project management problem statement examples

Often, the most effective problem statements force the prioritization of issues and opportunities. ","hasArticle":false,"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/9792"}},{"authorId":9793,"name":"Neil DeCarlo","slug":"neil-decarlo","description":"

Removing bias from the problem statement is one of the ways Six Sigma prevents organizations and individuals from using gut feelings and intuition when trying to solve problems. He is an operations executive and internationally recognized Lean Six Sigma thought leader and practitioner. Given one hour to work on a problem, hed spend 55 minutes thinking about the problem and five minutes finding solutions. ","hasArticle":false,"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/9793"}},{"authorId":9794,"name":"Stephen R. Covey","slug":"stephen-r-covey","description":"

Craig Gygi is Executive VP of Operations at MasterControl, a leading company providing software and services for best practices in automating and connecting every stage of quality/regulatory compliance, through the entire product life cycle. So when developing a problem statement, how do you go about identifying the true, underlying problem? It obviously causes additional work, longer times before receiving payment, and increased frustration for employees. Example: In the last three quarterly employee engagement surveys, less than 30% of employees at the XYZ company stated that they feel valued by the company. How is the problem impacting your customers, employees, other stakeholders, or the organization? Asking why until youre satisfied that youve uncovered the root cause of the problem will help you avoid ineffective band-aid solutions. For the government, it could be improving public health. It sets the criteria for dealing with a problem and gives them a framework to execute it to a high standard. I have deep experience with this topic, strategic planning, career development, scaling up, workshops, leadership, presentation development & delivery, ramping up new roles, and much more. Problem statements do not have to follow a specific formula. This overproduction seems to come from a misaligned production target established at the beginning of the production cycle every day (why). Once you know all the factors, then you need to create an impeccable plan, perform alternative analysis, and ensure proper communication between stakeholders and the development team. Define the boundaries of the project. NEW! First up: a statement with too little information:

Poor Problem Statement 1A: Inventory levels are too high and must be reduced.

How many times have you heard a problem statement like this one before? BIG PICTURE WHAT IS STRATEGY? By keeping a good pulse on your course of action, youll be better equipped to pivot when the time comes to change. Problem statements such as the following are effective at enlisting peoples attention, energy, and support: Look at the amount of information that is available in this example. Franais, EN | A problem statement is a brief statement of a gap to be closed, an objective to be achieved, or an obstacle to be overcome during project development. What is the magnitude of the problem? Following are examples highlighting the depth and quantification of a Six Sigma project definition. Start your project scope statement with the 'Why' (an overview) This high-level scope statement defines what the project is, why it's happening, and what it will achieve. Achieving this level of performance would increase profits by $395,000 per year.","description":"

The problem statement serves several purposes in a Six Sigma project. Continuing with the example above, here's a project management project description sample to avoid in your resume because it's vague. For individuals, it can mean enhancing their own personal well-being. Yes, having high inventory levels is a problem, but a problem statement containing so little information significantly reduces your ability to take specific action, enlist support, and obtain improvement.

The problem statement must not include any indication or speculation about the cause of the problem or what actions will be taken to solve the problem. But is this problem worthy of being worked on as stated? Solving meaningful problems to help improve something. This section identifies the goals and scope of the project are. Great! Identify constraints that limit a project team's options for developing a solution. While the exact words may differ from example to example, the main parts of an effective problem statement are fundamentally the same. Project approval is probably one of the most exciting parts of project management, and a project proposal sets your project up for success. Learn everything you need to know to develop a Problem Statement by an Ex-McKinsey consultant. Once we landed on a strong problem statement, then we had to align the client with the problem statement. Never attempt to solve the problem or steer the solution at this stage. Note that the statement specifies that the issue occurs during the companys slow time as well as the busy season. We must frame the problem appropriately, setting the context for the audience that might not be familiar with the problem. Developing a problem statement that provides a brief description of an issue you want to solve is an important early step in problem-solving. ","hasArticle":false,"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/9792"}},{"authorId":9793,"name":"Neil DeCarlo","slug":"neil-decarlo","description":"

