Problem Solving Class notes #11 Implementing the Solution October 22, 2003

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1 Problem Solving Class notes #11 Implementing the Solution October 22, 2003 The next step after making the decision is implementing the solution. The basic phases of the implementation process is: Approval Planning Carry Through Follow Up Approval In some situations, the first step in the implementation is to get approval from your organization before you can proceed with your solution. Also, you may need to sell your ideas so that your organization will provide the necessary resources for you to successfully complete your project/task/problem/etc. This process may include the preparation of a document or presentation describing: What you want to do Why you want to do it How you are going to do it How your project will benefit the organization and/or others. You can sell your ideas by: Avoid technical jargon keep the presentation clear and to the point. Make the presentation in a logical and orderly manner. Be concise; avoid unnecessary minute details. Anticipate questions and be prepared to respond to them. Be enthusiastic about your ideas or nobody else will be. Planning The most important aspect of implementing is the planning stage. We look at the allocation time and resources, anticipate bottlenecks, identify milestones in the project, and identify and sketch the pathway through to the finished solution. After examining the various pars of the solutions, which are to be implemented, criteria are needed to identify the critical elements of the solution and to prioritize them in order to prepare a meaningful plan. Gantt charts, development charts, budgets and critical path management will be used to effectively allocate our time and resources. Finally, we proceed to identify what could go wrong and devise ways to prevent these roadblocks from occurring (K.T. potential problem analysis). Having been presented with a problem, situation, or opportunity, we need to allocate our time and resources to the various steps to bring about a successful solution. The Gantt and deployment chart, critical path management, along with budgeting of personnel and money, can be used to arrive at an efficient and effective allocation. Additional, a popular tool for scheduling daily activities is the personal organizer. 1

2 Gantt chart One common way used to allocate specific blocks of time to the various tasks in a project is the Gantt chart. A Gantt chart is a bar graph that shows when a specific task is to begin and how long it will take to complete. For example, figure one illustrates a Gantt chart based on a monthly time scale. Problem Definition Generate Solution Decide course of Action Implement Evaluate Figure 1: The Gantt chart based in months Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec The time scale can be based on day, week, month, and even years. Coordination and Deployment Most often groups of individuals work together as a team to solve a problem. Under these circumstances, coordination among various team members is imperative to achieving an efficient solution in the time allotted. The use of a deployment chart will help guide the team through the solution by assigning different team members either major or minor responsibilities to each of the tasks. An example of a deployment chart is shown in figure two. Task Team Member Doug Bell Sandra Smith Joe Dimagio Lise Delabonte Jack Benoit Disassemble heat exchanger Analyze fouling to determine type and extend of scale Advisor Determine best way to remove scale Arrange for scale to be removed Advisor Reassemble heat exchanger and put back on system Figure 2: Deployment chart for removing scale on heat exchange 2

3 Critical Path We use critical path management to identify the critical points in the process. These critical points are readily identified by determining which task will cause a substantial delay in the implementation of the solution if the schedule is not met. An example of the critical path management of a thanksgiving dinner is illustrated in figure three. Bake sweet 350F for 1 hour Prepare casserole Bake 350F for 2.5 hours Clean & stuff turkey Cook 350F for 7 hours Remove turkey and casserole from oven Bake 425F Serve meal Prepare pie crust Prepare/add pie filling Clean house Set table Figure 3: Critical path management of a thanksgiving dinner To keep the guests happy, there are a few critical steps in the preparation that must be completed in a timely manner or delays will results. The non-critical paths are shown in dashed lines. The critical path is shown in solid lines. Therefore, the critical paths are sweet potato casserole and preparation of the turkey. The non-critical path is setting the table, cleaning the house, preparing the pie for baking. Necessary Resources We must also estimate the resources necessary to complete the project. The resources usually fall into five categories: Available personnel Equipment Travel Supplies Overhead The contingency funds are to cover unexpected expenses. At the start of the project, it is usually important to obtain an estimate of the total cost by preparing a budget similar to that shown in figure four. Proposed Budget Personnel Months/Rate Cost % of Total Ralph Baxter, Project leader 3 $5000/month $15000 Tony Abbot, Scientist 7 $4000/month $28000 Krystal Evans, Secretary 3 $2000/month $6000 Subtotal Salaries $ % 3

