Problem Solving and Future Skills Overview

Problem Solving Principles

• People tend to react to problems by wanting them to go away, trying to solve them immediately and perfectly, or blaming others.
• Problems are inevitable and can be opportunities to improve systems and relationships.
• Solving all problems instantly isn't possible, and there's no single solution.

Marketable Skills in 2030

• Mental elasticity and complex problem solving
• Critical thinking
• Creativity
• People skills
• STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) skills
• SMAC (Social, Mobile, Analytics, and Cloud) skills
• Interdisciplinary knowledge

Skills Needed in the Near Future (2020-2015 Comparison)

• 2020: Complex problem solving, critical thinking, creativity, people management, coordinating with others, emotional intelligence, judgment and decision-making, service orientation, negotiation, and cognitive flexibility.
• 2015: Complex problem solving, coordinating with others, people management, critical thinking, negotiation, quality control, service orientation, judgment and decision-making, active listening, and creativity.

Six Sigma

• Six Sigma is a data-driven approach to improving quality by reducing defects to near-zero.
• It aims to measure defects and systematically eliminate them.
• Walter Shewhart (1920s) and Bill Smith (1980s) are key figures in Six Sigma methodology.
• Motorola owns the Six Sigma trademark, and Jack Welch's endorsement of General Electric helped its broader adoption.
• Six Sigma uses a measurement model, with 68.26%, 95.44%, 99.73%, 99.9937%, 99.999943%, and 99.9999998% as key reference data points.
• Essentially it's a methodology that aims to eliminate defects in any process, from manufacturing to service.

Six Sigma & PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act)

• PDCA is a cyclical process for improvement.
• Define: Define the problem.
• Measure: Understand performance. Map the process. List opportunities.
• Analyze: Determine root causes (fishbone diagram, 5 Whys).
• Improve: Create solutions, and implement.
• Control: Implement controls to maintain improvements.

Steps to Problem Solving

• Step 1: Defining the problem: Be specific about the problem, quantifiable loss (time or product), and the goals/deliverables.
• Step 2: Measure: Understand performance, map the process and opportunities for improvement.

Analysis | Evaluation (Root Cause)

• Choose a suitable method like a fishbone diagram (cause-and-effect diagram) or 5 Whys to determine root causes.

5-Whys Principle

• The 5 Whys is a problem-solving technique to uncover the root cause of a problem by repeatedly asking "why?".

Example of 5 Whys Application

• This shows, in practical terms, how businesses implement '5 Whys' on a specific problem to discover the root cause.

Find Solution (Criteria)

• The criteria for finding a solution derives from either a fishbone diagram or the 5 Whys process.
• It's crucial to select the best solution(s) from these criteria.
• Utilize a weighted average if multiple likely solutions exist.

Improve Phase

• Reformulate: Develop new strategies.
• Revised maintenance plan: To improve efficiency and prevent recurrence
• Operator re-training: To upgrade competency and avoid issues.
• Cost alignment and Impact: Quantify the cost and measure the impact of the solution.

Control Phase

• To retain the improvements, implement necessary controls (e.g., updated procedures, monitoring).
• Visualize a graph showing throughput vs. downtime (time & cost) for visualization and data analysis.