As Norbert Strecker, the Solutions Design Director at BMC, once stated, "Problem Management is more about solving recurring issues rather than focusing on isolated incidents." From boardrooms to meeting rooms, the quest for effective Problem Management resounds as a critical function in the organizational ecosystem. Mastery in resolving issues is inseparable from success, especially in the unpredictable dynamics of the business landscape.
Unlike Incident Management that confronts isolated occurrences, Problem Management unmasks underlying glitches that trigger these incidents. It's a strategic operation focusing on identifying and eliminating root causes thus reducing the likelihood of recurring issues. But, how can we navigate successful Problem Management?
Embrace a Proactive Approach
In a recent advisory report, McKinsey explained that "the best problem management strategy is a proactive one" –applying preventative measures before issues mushroom into full-scale complications. This involves consistently analyzing data for trends and patterns, which may reveal latent problems before they escalate. The proactive approach offers substantial savings in costs and resources, demonstrating a keen awareness of the strategic performance of a company.
Implement Regular Audits - Regular audits can shed light on repetitive issues and source their root causes.
Root Cause Analysis (RCA) - Proper RCA has the power to sieve out the primary source of consistent challenges, thus addressing problems with precise solutions.
Continual Service Improvement (CSI) - CSI promotes a culture of constant assessment and improvement, illuminating potential problem areas ahead of time.
Invest in the Right Tools
Navigating the complex world of Problem Management requires investing in the right tools. Make use of existing technologies that provide analytics and insights. According to Gartner, leading firms in Risk Management and Operational Excellence leverage technology for a more streamlined, efficient Problem Management process.
Incident Auto-detection Tools - These abort potential system failures detected from unusual patterns and trends.
Data Analytics Platforms - Data-rich analytics offer insights into your operations, revealing issues and suggesting informed, strategic decisions.
Promote and Enable Cross-Functional Collaboration
Problem Management isn't exclusive to IT – it traverses all the functional areas of a business. As the Boston Consulting Group suggests, promoting a culture of collaboration ignites the infusion of different perspectives, leading to more robust solutions. To this effect, implementing a holistic approach to Problem Management necessitates:
Cross-Functional Teams - Assemble a diverse team across departments to harness a broader understanding and effective solution generation.
Culture of Collaboration - Establishing open communication lines for seamless collaboration is pivotal in dealing with complex, deep-rooted problems.
Cultivate Learning and Development
The drive towards successful Problem Management equals a journey into continuous learning. McKinsey opines that companies embracing a learning culture are superior at resolving strategic and operational issues. Businesses should thus:
Develop a Knowledge Management Strategy - A comprehensive knowledge strategy aids in solving similar future problems through reference to past experiences.
Training and Development - Regular training sessions are crucial for keeping up-to-date methods, practices, and tools in Problem Management.
Track and Measure
Lastly, tracking progress and measuring outcomes form a core part of the Problem Management process. Metrics provide a visible measure of progress and highlight areas for improvement. Reputable consulting firms like Bain & Company emphasize the importance of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) in driving productivity. When applied to Problem Management, KPIs like the number of problems identified, time to resolve, and impact severity are essential.
As leaders in Fortune 500 companies implement Problem Management practices, let’s remember the words of Jack Welch, former CEO of GE, who reminded us that “good business leaders create a vision, articulate the vision, passionately own the vision, and relentlessly drive it to completion.” It's also pertinent to note, that this journey includes managing and solving problems decisively in a strategic way.
CUSTOMER TESTIMONIALS
"As a young consulting firm, requests for input from clients vary and it's sometimes impossible to provide expert solutions across a broad spectrum of requirements. That was before I discovered Flevy.com.
Through subscription to this invaluable site of a plethora of topics that are key and crucial to consulting, I have been able to exceed expectations and deliver quality advice and solutions to my clients. The quality and expertise of the authors are exemplary and gives me great confidence to use as part of my service offerings.
I highly recommend this company for any consultant wanting to apply international best practice standards in their service offerings. "
– Nishi Singh, Strategist and MD at NSP Consultants
"My FlevyPro subscription provides me with the most popular frameworks and decks in demand in today’s market. They not only augment my existing consulting and coaching offerings and delivery, but also keep me abreast of the latest trends, inspire new products and service offerings for my practice, and educate me in a fraction of the time and money of other solutions. I strongly recommend FlevyPro to any consultant serious about success."
– Bill Branson, Founder at Strategic Business Architects
"I have found Flevy to be an amazing resource and library of useful presentations for lean sigma, change management and so many other topics. This has reduced the time I need to spend on preparing for my performance consultation. The library is easily accessible and updates are regularly provided. A wealth of great information."
– Cynthia Howard RN, PhD, Executive Coach at Ei Leadership
"Flevy is our 'go to' resource for management material, at an affordable cost. The Flevy library is comprehensive and the content deep, and typically provides a great foundation for us to further develop and tailor our own service offer."
– Chris McCann, Founder at Resilient.World
"Flevy.com has proven to be an invaluable resource library to our Independent Management Consultancy, supporting and enabling us to better serve our enterprise clients.
The value derived from our [FlevyPro] subscription in terms of the business it has helped to gain far exceeds the investment made, making a subscription a no-brainer for any growing consultancy – or in-house strategy team."
– Dean Carlton, Chief Transformation Officer, Global Village Transformations Pty Ltd.
"As a small business owner, the resource material available from FlevyPro has proven to be invaluable. The ability to search for material on demand based our project events and client requirements was great for me and proved very beneficial to my clients. Importantly, being able to easily edit and tailor the material for specific purposes helped us to make presentations, knowledge sharing, and toolkit development, which formed part of the overall program collateral. While FlevyPro contains resource material that any consultancy, project or delivery firm must have, it is an essential part of a small firm or independent consultant's toolbox."
– Michael Duff, Managing Director at Change Strategy (UK)
"[Flevy] produces some great work that has been/continues to be of immense help not only to myself, but as I seek to provide professional services to my clients, it give me a large "tool box" of resources that are critical to provide them with the quality of service and outcomes they are expecting."
– Royston Knowles, Executive with 50+ Years of Board Level Experience
"Flevy is now a part of my business routine. I visit Flevy at least 3 times each month.
Flevy has become my preferred learning source, because what it provides is practical, current, and useful in this era where the business world is being rewritten.
In today's environment where there are so many challenges and there is the need to make the right decisions in a short time, with so much scattered information, we are fortunate to have Flevy. Flevy investigates, selects, and puts at our disposal the best of the best to help us be successful in our work."
– Omar Hernán Montes Parra, CEO at Quantum SFE
SELECT CUSTOMERS
Since 2012, we have provided best practices to over 10,000 businesses and organizations of all sizes across the world—in over 130 countries.
Below is just a very small sample of our customer base.
Did you know?
The average daily rate of a McKinsey consultant is $6,625 (not including expenses). The average price of a Flevy document is $65.
Download our free compilation of 50+ Strategy & Transformation slides and templates. Frameworks include McKinsey 7-S Strategy Model, Balanced Scorecard, Disruptive Innovation, BCG Experience Curve, and many more.
Download our free compilation of 50+ Strategy & Transformation slides and templates. Frameworks include McKinsey 7-S Strategy Model, Balanced Scorecard, Disruptive Innovation, BCG Experience Curve, and many more.