Approaches to problem solving and improvement

Reminder: Problem solving and improvement are best done using 'systematic rational thought supported by relevant information' (Gruenig and Kuehn, 2005, p8)

How do you make sure you are doing this?? Use an approach or method.

This forces the user to ensure that bits that might conveniently be omitted are confronted and examined. It also provides a way for someone looking to verify the results to ensure that the problem was tackled in a sensible way, allowing confidence in the solution.

Approaches can be reductionist (designed to solve science problems - see also Portal and Portal 2) or holistic.

Reductionist approaches, according to waddington 1977 require
1. devising alternative hypotheses
2. devising a crucial experiment .... [to] exclude one or more of the hypotheses
3. carry out the experiment...and recycle the procedure making sybhypotheses or sequential hypotheses to define the possibilities that remain

^^^ the "method of strong inference"

A holistic approach considers the reactions between components to be just as important as the components themselves.

Block 1 p38 table 1.2 shows a comparison between holistic and reductionist approaches.


An alternative discriminator is to consider whether approaches are heuristic or analytic. Heuristics are rules of thumb, strategies, tricks, simplifications etc. A way to limit search for solutions in large problem spaces. A useful heuristic "offers solutions which are good enough most of the time". Examples are means-end analysis and planning.

Analytic problem solving uses techniques to conduct rigorous analysis. There may be limitations as to when they can be applied.

Solutions based on analytic techniques can be assessed by criteria in four areas
1. content (what will be the outcome)
2. level (a kind of performance indicator)
3. how long the solution will be valid for
4. its scope

Diagram 1.2 p40 block 1

Pick two out of three: cheap, fast or effective. You can't have all - related to time/quality/cost.