CHAPTER 10

Creative Problem Solving Tools

Learning Outcomes
By the end of the topic, you should be able to:
• List the most common tools used in problem solving
• Describe brainstorming, benchmarking, flow charts, and SWOT analysis as problem-
solving tools
• Identify when and how each problem solving tool is used
• Apply appropriate tools effectively to problems you may encounter.
INTRODUCTION
• These tools will help you to understand complicated and difficult situations.
• Without these tools, some problems might seem overwhelming and complex
• These tools can help to break down problems into manageable components and aid in
the development of suitable solutions.
• Start with the simplest and probably most common tool used which is brainstorming, and
gradually move on to more complex tools such as benchmarking, cause and effect
diagrams, flow charts, SWOT analysis and prioritization matrix.
BRAINSTORMING
What is Brainstorming?
• Brainstorming is a lively technique that helps a group to generate as many ideas as
possible in a short time
• use brainstorming in an informal manner in many situations in our everyday life.
• Let's say you are with a group of friends and are trying to decide where to go for a meal.
You might engage in a very rudimentary form of brainstorming whereby everyone gives
suggestions of where to eat and the one most of you agree upon is chosen.
• Brainstorming can be initiated by "seeding" the session with a randomly selected word.
• This word acts as a catalyst for the generation of ideas.
Cont…
• Since the idea behind brainstorming is to open up a multitude of otherwise unexpected
possibilities and eliminate any preconceptions that may be associated with the problem,
it is essential that no criticism of ideas takes place during the brainstorming session.
• The ideas should be critically analyzed to weed out the least effective or practical
possibilities only after the session has been completed.
Cont…
Who uses it?
• Anybody should be welcomed to participate in a brainstorming session.
• There are practical limitations as to who could participate but with the right tools
(hardware), hundreds of people could be involved(such as an online session).
• The more people involved, the longer it takes together ideas, and the harder it is to
determine which are the best ideas.
• The benefit of having a large number of people involved in a brainstorming session, of
course, is that you are more likely to come up with new radical ideas.
• If you invite people with different perspectives to brainstorm, you are more likely to see
innovative ideas generated by the group.
How to use it?
Can be approached through the following series of steps:
(i)Define and agree on the objective. Explain to the members of the team what the purpose
of the session is.
(ii)Explain the method to be employed. Tell the team members that you are open to any
ideas and thoughts so that the team could come outwit many creative ideas
(iii) Allow time to reflect on the purpose of the session. Ask the team members to think
about the proposed objective or topic in a given time frame.
(iv)Generate ideas. This is the brainstorming portion of the session. The team members
shall pitch in ideas and possible solutions while you jot down all of them on a flip chart.
(v)Discuss the ideas. Once the list is completed, confer with your team to:
• Explain the meaning of some ideas,
• Combine ideas with the same meaning, and
• Remove the ideas that are totally out from the topic
Individual and group brainstorming
A brainstorming exercise can be carried out either by discrete individuals, in groups, or in a
combination of the two:
(i)Individual brainstorming may yield a greater diversity of ideas but does a poor job of
developing these ideas.
(ii) Group brainstorming may generate fewer ideas but tends to develop ideas in more
depth as various levels of creativity and knowledge among the group members tend to
allow more exploration of any ideas. One problem with group brainstorming is that highly
creative but quiet or shy individuals tend to under-contribute.
BENCHMARKING
What is it?
• Process of measuring and comparing an organization's internal processes with those of
another organization that has outstanding practices in order to study ways to improve
those processes.
• It is a technique used to develop new ideas for improvement by identifying,
understanding, and adapting the selected processes.

Who uses it?

