Question

Case Study- Problem Solving Assignment

The Issue Better Faster Cheaper

Prior to the beginning of the recent recession, your company had decided to hire a consulting company to audit the business operations for inefficiencies. As the recession impacted profits, company leadership made the decision to implement the recommendations of the report immediately.

According to the conclusions of the audit, there was a tendency of the company to add employees over the years for the purpose of responding to new business requirements. In other words, the business had a tendency to grow departments in their attempts to solve problems rather than discover new modes of management, new procedures,or new production techniques.

Company leaders have decided to solve the problem of operational inefficiencies by doing things with fewer resources. Moreover, in order to survive and thrive in the sluggish economy against other global competitors, they have decided that all business operations must also do their duties faster and better than before. The new company motto for efficiency is better faster cheaper.

Your manager has given you the task of reducing inefficiencies on your shift. She is expecting you to reduce your personnel from 15 to 12 or fewer. You are expected to do more with fewer workers.

Furthermore, you are expected to improve quality while getting the job done faster.One of the most difficult tasks that your crew performs is also vital to the production lines, namely, the monthly confined space procedure. According to regulatory requirements, the large 5 metre deep tanks must be cleaned, maintained and inspected. The confined space procedure has typically required 90 minutes, not including the preparation and clean up, during which time the production lines are shut down. Furthermore, all of your workers have been involved and required for the safe completion of the task.

You are concerned that doing such a task according to the new company motto better faster cheaper may not be possible. Reducing the task from 90 minutes to 60 minutes without the required number of workers may jeopardize the health and safety of your crew. Secondly, it may reduce the level of success of the task itself, thereby potentially impacting the production lines and product.
Question : Defining the problem
Examine the scenario in order to clarify what the problem actually is. Briefly describe your initial reaction to the scenario. Then describe how you have redefined the problem after having completed your analysis. What were the most important factors that influenced your problem definition? Can this problem be thought of as an opportunity? Should you tackle the problem directly?

Answer 1

The problem is to reduce inefficiencies and improve quality and productivity. Initially, the challenge was to reduce the time for a specific procedure, but the problem is redefined as improving operational efficiencies while ensuring worker safety and maintaining quality. Tackling the problem directly is necessary, but with precautions.

Step-by-step explanation:

The problem in this case study is the need to reduce inefficiencies in the company's operations while also improving quality and productivity. Initially, the challenge seemed to be reducing the time taken for the monthly confined space procedure from 90 minutes to 60 minutes without jeopardizing the safety of the workers. However, after analysis, the problem can be redefined as finding a way to improve operational efficiencies and productivity in the company while ensuring worker safety and maintaining the quality of the monthly confined space procedure.

The most important factors that influenced the problem definition are the need to reduce personnel and do more with fewer workers, the pressure to improve quality and productivity in a sluggish economy, and the regulatory requirement of the confined space procedure. This problem can be seen as an opportunity to streamline operations and find innovative solutions to achieve better performance.

Tackling the problem directly is necessary to achieve the desired improvements in efficiency, quality, and productivity. However, it is crucial to ensure that worker safety and the integrity of the confined space procedure are not compromised.