Problem analysis

What is problem analysis?

The process of understanding and breaking down a problem to identify its root causes, components, and potential solutions.

What is design thinking?

A user-centric approach to solving complex problems through five iterative phases: Empathize, Define, Ideate, Prototype, and Test.

What are the five phases of design thinking?

Empathize, Define, Ideate, Prototype, and Test.

What happens in the Empathize phase?

Identify and understand the problem by dropping assumptions, judgments, and biases when talking to target users.

What are the three ways to empathize with users?

Observe (view users in the context of their lives), Engage (interact and interview users through scheduled and short "intercept" encounters), and Immerse (experience what the user experiences).

What happens in the Define phase?

Synthesize and identify the problem by creating an actionable problem statement from the information gathered in the Empathize phase.

What happens in the Ideate phase?

Generate as many ideas as possible to solve the defined problem by exploring unexpected areas, then prioritize which ideas will be prototyped.

What happens in the Prototype phase?

Turn ideas from the Ideate phase into physical objects that can be validated during the Test phase.

What are the three goals of the Prototype phase?

Learn (a prototype is worth a thousand pictures), Explore (build to think and spark more ideas), and Fail (test ideas cheaply without investing too much time or money).

What are the three types of prototype fidelity?

Low Fidelity, Mid Fidelity, and High Fidelity.

What happens in the Test phase?

Validate the created solution with actual users by letting them interact with the prototype.

What are the three goals of the Test phase?

Iterations (informs the next prototype version), Empathy (another chance to build understanding with users in context), and Refine (testing may reveal that the problem frame needs to change).

What are the three common fact-gathering methods?

Interview, Survey, and Observation.

What is an interview (as a fact-gathering method)?

A face-to-face or virtual conversation used to ask stakeholders or target customers questions to collect detailed, in-depth information and clarify processes, issues, and expectations.

What are the three types of interviews?

Structured (predefined questions), Unstructured (open-ended, flexible questions), and Semi-structured (a combination of both).

What are the advantages of interviews?

They allow clarification and follow-up questions, gather qualitative data such as opinions and suggestions, and build rapport with stakeholders.

What are the disadvantages of interviews?

They are time-consuming, may be biased if questions are leading, and are difficult to use with large groups at once.

What is a survey (as a fact-gathering method)?

A set of written questions distributed to many people to gather data quickly and systematically, especially when statistical data is needed.

What are the two types of survey questions?

Closed-ended (multiple choice, scales, yes/no) and open-ended (short or long written responses).

What are the advantages of surveys?

They efficiently cover large numbers of respondents, responses are easy to quantify and analyze, and they can be anonymous, which encourages honesty.

What are the disadvantages of surveys?

They may get low response rates, offer limited ability to clarify confusing questions, and open-ended responses can be hard to analyze.

What is observation (as a fact-gathering method)?

The process of watching users perform tasks in real time to understand actual workflows and system usage, rather than relying only on what users say they do.

What are the two types of observation?

Direct/Participant (the analyst is involved in the activity) and Indirect/Non-participant (the analyst only watches without involvement).

What is the Hawthorne Effect?

The tendency for users to change their behavior simply because they know they are being observed; a key disadvantage of the observation method.

What is 5 Why Analysis?

A method that involves iteratively asking "why" five times to uncover the fundamental root cause of a problem.

What are key tips for using 5 Why Analysis?

Interview different types of users, always stop at the 5th why whether or not the root cause is found, allow multiple answers per "why," and branch out to surface more root causes.

What is the Ishikawa (Fishbone) Diagram used for?

A method used to identify the multiple possible causes of a problem in a system, organized visually like a fish skeleton leading to an effect.

What are key tips for using the Ishikawa Fishbone Diagram?

Interview different types of users, keep gathering multiple causes until satisfied, and ask varied questions to capture unique perspectives on the problem.

How does 5 Why Analysis differ from the Ishikawa Diagram?

5 Why Analysis always stops at the 5th iteration and identifies a single root cause, while the Ishikawa Diagram can have theoretically infinite branches and identifies multiple causes.

What is a Javelin Validation Board?

A tool used by startups and innovators to quickly test business ideas and validate or invalidate assumptions about customers, problems, and solutions before building a product.

What three assumptions does a Javelin Validation Board test?

Customer, Problem, and Solution assumptions.

Name a best practice for using the Javelin Validation Board.

Avoid jumping straight to solutions until a real problem is confirmed; talk to real potential users rather than relying only on surveys or assumptions; and stay open to being proven wrong rather than just seeking validation.

What is Business Process Reengineering (BPR)?

The radical redesign and analysis of core business processes to achieve dramatic improvements in productivity, efficiency, quality, and customer satisfaction.

Who coined the classic definition of BPR, and what did it say?

Michael Hammer and James Champy defined it as the fundamental rethinking and radical redesign of business processes to achieve significant improvements in performance measures like cost, quality, service, and speed.

What are the five steps in BPR?

Identify processes to reengineer, analyze the current process, redesign the process, implement the new process, and monitor and optimize.

What are the benefits of BPR?

Increased efficiency and speed, cost reduction, better customer service, improved product/service quality, and streamlined communication and decision-making.

What are the risks of BPR?

High resistance to change, the need for strong leadership and communication, high cost and time investment, and risk of failure without proper planning.

In the telecom BPR example, what was the problem with the old process?

Customers had to call separate departments (billing, new connections, service termination) for different issues, which was costly and inefficient compared to smaller competitors.

In the telecom BPR example, what changes were made?

Departments were merged into a focused customer support team, staff were trained as frontend technical experts, and the team was equipped with new software to access all customer data and handle most request types in one call.

In the telecom BPR example, what did the new process allow customers to do?

Resolve multiple issues (e.g., billing and technical problems) in a single call, use a push-button menu to reach other departments directly, and give feedback on call quality through the same menu.