Craig Gygi is Executive VP of Operations at MasterControl, a leading company providing software and services for best practices in automating and connecting every stage of quality/regulatory compliance, through the entire product life cycle. Foster a culture of inclusion and belonging. Where: Where is the problem occurring? This example of a project management methodology is a linear, step-by-step approach where each new project phase follows the end of the previous one. The ability to pick out the source of the problem will produce more effective problem statements. Transform your business, starting with your sales leaders. Click here to learn more about me or book some time. Although sometimes, a disruptive problem will have crept into production months ago, which may require a bit of detective work during the process of researching a problem statement. Neil DeCarlo was President of DeCarlo Communications. Therefore, it has to be clearly and accurately written. Solutions can change and adapt as external factors change, too. This can help position you and your team to avoid getting stuck in constant fire-fighting mode. Write the problem statement with the audience in mind. Bring two to three strong options to the table so stakeholders can help you brainstorm more ideas, revisions, and perspectives. Go back and work on the statement of the problem to make sure everyone understands and agrees on what the real problem is. Keep in mind that you probably have to both convince management to provide resources to solve the problem and enlist team members to assist you; you dont want to spend your precious time explaining over and over what youre trying to accomplish.

A problem statement should be concise and include the following:

A brief description of the problem and the metric used to describe the problem
\n
Where the problem is occurring by process name and location
\n
The time frame over which the problem has been occurring
\n
The size or magnitude of the problem
\n

You must be careful to avoid under-writing a problem statement. What: What is the current state, desired state, or unmet need? It helps you, team members, and other stakeholders to focus on the problem, why its important, and who it impacts. The data and the Six Sigma method will find the true causes and solutions to the problem. This delay is adding costs of $145,000 per month in overtime, contractor labor, and rework costs.\n

And one more:

Poor Problem Statement 3: Our hospital has a problem with the number of insurance claim forms submitted with errors to the insurance company.

This statement has so little information that readers may not be entirely clear on whether a significant problem even exists. These two steps will help you uncover the root cause of a problem: People often perceive problems differently. It obviously causes additional work, longer times before receiving payment, and increased frustration for employees. Ideal situation 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. Bruce Williams is Vice President of Pegasystems, the world leader in business process management. Learn what organizational effectiveness is and how it can help you and your company grow. How will changing a process or circumventing the problem area change the, A problem statement exists to not only state the existence of a problem but also to, When the doughnut shop (who) closes at 3 p.m., which is the end of its customer volume, it, Understanding the Purpose of a Problem Statement, Best Project Management Software for 2023, Best monday sales CRM Alternatives & Competitors. It can also help you develop some case studies to illustrate the problem. Developing a problem statement is an iterative brainstorming process. Bruce Williams is Vice President of Pegasystems, the world leader in business process management. Beyond brainstorming, problem statements should be used at the beginning of any project to frame and focus on the problem. Problem statement examples in business Problem statements are used in all sorts of business projects, including new business launches, revenue optimization initiatives, competitor analysis, and more. Yes, having high inventory levels is a problem, but a problem statement containing so little information significantly reduces your ability to take specific action, enlist support, and obtain improvement. You can see some of their testimonials here. You know where the problem is occurring, you know how long it has occurred, you know the magnitude of the problem, and you know how much its costing. This will help keep options open for potential actions. There are four key aspects to a well-formulated (and therefore useful) problem statement: Description of the Problem. Other problems may be giving you worse headaches than this one.

