Art Smalley, continuous improvement coach and Lean Enterprise Institute faculty member, has authored a helpful book about problems. Four Types of Problems provides a usable typology to help us differentiate the types of organisational problems we face and the methods and tools that are useful for addressing each type.
“Organizations and individuals at all levels fall into the trap of having one primary or standard way of solving every problem,” writes Smalley, who learned problem solving from Tomoo Harada at Toyota’s historic Kamigo engine plant. Harada led the maintenance activities that created the stability needed for Taiichi Ohno’s innovations in the Toyota Production System.
Each type of problem category requires different thought processes, improvement methods, and management cadences. Each type has its own sub-system and surfacing mechanism, management cadence, timing, and difficulty level, he explained. One size does not fit all situations and just training people in tools or techniques only scratches the surface of problem solving.
Strengthen your approach to solving problems and buy your copy today.
