Problem Solving

Any failure to fully utilize the time and talents of people.

Intellect

A team's first step in assessing a performance gap is to identify and review:

Key Performance Indicators

Determined by your customer for any product, service, or process

Value

This process isolates root causes by going over the same question until no more answers can be found

5 whys technique

A well-developed ________ tells a team what tasks or activities need to be carried out to implement the solution, who will be responsible for each task or activity, and what the target dates are for completion of each task

Action Plan

This tool used to create countermeasures helps you communicate the tasks that need to be accomplished in order to implement the solution. It can also be use to determine what needs to be done in order to solve the problem.

Action Plans

This step is not about asking yes or no, but rather how will the goal will be achieved. You should ask questions such as, "do we have what we need to achieve success?" And, if not "What are we missing?" This statement BEST describes which of the following steps of the SMART Goals criteria?

Actionable

Tool that gathers large amounts of data including ideas, opinions, concepts, and issues then groups them based on their natural relationships.

Affinity Diagram

Resources are available. Some risk may be present, but success is possible.

Attainable

MSgt Hardaway says, "your team has completed the problem-solving process, started a specific action plan and included countermeasures to identify the root of the problem. Before accomplishing the last step, you want to observe your project's performance based on what was established in Step 3".

B-SMART

Ensure your metrics don't create work for another unit or organization

Balanced

A very effective technique that helps generate a large number of ideas. It is a fastmoving process that is most effective in group situations and can cause a very effective chain reaction as groups collaborate to identify a variety of ideas regarding a problem.

Brainstorming

This is a quick process that can cause a very effective chain reaction as people collaborate to identify ideas concerning a problem. This statement BEST describes which of the following root case analysis tools that assist in problem solving efforts?

Brainstorming

Great for finding the real cause of a problem and is often used in conjunction with brainstorming

Cause and Effect Diagram

Msgt Smith says, "This instrument can help you find the true cause of a problem. First, you must reduce the problem into a words that precisely capture it. Then, locate the main categories of the problem. Finally, you have to figure ot the root caus of the problem.?

Cause and Effect Diagram

With an effective monitoring system, teams can determine whether specific tasks are being performed , or if short-term targets are being achieved as planned.

Collect data according to the action plans

Helps you find things going on in your process that you would not other wise be able to see.

Control Chart.

Changing old ideas to create brand new ones or taking a different approach to a common situation.

Creative Thinking

Restricts the free flow of ideas and defeats the purpose of brainstorming

Criticism

Helps analyze several similar options to make a rational decision and is useful when there is a number of options to consider but there is no obvious clear choice.

Decision Matrix Analysis

Work that contains errors, rework, mistakes, or lacks something necessary.

Defects

The impact of a solution is a combination of the quality of the solution and the acceptance of the solution by the people who must implement it.

Develop Countermeasures.

Can a countermeasure help the team achieve the target or goal, how well does it work, and will this countermeasure prevent reoccurrence of the problem are all question to ask when determining:

Effectiveness

Questioning if this countermeasure can assist you in reaching your target or goal, and if this counter measure will stop the problem from occurring again BEST describes which analyzing alternatives

Effectiveness

More data, tools, or other equipment on hand is required at the time Best describes which type of waste?

Excessive Inventory

Is this countermeasure possible in this situation considering cost, safety, resources, management approval, and time are all things to consider for:

Feasibility

This technique identifies root causes by asking questions until they can no longer be answered.

Five Whys

THe goal of the ___________ is to get as close to the ideal state as practically possible, while being realistically achievable in a reasonable state of time.

Future State

Allows the team to envision what it believes the process can practically be improved to look like.

Future State Mapping

This means to observe and see what is going on in work centers.

Go and See

Thinking about how your process would operate in a perfect world with no constraints

Ideal-State Mapping

Determining if this countermeasure will generate additional problems than it will solve and what effects will this countermeasure have on other areas best describes which factor of analyzing alternatives

Impact

Will this countermeasure create more problems have, effects on my job, team, other operations, and the Air Force are all things to consider for:

Impact

When conditions change, this helps continue moving toward your desired goal

Implement contingency plans

This requires a large group of people and is completed over an extended period of time. An example is to improve the wait times at the hospital pharmacy. BEST describes determine scope of effort during first step of any large-scale project?

Improvement Project.

This should not only help units evaluate their level of mission readiness, but should do so without causing additional burden to other unit processes.

Key performance indicators & Metrics.

Include time Frames and have data obtainable from specific sources.

Measurable

This step is used by asking the question, "what defines success?" Some answers may be simple, while others may require data. Regardless, the answer to the question must appropriately reflect success. This statement BEST describes which of the following steps of the SMART Goals criteria?

Measurable

To include timelines and have information available from particular sources best describes which (B-SMART) metrics?

Measurable

Movement of people that does not add value

Motion

Discerning the present situation and creating ideas about the problem BEST describes which of the following methods to standardize successful processes?

