Not Recognizing Problems Exist is a BIG Problem

I teach a lot of problem solving tools. In fact, much of continuous improvement is just various forms of problem solving.

Most of the tools are just standardized solutions to problems that most people face in their jobs. Take andon lights, for example. The first person who came up with the system likely saw that getting people to help at a workstation quickly was a problem, and probably went through several iterations to get what is commonly used today. And undoubtedly, people will still see problems with how the lights work and will continue to improve them.

But there is an interesting phenomenon about the tools that exist in the Lean arsenal. Each one, by its existence, makes us look at our operation, and find problems for the tools to address. These problems exist—this is not a case of a solution looking for a problem. It is a case of the solutions making us recognize that there are problems.

Now, that is actually the hardest step in problem solving. Some problems will jump out at us. We tend to attack them. But lots of problems are ones that we don’t even see as problems. There are many things that we just live with and become numb to. Once we are numb to something, we stop seeing it as a problem, and just live with it.

In fact, most of what you read about problem solving steps start with something about defining the problem. Some will talk about identifying issues. Both of those steps center on the presumption that you acknowledge that there is even an issue or a problem.

What about those cases in which people don’t see a problem? What then?

Sometimes, it is out of your hands. Your manager will tell you there is a problem, and it is your job to solve it. The manager is the source of ignition for this effort.

But what if you are the manager, or are a small business owner, or just don’t have much oversight in your job. How, then, do you go about admitting that there is a problem?

Start from this assumption: Your operation has lots of problems.

I guarantee it. I have yet to see a perfect process. There are lots of streamlined ones, and there are many that run like clockwork, and yet, when you throw a kaizen team at those strong processes, you get a laundry list of waste, and a long list of issues and opportunities.

So how can you go about looking for problems you are numb to?

1. Get an interruption log and list every single time you have to stop working to handle other work. In most cases, there is a problem buried in interruptions.
2. Take a video of yourself working. You’ll see things from a different perspective. Waste and problems will jump out.
3. Write down every time you have to wait for something. Most waits are a problem. Even if you are waiting for a machine to run or for a computer to process some data, you should look for the problems behind those waits.
4. Treat every pile of work as a problem. Ask why the work could not flow straight through without stopping. Every speedbump or checkpoint should be looked at as a problem.
5. Get someone who is not familiar with your operation to watch you. They see things differently than you do.
6. Ask your customers. They will probably have a list at the ready. This includes your internal customers.
7. Ask your vendors. They work with a lot of customers, so can compare you side by side with others. They will have some insight for you.
8. Do a flow chart of your process. Be sure to include every ‘if’ and ‘when.’ By that, I mean that every time something could go on to more than one process step, there should be a decision point. The more granular you get, the more complicated the flow chart will be. Look at every decision point, initially, as a problem. Some won’t be, but the majority will have some problems associated with them.
9. Look at your metrics. Every miss has some problems there. Now there can be some debate here, as most metrics will have improvement targets built in. But setting improvement targets is really about pushing us to uncover problems when we otherwise might be content with where we are.
10. Look at your daily management. Every time you fall off the planned pace, there is a problem. The problem might be in your planning, but that is still a problem that you can solve.

The point of this list is to get aggressive in looking for problems. The longer the list, assuming you are actually working on it, the better you will be.

I also highly recommend staffing teams to be able to actually work off of problem lists. One of the reasons people become numb to problems initially is that they have no choice. Without time to work on them, they simply do a bad process, and stop seeing it as a problem.

And that is a big problem in continuous improvement.