Session 10: Business Work Improvement Course (Introduction) developed by DOLE-Bureau of Workers with Special Concerns (BWIC).

1. SESSION 10: PROBLEM ANALYSIS AND
GENERATING SOLUTIONS OR
IMPROVEMENT OF IDEAS
Business and Work Improvement Course

2. MODULE OUTLINE
1. Problem Definition and Analysis
2. Generating Solution or
Improvement of Ideas
3. Enterprise/Project Visit through
Checklist Exercise

3. PROBLEM DEFINITION
AND ANALYSIS

4. What is a Problem?
 Scenario not matching the desired
situation needing necessary
improvement.
 Actual performance does not meet the
expected results.
 Problems do not occur without a
reason.
 Difference between “What is” and
“What might or should be”

5. PROBLEM ANALYSIS
Problem analysis serves as a participatory, systematic
method by mapping out the problems and look into
causes and the effects that affects the overall
operation of your business:
Cause and effect relationship
Encourage participation and critical thinking
among planners.

6. Basic Questions to Ponder
What is the
current or existing
situation?
What is the gap?
Is it worth looking
into?
What are the
forces blocking
and forces pulling?

7. PROBLEM SOLVING PROCESS

8. Define
Actual
Causes
Identify
Probable
Causes
Analyze
the
Problem in
Details
Set the
Problem
Statement
Define the
Problem
STEPS IN PROBLEM SOLVING

9. 1 DEFINE THE PROBLEM
Acknowledge first that the problem exists to make
yourself committed in the process
Find the right persons who might know anything
useful about the problem
 List the pros and cons of doing the problem solving
to eliminate issues that hold you back.

10. 1 DEFINE THE PROBLEM

11. 2 SETTING THE PROBLEM STATEMENT
Problem statement gives you the general context to
determine the scope wherein you can reasonably solve
Integrates the specific details coming out from the
above-mentioned basic questions
 Should be clear and precise so that all stakeholders can
understand it and be able to make practical solutions.

12. 3 ANALYZE THE PROBLEM IN DETAILS
Do not focus only on what is wrong but also
consider valid and correct details.

13. 4 IDENTIFY PROBABLE CAUSES
 Determine the differences of the present
performance from the optimal objective
based on the factors (location, time, and
people involved)
 Determine what has changed to provide the
probable explanations to the problem
statement

14. 5 DEFINE ACTUAL CAUSE(S)
Determine the actual explanation(s) among the
identified probable explanations based on the
symptoms identified and data collected
Ensure that your actual causes lead to the
actions or problems identified to prove that the
analysis is correct and reliable

15. REMINDERS
1. Be realistic in identifying problem causes.
2. Engage the relevant stakeholder more
actively in brainstorming sessions to generate
more diverse perspectives about the issue
matter.

16. REMINDERS
3. Avoid jumping straight to conclusion about
the cause. Remember to support your
arguments with valid and relevant
data/information.
4. Keep committed on the problem-solving
process.

17. GENERATING SOLUTIONS OR
IMPROVEMENT OF IDEAS

18. OVERVIEW
Once the problem is identified, craft and work
out practical yet effective solutions towards
improvement of your businesses
Great ideas cannot be realized in just a blink. It
requires changing the process, our attitude,
and most importantly, the way we think.

19. Implement
the
Decision
Select the
best
solution
Evaluate
potential
solutions
Generate
the
potential
solutions
Establish a
Criteria
STEPS IN GENERATING AND SELECTING
BUSINESS SOLUTIONS

20. 1
ESTABLISH THE
CRITERIA
Criteria is important to determine the effectiveness of
the solutions/alternatives in order to guide properly
the entire process about the relevant information and
to avoid remote or unrealistic possibilities
Decide the “what should be” model
 Make sure that relevant factors (e.g. human &
physical resources, time, location) are considered in
the process.

21. 2
GENERATE THE POTENTIAL
SOLUTIONS
 Employ your creative thinking to come up with
the potential solutions.
 Avoid making any pre-judgement at this stage
and consider each idea on its own merit and
worth of consideration.

22. 3
EVALUATE POTENTIAL
SOLUTIONS
 Evaluate each solution relative to the criteria
by looking into the projected probabilities and
consequences that may it cause
 Choose a potential solution with the least
consequences.

23. 4
SELECT THE BEST
SOLUTION
Consider the advantages and disadvantages you
have identified in your evaluation
Ensure that:
a) Majority of the stakeholders are involved to
minimize resistance to change
b) The solution matches within the organizational
capabilities to ensure its sustainability

24. 4
SELECT THE BEST
SOLUTION
Employ your critical thinking skills
 It is not necessary to limit your focus on the
best solution. Other solutions which you
have considered may significantly enhance
the overall value of the final solution.

25. 5
IMPLEMENT THE
DECISION
 The final step is to decide how to implement the
solution.
 After the implanting the solution, you may
evaluate the decision to tweak the problem(s)
that have surfaced during the implementation
process.
Feedback mechanisms must be established to
continuously monitor the actual performance
against your targets.

26. REMINDERS
1. Think out of the Box
2. Solicit advice from other people
3. Follow the 6Cs of Decision Making
(Construct, Compile, Collect, Compare,
Consider, Commit)
4. Be Creative and Critical Thinker

27. THANK
YOU!!