A problem is a visible performance deficiency in an important manufacturing, service, or business process or product. A problem statement is a description in visible and measurable terms of how a particular deficiency affects the performance of an organization. There are several “rules of thumb” that apply to problem statements. Effective problem statements should:
Describe how the problem relates to the performance of the organization.
State the problem in terms that are visible, specific, and usually measurable.
Be of a size and complexity that is manageable.
Problem statements should never:
Give any preconceived indication of what the root cause might be;
State or imply a particular type of solution;
Affix blame for the problem;
Read through the following problem statements. These are good examples of statements that follow the rules stated above.
