Course Description
In manufacturing, things sometimes interfere with production or reduce the quality of products. They may be short- or long-term issues. This course is about solving such issues, or potential problems. First, however, it is useful to have a clear understanding of what a problem is and is not. Briefly, a problem is an undesirable difference in the way things presently are compared to the way they normally have been in the past. Most definitions of problems are similar. In manufacturing companies, a problem is usually associated with some change in a process, performance, or equipment that affects the quality or quantity of their products.

Course Outline
Pre-test

Introduction
What is a problem?
Problems and their Impacts

Part I: Seven Step Problem-Solving Technique
Seven Steps to Problem Solving
Problem Solving versus Decision Making
Using Teams for Problem Solving

Part II: Problem-Solving Tools

Part III: Gathering Data
Check Sheets
Process Maps
Brainstorming

Part IV: Managing Gathered Data
Weighted-Average Voting

Part V: Finding Root Causes
Force Field Analysis
Cause-and-Effect Diagrams
Process Analysis
Five Why/Root Cause
Kepner/Tregoe

Part VI: Implementation and Follow-up
Develop and Implement the Solution
Review and Evaluate Results
Follow-up

Part VII: Using the Seven Step Problem-Solving Technique and Its Tools
Practice Applications
Process Map
Process Analysis Exercise
Problem-Solving Exercises

Post-test

Total Course Hours
20

Delivery Mode
• 8 sessions, 2.5 hours each session; or,
• 7 sessions, 3 hours per session.

Cost
For a group of ten or more participants: $63 registration fee per participant
For a group of nine or less participants: $2100 total for workshop.

Text
$4.70 per participant