphasize that failure can cause a number of problems. In addition, each problem may be different for different people. Again and again, do not confuse failure with a problem. A problem can be solved while failure cannot be fixed. A single failure can cause…

In the realm of problem-solving, understanding how to define a problem statement is paramount. Consider a scenario where a father consistently helps his son with physics assignments, leading to high grades and admiration. While grades are important, they may not always signify true understanding. This example highlights the critical importance of defining the right problem before seeking a solution. Failure to do so can lead to wasted time and missed opportunities for professional growth. Recognizing the distinction between a problem and its symptoms is key. A problem is something that demands attention and requires resolution, while a symptom of failure…

ME59700 INNOVATION AND PROBLEM-SOLVING WITH AN EMPHASIS ON TRIZ TOOLS School of Mechanical Engineering at Purdue University Target Audience You have hard problems that have eluded solution for months or even years. You want to be a problem solver but haven’t found a framework that takes you beyond mere concepts without quantification (many popular design theories or idea generation methods). You want to perform work that cannot be commoditized or automated or replaced by Artificial Intelligence. Your problem may be any of product/service/organization/policy design or analysis. Course Material Understanding the objective function, developing problem representation and system modeling based on…

My wife and I like to travel and we travel a lot. Recently we spent three weeks in China, but when the vacation was over, we had to return to work. I came to my workplace, entered my cubicle, and, as on any other day, opened the laptop and connected to the company’s systems. Pretty quickly I realized that those three weeks are too short for vacation but very long to be disconnected from work. Many things happened, and I needed to make up the leeway to get up to speed with everything that had happened and related to my…

We often hear about our brain’s very different left and right halves or hemispheres and benefit from that knowledge. In contrast, we are less conscious of our conscious and subconscious thinking and the powerful interaction between them. Let’s rectify that imbalance. We are very aware of the capabilities of our conscious mind. It explicitly drives our work and lives. With our conscious mind, we are thinking and we know it. In contrast, cognitive processing in the subconscious mind occurs without our awareness. The biggest thinking player is our subconscious mind. Conscious cognitive processing is the tip of the iceberg; subconscious…