At a minimum, some quantification of the magnitude of the problem would help readers make a better decision. Here are the best ways to start practicing self-discipline today. You can either discuss each one or have the group pick the top 3 and then discuss them. After all, thats what a lot of work is about. Getting to the core of what may be simple in many cases, but it is crucial to understand this blockage before continuing with the problem statement. He is an operations executive and internationally recognized Lean Six Sigma thought leader and practitioner. This allows project managers to get to the root of a problem in order to find a solution. It obviously causes additional work, longer times before receiving payment, and increased frustration for employees. The problem statement serves several purposes in a Six Sigma project. To identify a gap, you first have to decide how things work best. This statement concisely explains the barrier the current problem places between a functional process and/or product and the current (problematic) state of affairs. Coordination is a must for teams aiming to accomplish goals that are both short-term and long-term. 3 steps to create a design thinking problem statement. Trello vs monday.com Comparison: Which is Better. This process cannot be understated and must be . Be clear and succinct. Identify a gap. It should not identify a solution or create a bias toward a specific strategy. 168-PAGE COMPENDIUM OF STRATEGY FRAMEWORKS & TEMPLATES 100-PAGE SALES PLAN PRESENTATION 186-PAGE HR & ORG STRATEGY PRESENTATION114-PAGE MARKET & COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS PRESENTATION18-PAGE BUSINESS MODEL TEMPLATE. Separate out and clearly define each problem in 1-2 . An effective problem statement creates the space you and your team need to explore, gain insight, and get buy-in before taking action. For example, the following problem statement is more detailed than Poor Problem Statement 1A, but its still, well, problematic: By saying Having too few forklifts in Poor Problem Statement 1B, youre purporting that you know what the solution is. A good way to test a problem statement for bias is to ask questions like these: Does the problem appear to have only one possible solution? Neil DeCarlo was President of DeCarlo Communications. Struggling with organizational performance? Neil DeCarlo was President of DeCarlo Communications. Asking why several times will lead the asker from a dead battery to a broken alternator, and finally to inadequate regular maintenance as the root culprit. With this methodology, having a robust project plan is vital and lots of work needs to be done upfront to get really clear on the project goal. In turn, this methodology will help you craft a problem statement that will lead to more viable solutions. Never attempt to solve the problem or steer the solution at this stage. Pro tip: If you're really stuck, try using a mission statement generator to kickstart the creative process. Let's dive into 5 immediate and actionable things you can do to have a bulletproof project scope document. Maybe; maybe not. They have an uncanny ability in focusing the efforts of brainstorming, teamwork, and projects. Example: The average customer service on-hold time for XYZ company exceeds five minutes during both its busy and slow seasons. Related: How To Write A Problem Statement? A good problem statement aligns the expectations of the client with the teams activities and output. When it comes to problem-solving, stay curious. Making a problem statement template would allow you to identify the gap between the current state or the problem and the desired state or the goal of a product or a process. Keep in mind that you probably have to both convince management to provide resources to solve the problem and enlist team members to assist you; you dont want to spend your precious time explaining over and over what youre trying to accomplish. Heres another example of a problem statement with insufficient information, along with a rewritten Six Sigma alternative:

Poor Problem Statement 2: Human resources is taking too long to fill personnel requests.

Better Problem Statement 2: Recruiting time for software engineers for the flight systems design department in San Jose is missing the goal of 70 days 91 percent of the time. Meetings, emails and other communications define what the client . Bruce Williams is Vice President of Pegasystems, the world leader in business process management. Like creating SMART goals, you want to be as specific as possible. How large is the gap between the current and desired state. He is a leading speaker and presenter on business and technology trends, and is co-author of Six Sigma Workbook for Dummies, Process Intelligence for Dummies, BPM Basics for Dummies and The Intelligent Guide to Enterprise BPM. Bruce Williams is Vice President of Pegasystems, the world leader in business process management. You want to solve the problem impacting your customers, employees, other stakeholders focus! And internationally recognized Lean Six Sigma project produce more effective problem statements the. 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That might not be understated and must be following are examples highlighting the depth and quantification of Six. An Ex-McKinsey consultant any project to frame and focus on the problem statement serves purposes.

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