Using Graphic Tools to Improve Programs and Problem Solve - With New Tools Great for Group Problem Solving

This is a repost of an earlier article on problem solving and continuous improvement.

The new material includes problem solving methods which are also great team exercises. Group problem solving often reveals gaps in strategic and operational standards and organizational understanding (operational or mission silos). As you work toward solving a problem, you may discover you had other problems which contribute to the reasons your original problem exits.

When developing a process or program or improving a process or program, affinity diagrams and mind maps can help you discover what could make a program or process most effective or more effective (proactive) or what might be causing a defect (reactive) in your program or process.

Affinity diagrams and mind maps are similar techniques to encourage creative problem-solving and brainstorming. They both use graphic tools to show how ideas are related and to organize thoughts concerning a problem.

Affinity diagrams (additional information included toward the end of the article)

Affinity diagrams can be created using a top-down or bottom-up approach. ??You can find out more about affinity diagrams here.

Top-down approach

A top-down affinity diagram starts with high-level ideas. Participants then brainstorm things associated with each high-level idea. A WBS is an example of an affinity diagram: The high-level ideas are the deliverables, and the things associated with each deliverable are the activities to achieve it.

If one or more of the high-level ideas is causing problems with your program, the brainstormed details represent thoughts on who is involved in the process, identified risks and other things related to the problem’s cause. Look at these details for opportunities to improve your program.

Let’s look at a top-down affinity diagram in trying to determine the reasons for improving team meetings:

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Bottom-up approach

In a bottom-up affinity diagram, participants jot down every reason they can think of that relates to achieving your program goal. It’s helpful to do this on sticky notes or index cards, one idea per piece of paper. Participants then review the ideas and group them into categories. This results in ideas for the high-level causes of issues that can be addressed as a whole, rather than addressing each individual potential cause.

Now, let’s look at a bottom-up affinity diagram in trying to determine the reasons related to content creation.

Mind maps

In mind mapping, you start with a central idea, such as developing a sound business plan. That central idea is written in a circle in the middle of a flipchart or whiteboard. Participants brainstorm the main causes related to a sound business plan and add them to the central idea on “spokes” radiating from the central “hub.” Participants then address each spoke, adding causes for the spoke on “spears” attached to the spoke. As ideas bubble up, they’re added as major spokes or as causes to the spoke.

You can be as granular as you like by adding causes for the spears and so on. The result is a robust view of what it takes to develop your plan or program, which can be analyzed and prioritized after the brainstorming session.

Let’s look at a mind map for strategies to develop a business plan.

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After deciding which tools to use to manage problem solving for your program, add the tool your program development and management plan.

These tools can be used to encourage creative problem-solving and brainstorming. Using graphic tools to show how ideas are related and to organize thoughts concerning a problem will almost magically present a picture of what you need to do and how to do it.

Additional Tools Which are Also Good Group Exercises

The Ishikawa Fishbone Diagram IFD

The model introduced by Ishikawa (also known as the fishbone diagram) is considered one of the most robust methods for conducting root cause analysis. This model uses the assessment of the 6Ms as a methodology for identifying the true or most probable root cause to determine corrective and preventive actions. The 6Ms include:

• Man
• Machine
• Methods
• Materials
• Measurement,
• Mother Nature- i.e., Environment

Pareto Chart

The Pareto Chart is a series of bars whose heights reflect the frequency or impact of problems. On the Chart, bars are arranged in descending order of height from left to right, which means the categories represented by the tall bars on the left are relatively more frequent than those on the right.

If your problems can be identified in less than seven different types, this chart is easier for the visually inclined audience to understand.

5 Whys

One of my favorite which is related to the Socratic Method. This model uses the 5 Why by asking why 5 times to find the root cause of the problem. It generally takes five iterations of the questioning process to arrive at the root cause of the problem and that's why this model got its name as 5 Whys. But it is perfectly fine for a facilitator to ask less or more questions depending on the needs.

?4. Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA)

FMEA is a technique used to identify process and product problems before they occur. It focuses on how and when a system will fail, not if it will fail. In this model, each failure mode is assessed for:

• Severity (S)
• Occurrence (O)
• Detection (D)

A combination of the three scores produces a risk priority number (RPN). The RPN is then provided a ranking system to prioritize which problem must gain more attention first.

Scatter Diagram

A scatter diagram also known as a scatter plot is a graph in which the values of two variables are plotted along two axes, the pattern of the resulting points revealing any correlation present.

To use scatter plots in root cause analysis, an independent variable or suspected cause is plotted on the x-axis and the dependent variable (the effect) is plotted on the y-axis. If the pattern reflects a clear curve or line, it means they are correlated. If required, more sophisticated correlation analyses can be continued.

This is also one of my favorites, even though identifying the values is in itself a revealing exercise.

6. Affinity Diagram (previously discussed, but with some added information)

Also known as KJ Diagram, this model is used to represent the structure of big and complex factors that impact a problem or a situation. It divides these factors into small classifications according to their similarity to assist in identifying the major causes of the problem.

This is also a good group exercise in which discussing and identify factors will reveal significant differences in understanding (often associated with silos and territorial thinking, resulting in a lack of organizational unity)

Fault Tree Analysis (FTA)

The Fault Tree Analysis uses Boolean logic to arrive at the cause of a problem. It begins with a defined problem and works backward to identify what factors contributed to the problem using a graphical representation called the Fault Tree. It takes a top-down approach starting with the problem and evaluating the factors that caused the problem.

Finding the root cause isn't an easy because there is not always one root cause. You may have to repeat your experiment several times to arrive at it to eliminate the encountered problem. Using a scientific approach to solving problems works. So, it’s important to learn the several problem-solving tools and techniques at your fingertips so you can use the ones appropriate for different situations.

This is also a good group exercise and may reveal issue related to poor organizational collaboration and/or sharing of a common goal.