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The Five Steps in Problem Analysis

The document outlines the five steps in problem analysis: 1) Define the problem statement. 2) Understand the root causes of the problem using techniques like root cause analysis and fishbone diagrams. 3) Identify the stakeholders and users who will be affected by the problem and its solution. 4) Define the boundaries of the proposed solution system using diagrams to depict interactions between the system and external actors. 5) Identify any constraints imposed on the solution from sources like business needs, technical requirements, laws and regulations.

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horiya tariq
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130 views

The Five Steps in Problem Analysis

The document outlines the five steps in problem analysis: 1) Define the problem statement. 2) Understand the root causes of the problem using techniques like root cause analysis and fishbone diagrams. 3) Identify the stakeholders and users who will be affected by the problem and its solution. 4) Define the boundaries of the proposed solution system using diagrams to depict interactions between the system and external actors. 5) Identify any constraints imposed on the solution from sources like business needs, technical requirements, laws and regulations.

Uploaded by

horiya tariq
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Steps in Problem Analysis

The five steps in problem analysis.

1
Step 2:

Understanding Root Causes


Step 2 : Identify the root causes of the problem

◼ Make sure that the problem identified is the real


problem

◼ Sometimes, a problem hides other more important


problems

◼ Addressing the wrong problem leads to failure


Step 2 : Identify the root causes of the problem

◼ A problem can have several reasons:


▪ Some might be eliminated by non-software solutions
▪ Some might need contradictory solutions
▪ More than one solution might be needed

◼ Once you have an understanding of the larger problem,


your team can use a variety of techniques to gain an
understanding of its causes.

◼ One such technique is root cause analysis


Step 2: Understand the Root Causes
(The Problem Behind the Problem)
◼ Root cause analysis is a systematic way of uncovering the
root, or underlying, cause of an identified problem or a
symptom of a problem.
◼ Problem behind the problem
◼ How to find?
▪ Ask, and Ask
▪ Gather data

◼ Therefore a fishbone diagram is made

5
Fish bone diagram
Fish bone diagram
Fish bone diagram
Fish bone diagram
Fish bone diagram
Fish bone diagram
Fish bone diagram
Fishbone diagram
Fishbone diagram
Fish bone diagram

1. List the problem/issue to be


studied at the "head of the fish".

2. Label each "bone" of the "fish“.


The major categories typically
utilized are:
▪The 4 M’s: Methods, Machines,
Materials, Manpower
▪The 4 P’s: Place, Procedure,
People, Policies
▪The 4 S’s: Surroundings,
Suppliers, Systems, Skills
Fish bone diagram

3. Use an idea-generating
technique (e.g., brainstorming) to
identify the factors within each
category that may be affecting the
problem/issue.

◼For example, the team should


ask. "What are the machine issues
affecting/causing problem”
Fish bone diagram

4. Keep asking, "Why is this


happening?" and put additional
segments under each factor and
subsequently under each sub-factor.

5. The team should reach consensus


on listing those items in priority
order with the first item being the
most probable" cause”
Understanding the Root Causes
◼ Consider a real life example: a mail-order catalog company called
Goods Are Us, that manufactures and sells a variety items for home
and personal use
◼ As the company addresses the problem of insufficient profitability,
it uses total quality management (TQM) techniques for problem
solving learned in their quality program

◼ Based on this experience the company quickly focused on its cost of


non conformance (cost of all things that produce waste, scrap etc.)

◼ Next step is to identify the problem behind the problem – factors


that contribute to scrap problem
Fishbone Diagram example

19
Fishbone Diagram example
Fishbone diagram example
Fishbone diagram example
Fishbone diagram example
Fishbone diagram example
Fishbone diagram conclusion
Fishbone diagram conclusion
Step 3: Identify the Stakeholders
and the Users
◼ Understanding the needs of the users and
other stakeholders is a key factor in
developing an effective solution.

◼ A stakeholder is anyone who could be


significantly affected by the implementation
of a new system or application.

