Problem Solving

Solutions, not problems

Problem solving is an activity used in any field, from psychology, the web, social media and business to real life. In more general terms, it is that essential process to be carried out in a certain order, in order to find an effective and efficient solution to a problem and thus change a disadvantageous aspect for the better. As can be understood, it all centres around a 'problem'.

Let us delve into the meaning of this word by looking at how it is defined by some of the major vocabularies:

"Any question of which one asks others or oneself the solution, usually starting from known elements" - Treccani

"A problem, commonly understood, is an obstacle that makes it difficult to achieve a certain objective or satisfy a certain need, standing between the will of the individual and objective reality. In a more specific sense this term refers to any situation or condition that is unresolved and presents difficulties for its solution." -Wikipedia

"A question to be resolved from known elements by reasoning, and for which solutions are proposed" - Devoto Oli

Taking these definitions as a starting point, problem solving is only the last step in solving the problem. If we do not implement the action of 'problem finding' first, it will be difficult, not to say impossible, to find the right solution. Now, I do not want to dwell on the practice of 'problem solving' in all the various areas in which it can be applied, even though the steps to be performed could be used in a very similar way. Instead, I am interested in discussing it in the area of technology and communication.

In terms of puzzles

In programming, it is simpler (not really) to explain the process that can lead to a resolution of a problem, put in a few simple words, starting with the bug (a problem, something that does not do what it is supposed to do) in the code, we go and look for where and what does not work and correct it.

But in the corporate environment?

Let's think of any digitised company. It may need to speed up its production and/or management processes, to expand its sales pool, to communicate between internal departments or simply to manage data flows across multiple platforms.

Here, however, we are not analysing the problem, but rather the objective to be achieved. All this leads us indirectly to the discovery of one or more problems that must be found and analysed.

How come the company cannot produce as much as it should? Why does it fail to meet customer demand? Why do the various sectors fail to communicate? Why are there inconsistencies in the company's data?

Resolutions

These are just a few questions that we need to find the problem and then solve it. But we should not believe that having arrived at these questions and knowing the goal the company wants to achieve can be an end point. In order to implement a solution that leads to the right result, one will have to know many other factors.

It is essential to get into the workings of the company, to understand how the various phases of the work are managed, what programmes are used, to know the staff and the knowledge they have of the tools they use. In this way we can actually understand if there is a problem, a lack, or if the criticality is due to the incorrect use of existing tools or their lack of mastery.

Now we are able to make an accurate analysis of the situation, and we can deal with it in more concrete terms, agreeing on a real objective and going on to identify and evaluate the solutions to solve it, one step at a time.