The Quality Toolbox: Problem Solving Tools

Brainstorming: Brainstorming is a Phase I problem solving tool that is used to generate as many ideas as possible related to a given problem, with an emphasis on sheer quantity of ideas. Creative thinking should be encouraged during brainstorming, with no judgment or evaluation of ideas taking place during this activity. The goal is to identify as many potential causes of a problem as possible, even if some of these causes seem to be so off the wall that they couldn’t possibly apply. While the “crazy” ideas may not be feasible, they often foster a creative environment which stimulates valid ideas that otherwise may not have been considered.

This environment should encourage critical thinking of a problem or process to gain a comprehensive perspective of causes, solutions, and potential consequences. The brainstorming team should include not only members intimately involved with the process, but also representatives from internal customers on either end of the subject process. This team activity is best done on a white board or flip chart, requiring one person to fill the role of scribe and document all of the ideas that are generated by the team. There are a number of rules that should be followed to facilitate a successful brainstorming session, as shown in the adjacent Figure.

Cause & Effect Diagram: A cause & effect diagram is a Phase II problem solving tool with the purpose of analyzing relationships between a problem and its causes. The cause & effect diagram is also known as a fishbone diagram (for obvious reasons), or an Ishikawa diagram, named after its inventor Dr. Kaoru Ishikawa. During this activity, all the ideas generated during the brainstorming session are evaluated and categorized as they relate to the subject problem. At this point many of the ideas generated during brainstorming may be eliminated, while new ones may be added. The category names can be changed to fit the problem, but common categories are Methods, Machines, Environment, People, and Materials.