27
Step 3: Identify the Stakeholders
and the Users
 Complex problems always involve the input of different
stakeholders that have different viewpoints on the problem.
 Users: will use the system
 Managers: will pay for the system, or will manage the users
 IT people: will install, manage and maintain the system
 External regulators: will impose constraints on the system
operation
 System developers: will implement a solution to the problem

 Forgetting one of these might lead to major rework later


on, or even to project failure.
28
Step 3: Identify the Stakeholders
and the Users
◼ Many stakeholders are direct users of the system, and their
needs are easy to focus

◼ However, some stakeholders are only indirect


users of the system or are affected only by the business
outcomes that the system influences.

◼ These stakeholders tend to be found


within the business, or in particular application environment
▪

29
Step 3: Identify the Stakeholders
and the Users
◼ For example people and organizations involved in system
development, subcontractors, customer, agencies, such as U.S.
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) or the Food and Drug
Administration (FDA)

◼ Each of these classes of stakeholders may influence the


requirements for the system or will in some way be involved with
the system outcome.

◼ An understanding of who these stakeholders are and their particular


needs is an important factor in developing an effective solution.

30
Step 3: Identify the Stakeholders
and the Users
How do you identify the stakeholders?
The answer to the following questions will identify the stakeholders:
 Who are the users of the system?
 Who is the customer (economic buyer) for the system?
 Who else will be affected by the outputs that the system produces?
 Who will evaluate and bless the system when it is delivered and
deployed?
 Are there any other internal or external users of the system whose
needs must be addressed?
 Who will maintain the new system?
 Is there anyone else?

31
Example: Users and Stakeholders of
Sales Order Entry System

32
Step 4: Define the Solution System
Boundary
◼ Once the problem statement is agreed to and the users,
stakeholders are identified, we can define a system that
can be deployed to address the problem

◼ Therefore two things should be kept in mind: an


understanding of the problem and the
considerations of a potential solution

◼ The most important step is to determine the


boundaries of the solution system

33
Step 4: Define the Solution System
Boundary
◼ The system boundary defines the border between the
solution and the real world that surrounds the solution

◼ System boundary describes an envelope in which the


solution system is contained

◼ Information, in the form of inputs and outputs, is passed


back and forth from the system to the users living
outside the system.

34
Step 4: Define the Solution System
Boundary
◼ All interactions with the system occur via interfaces between
the system and the external world

◼ We divide the world in two:


1. Our system
2. Things that interact with our system

35
Examples:
Political system
Educational system
Computer system
Library system …

What is a system?

36
Systems Main Characteristics

◼ Exists in an environment,
◼ with a boundary.
◼ Has inputs and outputs.
◼ Has interfaces for communications.
◼ May have sub-systems.
◼ Has a control mechanism,

37
Actors
◼ An actor is someone or something outside the
system that interacts with the system

38
Identifying Actors: Helpful
Questions
◼ Who will supply, use, or remove information from
the system?
◼ Who will operate the system?
◼ Who will perform any system maintenance?
◼ Where will the system be used?
◼ Where does the system get its information?
◼ What other external systems will interact with the
system?

These questions help to construct a system


perspective.
39
System Perspective
◼ A block diagram that
describes boundaries of the
system, users, and other
interfaces
◼ The dotted line illustrates
the system boundary for the
proposed solution
◼ The diagram shows that the
bulk of the new application
deployed on the new sales
order entry system.
◼ but a portion of the solution
code must be developed and
deployed on the existing
40
System boundary- UML
◼ A system cannot have infinite functionality. So, it follows that
use cases also need to have definitive limits defined. A system
boundary of a use case diagram defines the limits of the
system.
◼ A system boundary is a rectangle that you can draw in a use-
case diagram to separate the use cases that are internal to a
system from the actors that are external to the system.
◼ A system boundary is an optional visual aid in the diagram; it
does not add semantic value to the model.
◼ The system boundary is potentially the entire system as
defined in the problem statement.
System boundary- UML
Step 5: Identify the Constraints to
Be Imposed on the Solution
◼ A constraint is a restriction on the degree of
freedom we have in providing a solution.
◼ A variety of sources of constraints must be
considered.

43
Potential Sources of System
Constraints

44
Potential Sources of System
Constraints

45
Sources of Constraints and Their Rationale
for Sales Order Entry System

46

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