• Any party with a vested interest can use it.
• It is very important, however, that a person who is knowledgeable in the process(es) you
are analyzing is included in the team.
BENCHMARKING
How to use it:
(i) Choose an organization whose processes you want to benchmark.
(ii) Contact the benchmark organization to clarify the intention of your exercise
(iii) If possible, visit the organization to collect data:
• Establish in advance what information you want to gather.
• In order for the benchmark organization to prepare for your visit, send a list of questions in advance.
(iv) Confirm on an agenda for the visit.
(v)Decide a meeting, visit the benchmark organization and gather the answers to your questions.
(vi) Information sharing should be mutual, and you should be willing to provide comparable data about your
own organization to the benchmark organization.
(vi) Analyze the differences in processes between your organization and the benchmark organization.
(vii) Present the results to the team, set new targets and use the results in the process of improvements.
FLOW CHART
What are they?
• Flow charts are a simplified form of system diagrams that show how the steps in a process relate to each
other.
• Useful tool in problem-solving because they help us to define and analyze a problem as well as to gain a clear
step-by-step picture of the potential causes of the problem.
• The step-by-step approach allows us to design solutions for specific areas that may require improvement.
FLOW CHART
How to use the tool?
i. A flow chart consists of symbols connected by arrows representing steps in a process and their
connectivity.
ii. Three main symbols are used in drawing flowcharts, namely, elongated circles that are used to represent
the start or end of a process; rectangles that show instructions or actions; and diamonds that represent
decisions to be made.
iii. Each of these symbols is labelled to show what it represents and all are connected to one another by
arrows to show the progression of a process.
FLOW CHART
To draw the flow chart
i. Begin by listing all the tasks associated with the process you are examining
ii. Draw and label the START of the flowchart (an elongated circle shape)
iii. Continue to develop the flowchart by drawing the appropriate action sand decisions in the order that they
occur and connecting all of these(iv)by arrows. Remember to use the correct symbol for every task;
iv. Continue making the flowchart until you reach the end. Label the last task END (an elongated circle shape
as used for the start);
v. Try your best to fit every process on only ONE piece of paper. If your process is too complicated for this,
consider revising it. However, if the flowchart must continue beyond one sheet of paper, use symbols
known as connectors in the form of numbered circles to connect separate flowcharts.
THE COMPONENT PART OF TYPICAL FLOW CHART
SELF-CHECK
Process: How to make 3 different cups of coffee:
i) With no milk or sugar
ii) With milk and sugar
iii) With milk but no sugar
Draw a single flow chart for the process above.
SWOT ANALYSIS
What is SWOT?
• SWOT stands for STRENGTHS, WEAKNESSES, OPPORTUNITIES and THREATS.
• This is a technique often used in a business context to allow an organization to identify its niche in a market. It
can also be used on a personal basis to understand how best to take advantage of your abilities and gifts to
become successful.
• SWOT analysis enables you to uncover opportunities that you may have been unaware of and helps you to
prepare to face any threats or dangers that may lie ahead.
• SWOT analysis can be used in many different contexts but is most effective when used as a tool in a situation
where there is competition from others. This includes not only the business environment but also activities
such assorts (especially team sports like football). See Figure 8.5 for further understanding about WOT
analysis.
SWOT ANALYSIS
How to use it?
i) Internal Analysis: By studying the strengths and weaknesses of organization, assess the capabilities of your
organization.
ii) External Analysis: From the main points in the environmental analysis, identify the opportunities and
threats open to organization. Additional information may be obtained from your users or customers by
means of a survey or by using a tally sheet.
iii) Determine if the collected data uncover external opportunities or threats
iv) With the information gathered in the first two steps, enter the data into a table.
v) This information can be used to develop a strategy
• Maximizes the strengths and opportunities of your organization
• reduces its weaknesses
• unminimizes the threats it faces in a way that the objectives of organization can be met.
SUMMARY
• Problem solving tools range from simple commonly used techniques like flow diagrams to specific techniques
like WOT analysis.
• These tools are used to conduct a rigorous analysis of problems to help you look at as many factors as
possible in a structured and methodical way.
• Problem solving tools can be divided into two categories. The first set comprises general tools that can be
used to resolve any situation. These include: brainstorming; benchmarking and flowcharts.
• The second set of tools is applied to specific situations. These include: SWOT analysis.
• Brainstorming is a method for developing creative solutions to problems becoming up with as many solutions
as possible and by pushing the ideas as far as possible.
• Benchmarking is a technique by which you compare the processes of inorganization with those of similar
organizations to study ways to improve the processes.
• Flow charts are diagrams showing how steps in a process fit together. This makes them useful tools for
communicating how processes work and for clearly documenting how a particular job is done.
• SWOT Analysis is a powerful technique for understanding Strengths and Weaknesses, and for looking at the
Opportunities and Threats