Chapter 4
Step 1: Identify
Step 1Problem StatementList ReductionWeighted Voting
Step 1: Identify. How to define a clear, measurable problem statement that the whole team agrees on. The foundation of every successful improvement project.
Every PIPS project starts here. Step 1 is about defining what you are solving before you try to solve it. It sounds obvious, but it is the step most teams want to rush past.
A well-written problem statement describes three things: the current state (As-Is), the desired state, and the measurable gap between them. Notice what is not in that list: solutions, blame, or assumptions about causes.
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Sign Up Free to ReadKey Takeaways
- •A problem statement defines As-Is, Desired State, and measurable Gap
- •Never include a solution in the problem statement
- •Quantify the gap with data — percentages, dollars, time, error counts
- •Team agreement on the problem statement prevents scope creep and misaligned effort
- •Use List Reduction and Weighted Voting to narrow multiple problem candidates to the one the team will tackle