Observe

A never-ending process aimed at constant, continuous improvement.

Observe, Orient, Describe, Act.

Identifying openings in the marketplace, and isolating tendencies that will improve your organization BEST describes which stage of SWOT analysis?

Opportunities

Collecting metrics and information to validate ideas BEST describes which of the following methods to standardize successful processes?

Orient

Gathering or creating more of something than is needed at that moment.

Over Production

Used to prioritize potential causes of a problem and to identify improvement opportunities.

Pareto Diagram

Processes aimed at constant, continuous improvement.

Problem solving and Decision making

The standardized way managers "go and see" that the process is delivering its target condition and where it isn't, understand and act on the root causes.

Process confirmation

Detailing the specific actions that are taken throughout your entire process or a specific portion of your processes.

Process mapping

This includes a group of people and can done in a few days. To improve success, a contract should be created, a team formed and communication starting as soon as possible. BEST describes scope of effort required during the first step of any large-scale project?

Rapid Improvement Event

Trade off between digging as deeply as possible and finding the deepest point that is still within the team's sphere of influence

Root-Cause Analysis

Analyzes a project or business venture by focusing on internal and external factors

SWOT Analysis

The regular, usually cleaning and maintenance. You'll need to inspect everything while cleaning, including machines, tools, equipment, and supplies.

Shine

A structured process for bringing affirmative answers to the questions and provides the foundation for visually managing the workplace. It is a basic fundamental, systematic approach for productivity, quality, and safety improvement in all types of business.

Six S

Methodical system for efficiency, quality, and safety improvement in all types of areas.

Six S

Keeping only what is necessary and discarding items that are already used/no longer needed.

Sort

Have desirable outputs based on subject matter expert knowledge and experience, and applicable to the process-improvement activity.

Specific

This step is the most significant part of creating or assessing a goal. The less you practice this step the more challenging it is to determine how long the goal should take to complete, or how to measure success. This statement BEST describes which of the following steps of the SMART Goals criteria?

Specific

Represents the best-known way to complete a task and ensures the same work will yield the same results every time.

Standard work.

Once completed makes it easy to maintain your procedures. Identify the fastest, safest, best quality, repeatable steps, but be sure to allow for individual creativity in improving the standards.

Standardize

Most commonly skipped and under-completed step of the enter Practical problem-solving method

Standardize success processes

Involves organizing, identifying, and arranging everything in a work area. There should be a "place for everything and everything in its place," with everything properly identified and labeled.

Straighten

MSgt Green says, "This tool Guarantees that everyone is working together to meet the goals of their leadership"

Strategic Alignment and Deployment (SA&D)

Used to ensure everyone in an organization is working effectively toward the same goals identified by senior leadership. It ensures resources and activities are linked to the key strategies, directives, and goals of the organization.

Strategic Alignment and Deployment (SA&D)

Visions of what the organization should strive to become. This vision should be a view into the future that succinctly describes how your organization will conduct business.

Strategic Targets

In a SWOT Analysis these parts of your business that are doing well and give you a competitive advantage.

Strengths

Once established the focus shifts to continued training on, and adherence to, the standards. This is best accomplished by establishing a formal system for monitoring the results of Six S. Make needed changes in the standards and provide training that addresses those changes.

Sustain

Define the performance level necessary to make your strategic vision a reality. Targets should be challenging, but achievable, and have B-SMART characteristics.

Tactical Level Targets.

In a SWOT Analysis these could be market fluctuations, regulations and/or public perception

Threats

Provide step-by-step views versus giant leaps and be measurable at interim milestones.

Timely

Provides leaders with self-running, self-regulating organizations and stresses communication via bulletin boards, graphics, status boards, web portals, dashboards, etc., that make performance of the process immediately visible to anyone walking in the area. The purpose is to assure everyone knows the current priorities, status, and upcoming events, with no filtering.

Visual Management

MSgt Ryan says, this tool can help you recognize which processes are useful and those that are not. It is used to find out the needs of a stakeholder.

Voice of the Customer

Tell us which process truly add value and those that are time wasters.

Voice of the Customer

Idle time created when material, information, people, or equipment is not ready.

Waiting

Anything that uses resources but does not add real value to the products or services in your organization.

Waste Analysis

In SWOT Analysis these are the factors that put you at a disadvantage to your competitors

Weaknesses

Managers who are poor at ______ inadvertently cause a myriad of problems: botched projects, broken trust with employees and higher-ups, wasted money and time, and even layoffs or firings.

follow-through

Development of new twists on ideas, problems, or solutions. Generating a new idea by combining two or more ideas together.

piggybacking

This is often linked to the communications plan developed in step five, "develop countermeasures," and may be needed at several levels simultaneously. Implementers and front-line supervisors need the most intensive training with less detailed, but no less important, training at echelons above.

provide required training.

Link to the mission, vision, and goals, and be meaningful to the user.

results focus