4 Equipment Laboratory Parts and labor $ % Travel Attend professional meeting $ % Supplies Chemicals, etc. $ % Overhead 42% $ % Total budget $ % Figure 4: Budget example Carry Through The carry through phase is an essential step in a successful solution process. There are some instances in which the implementation phase and the deciding the course of action phase are intertwined. For example, it may be necessary to collect experimental or other data (implement a plan) before the right decision can be made. Great care should be taken with this phase. All the planning in the world will not save a poor job of carrying through the chosen solution. The Bloom s Taxonomy is a procedure for carrying through a solution that has many components. In this procedure, the activities are arranged from the most difficult (synthesis) to the easiest (comprehension). The description of these activities carried out is as follows: Synthesis Analysis Application Comprehension Knowledge Evaluation Synthesis This activity is the putting together of parts to form a new whole. Synthesis enters into problem solving in many ways. Given a fuzzy situation, synthesis is the ability to formulate (synthesize) a problem statement and/or the ability to propose a method of testing hypothesis. At the end of this activity we have defined the problem, generated a number of potential solutions and decided on which solution to implement. Once the various parts are synthesized, each part (problem) now uses the intellectual skill described in analysis to continue toward the complete solution. 4

5 Analysis This activity is the process of breaking the problem into parts such that a hierarchy of sub-problems or ideas is made clear, and the relationship among these ideas is made explicit. In analysis, one identifies missing, redundant, and contradictory information. Once the analysis of a problem is completed, the various sub-problems are then reduced to problems requiring the use of application skills. Application This activity recognizes which set of principles, ideas, rules, equations, or methods should be applied, given all the pertinent data. Once the principal, law, or equation is identified, the necessary knowledge is recalled, and the problem is solved as if it were a comprehension problem. Comprehension This activity involves understanding, manipulation, and/or extrapolation of the knowledge (i.e. principle, equation) we identified in the application step to solve a given problem. That is, given a familiar piece of information, such as a scientific principle, can the problem be solved by recalling the appropriate information and using it in conjunction with manipulation, translation, or interpretation of the equation or scientific principle? Knowledge Knowledge is remembering previously learned material. It is used in each step of Bloom s method of unraveling. Here we ask, Can the problem be solved simply by defining terms and by recalling specific facts, trends, criteria, sequences, or procedures? Evaluation Evaluation is an ongoing process throughout the entire problem solving process. Qualitative and quantitative judgments about the extent to which the materials and methods satisfy the external and internal criteria should be made. The main advantage of using Bloom s method is that it allows us to unravel the solution. That is, completion of each step uncovers the next step to be worked on (e.g. application). Of course, additional knowledge must be injected into each step along the way. The carry through process actually begins after we have defined the problem and synthesized a solution. Follow up Flexibility is an essential trait for problem solvers to have in order to deal with the inevitable changes that occur during projects. Finally, in the follow up phase, we monitor not only our progress with respect to time deadlines but also with respect to meeting solution goals that do indeed solve the problem. We could periodically check our progress to ensure that our implementation is: following the solution plan (meeting solution goals and fulfilling solution criteria), proceeding on schedule, within budget, of acceptable quality, and still relevant to solving the original problem. 5

6 General Overview of five-step method to problem solving Find out where the problem came from Explore the problem Define present state/desired state - Duncker diagram Statement - Restatement Blockbusting Osborn's checklist Generate Random stimulation /Other people's views Analogy Decide K.T. Analysis Situation (Timing, trend, impact) Problem(Is & Is Not) Decision (Musts/Wants) Potential problem Implement Plan Carry through Gantt chart Deployment chart Critical path Satisfy objectives Evaluate Ethical considerations Safety considerations 6