Problem Definition Format

Problem Definition Format

The format of the problem definition lists the four basic questions on the left, each of which breaks into specifics with space to the right to collect information on the right. This format can be thought of as checklist of information to collect for an investigation. This format is sometimes referred to as a problem outline.

What	Problem
When	Date
	Time
	Different, Unusual, Unique
Where	Physical Location
	Unit, Area, Equipment
	Process (Work being done)
Impact to Goals
	Safety
	Environmental
	Customer Service
	Production Schedule
	Materials, Labor
		This Incident
	Frequency
		Annual Total

The four basic questions don’t change, but the specific information collected within each question reflects that particular organization (industry). This is an example outline for an industrial company (based on the goals). Each of the questions will be explained in this section.

What - This first question is used to accommodate different views of the problem. If there two different views of what the problem is then write them both down. There’s no need to pick the problem in this question. The answers don’t need to be complete sentences – just short phrases like a headline or a title. This question can be short (5 -10 seconds). The “problems” offered in this question will most like appear as causes in the analysis of the issue.

When – This question collects information related to the timing of this incident. There is a line item for date and time. If more than one date or time is offered it should be collected in a timeline (see timeline section for additional explanation). The contextual timing is also collected here. The question is “Was anything different, unusual or unique” when the incident occurred. This information can prove valuable during the cause-and-effect analysis. The when and the where questions provide the time and the place which also known as the setting of a story in literature.

Where – This question captures information related to the location where the incident occurred. The physical location captures city, site and building information. More detail such as the operating unit or area and any equipment identification can also be added here. The process location refers to where within the work process this incident occurred. The question here is “What were we doing when the incident happened?”

Goals – This question captures the impact to the organization’s goals. The goals are listed vertically with space to the right where the impact on each one is quantified for a given incident. The impact should be written as specific as possible for accuracy. Some of the goals such as production, materials and labor may have costs associated with them that can be captured and totaled for this incident (annualized). If a goal was not affected then the word “None” is written next to it. This focus on the goals requires an organization to identify its list overall goals.

The last question under the goals is the frequency of occurrence for the specific issue and any similar instances. Depending on the circumstances the frequency can be a multiplier changing a seemingly basic issue into a major concern. Costs issues can be captured for an incident and then annualized based on the estimated frequency of occurrence.