Phase 1: Problem Definition and Analysis
Problem Identification:
- Symptom vs. Root Problem: Distinguish between what you observe and the underlying issue
- Problem Boundaries: Define what's included and excluded from the problem scope
- Stakeholder Analysis: Identify who is affected and who has influence
- Constraint Identification: List limitations, resources, and requirements
- Success Criteria: Define what a successful solution looks like
Problem Decomposition:
- Hierarchical Breakdown: Break complex problems into smaller, manageable parts
- Systems Analysis: Understand how different components interact
- Timeline Analysis: Identify when different aspects of the problem occur
- Causal Analysis: Map cause-and-effect relationships
- Priority Assessment: Determine which sub-problems are most critical
Information Gathering:
- Data Collection: Gather quantitative and qualitative information
- Source Evaluation: Assess credibility and reliability of information
- Gap Analysis: Identify what information is missing
- Assumption Documentation: List and test your assumptions
- Expert Consultation: Seek input from knowledgeable sources
Phase 2: Solution Generation and Development
Divergent Thinking Techniques:
Advanced Brainstorming Methods:
- Brainwriting: Silent idea generation before discussion
- Nominal Group Technique: Structured group problem-solving
- Electronic Brainstorming: Use digital tools for anonymous input
- Reverse Brainstorming: Generate ways to cause the problem, then reverse them
SCAMPER Technique (Detailed Application):
- Substitute: What materials, people, or processes can be substituted?
- Combine: What ideas, purposes, or units can be combined?
- Adapt: What else is like this? What other ideas does this suggest?
- Modify/Magnify: What can be emphasized, enlarged, or extended?
- Put to Other Uses: How else can this be used? Are there new ways to use as is?
- Eliminate: What can be removed, simplified, reduced, or streamlined?
- Reverse/Rearrange: What can be reversed, turned backward, or rearranged?
Convergent Thinking Techniques:
Solution Evaluation Matrix:
- List all potential solutions
- Define evaluation criteria (cost, time, feasibility, impact)
- Score each solution on each criterion
- Weight criteria by importance
- Calculate overall scores and rank solutions
Decision Trees:
- Map out decision points and possible outcomes
- Assign probabilities to different outcomes
- Calculate expected values for each path
- Choose the path with the highest expected value