Our National Pastime: Problems

Problems…Here. There. Everywhere

Think of a real life problem you would really like to see solved. Here are a few to stimulate your thinking:

• Starvation in India, in spite of food wastage
• Dependence on monsoons for water supply, resulting in water cuts
• Overcrowded public transport
• Chronic craters on the roads of Mumbai
• Daily garbage not collected leading to diseases
• Obesity in children in metro cities

Now think about how you came to define these problems as problems. In all probability, your view was influenced by the media and press. That is legitimate. But it is not the job of the media and press to solve problems. Solving these problems is the job of governments and municipalities.

Problem-Solvers…Nowhere

Most people who should be responsible for solving these problems don’t seem to have the time or inclination to think intensely about the problems. So obviously, these problems remain unsolved. By and large, we are all guilty.

In order to find a solution to a problem, we must all learn to define a problem. A good problem statement must be:

• Specific
• Observable
• Measureable

Remember: A good problem statement leads to a good solution. A bad problem statement leads to a bad solution.

The same applies to industry. I am sure there are numerous problems that you would like to see solved. Here are a few examples:

• Absenteeism
• Excess inventory
• Breakdowns in the plant
• Accounts receivable
• Attrition
• Chronic waste
• Chronic reworks
• Customer dissatisfaction
• Etc.

Solutions…Right There

In the above cases you probably tend to see each problem from a departmental perspective. More specifically, how a specific symptom of the problem impacts you. This is myopic.

Effective managers must think intensely about these problems, organization-wide. They must think about the related processes end to end; that is from supplier’s supplier to customer’s end-user. They must establish the inefficiencies in the processes and pull the alarm in terms of Cost Of Poor Quality (COPQ).

COPQ erodes the bottom line by at least 20% of total costs!!

Several organizations in India have made a habit of problem solving. Examples abound: Titan, Mahindra Farm Equipment, HDFC, Yes Bank, and more.

Maybe it’s time that governments and municipalities benchmark these sterling organizations?

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