Project issue analysis

1. Project Issue Analysis & Improvement

2. The Importance of Issue Analysis
 While most professionals would focus on presenting various options for
solutions when encountering a problem on the job, you should emphasize
full-scale analysis of the issue at hand, to the very fine details, reasons being:
 Availability of the full picture: There might be other underlying sub-issues you are
unaware of, and/or the possibility that they are interrelated.
 Limited resource & time: Solution options need to be tested as well, and these take
resources and time. In the unfortunate event of failing the first solution, more time
and resources are needed to test and implement the others.
 Single best solution: In the end, there will always be one solution to implement—the
best one that the team can think of, given all factors in the scenario at the moment.
Full analysis would help identify the best solution in the most efficient manner.

3. Process Flow Leading to Improvement
Picture taken from entrance Picture taken from CB4 5th Floor
Step 1.
Topic
confirmation
and team
building
Step 2.
Issue
description and
understanding
the situation at
hand
Step 3.
Identify,
analyze and list
out temporary
solutions
Step 4.
Evaluate
potential
solutions
Step 5.
Implement
solution and
monitor results
Step 6.
Prevent future
reoccurrence
and
standardization
Step 7.
Review and
reward
participating
team

4. Step 1: Topic confirmation and team building
 The process of issue analysis and improvement can be performed for professions and daily activities alike. Here we
will use an example that can be related to most audiences:
 Topic: Due to current living circumstances, will need to move to a new house.
 Issue: Due to relocation, time for commute has increased.
 Requirement: Commute method would need to enable one to arrive at work on time
 Team participants: Wife and myself

5. Laying Out Overall Schedule Using Gantt Chart
Items Person Period Time-Start Time-End 8/5 8/12 8/19 8/26 9/2 9/9
Step 1 Me 7 8/5 8/12
Step 2 Me & Wife 7 8/5 8/12
Step 3 Me & Wife 14 8/5 9/19
Step 4 Me & Wife 18 8/5 8/23
Step 5 Me 26 8/5 8/31
Step 6 Me 10 8/23 9/2
Step 7 Me & Wife 2 9/2 9/3
*Team leader and starter should participate in all key processes

6. Step 2: Issue description and understanding situation at hand
Who
• Person to discover: myself
• Affected group: family
What
• Due to relocation, commute time has increased by 300% to 4 hours per day
Where
• From new home to work place
When
• Scheduled to commence on August 1st, 2020
How
• Calculate and analysis commute time for each solution option
Why
• Risk of increased mental and physical stress
• Risk of affecting work performance + career
 Using 5W1H
method to
determine the
main reason
 The main reason is
the underlying
driver why the
change or the
solution is needed

7. Issue description using process flow chart
Commute Process Flowchart
Home On the Road Office
1. Wakeup protocol
2. Ready the car 3. Take I-5
4. Switch to I-10
5.Off Main Rd. 6. Arrive

8. Issue description using bar and pie charts
Step 1, 2 and 6 take up only 18% of the total
time, but steps on the road take up 82% of the
time. To improve, we should focus on the
latter areas.

9. Step 3: Identify, analyze and list temporary solutions
Picture taken from entrance Picture taken from CB4 5th Floor
Step 1.
Develop temporary
solutions
Step 2.
Evaluate and
analyze the best
temporary
solutions to use
Step 3.
Implement
temporary solution
and monitor
Step 4.
Evaluate overall
results
Step 5.
Continuous
improvement and
maintain
effectiveness and
efficiency
 Temporary solution 1: Take route 66W
 Temporary solution 2: Add public transportation

10. Using matrix to keep track of temporary solution details
Picture taken from entrance Picture taken from CB4 5th Floor
 Time needed and cost changes for temporary solutions are estimates at this
point, to be updated after real-time evaluation
 Purpose is to discover the most effective and efficient permanent solution

11. Step 4: Evaluate potential solutions
Picture taken from CB4 5th Floor
*By 3rd dimension, should be able to identify root issue of each temporary solution
2nd Dimension 3rd Dimension
Issue 1st Dimension
How to raise
commute
efficiency
Taking I-5 to
I-10 can be
easily
congested
Can hit the
road earlier,
but changes
little
Overall time
needed is too
long
Perhaps R66W
is not viable
either
Can take local +
highway, but
more
unpredictable

12. Step 5: Implement solution and monitor results
Rather than taking I-5 to I-10, take
R66W than local to Main Rd.
Plan Do
Check
Act
Solution is
effective
After evaluation, this solution does
take less time, but increase fuel
expense. In addition, need to
evaluate for poor weather
conditions
Reset odometer and GPS settings,
then record total trip details and
time taken
Take R66W then local in real-life
scenario; record all pertinent
information and details
*Using PDCA method to evaluate temporary solution: Take R66W, then local

13. Step 5: Implement solution and monitor results for 2nd solution
Rather than taking I-5 to I-10, take local
metro then commuter bike to office
Plan Do
Check
Action
Solution is
effective
After evaluation, this solution
takes less time, and decreases fuel
expense. In addition, you can
avoid congested rush hours.
However, also added metro ticket
expense and bike rental expense.
Reset odometer and GPS settings,
then record total trip details and
time taken
Take public transportation in real-
life scenario; record all pertinent
information and details
*Using PDCA method to evaluate temporary solution: Take public transportation

14. Step 6: Prevent future reoccurrence and standardization
Picture taken from entrance Picture taken from CB4 5th Floor
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
Take I-5 to I-10 Take R66 then local Public transportation
Time Needed (min)
 Solution 2 decreases time needed by 25%
 Solution 3 decreases time needed by 37.5%

15. Step 6: Prevent future reoccurrence and standardization
Picture taken from entrance Picture taken from CB4 5th Floor
 Compared to solution 2, which
increases cost by 25%, solution 3
only adds 6.25% per month
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
Take I-5 to I-10 Take R66 then local Public transportation
Cost Adder

16. Finalizing and creating standard operating procedure (SOP)
Picture taken from entrance Picture taken from CB4 5th Floor
 Systematically and formally implement as permanent solution
 To be reviewed periodically for efficiency (cost) and effectiveness (time)
Process Procedures Monitor and Review
Public Transportation
1. Metro monthly pass
2. Monthly bike rental pass
3. Morning train: 6:59
4. Evening train: 18:05, 18:17
1. Punch-in/out time daily
2. Monthly bills

17. Step 7: Prevent future reoccurrence and standardization
Picture taken from entrance Picture taken from CB4 5th Floor
 We are in the final steps of confirming public transportation as permanent solution,
need to take added approach to consider other side effects and factors
 Need to consider severity and frequency, then weight them for evaluation
 There are no congestion issues, but if metro were delayed or had weather factors (or
both at the same time), it would drastically increase commute time, though at the
same time it will probably affect everyone

18. Step 8: Review and reward participating team
Picture taken from entrance Picture taken from CB4 5th Floor
 Successful improvement implementations need to be rewarded to
maintain team spirits for next endeavors and continuous
improvements
 Continue to review process performance and optimize SOP
 Record all potential side effects for future checks, and review pros
and cons

19. Questions?