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Fix it once and forget it or, better yet, prevent it.
All problems have one common feature…they are unwanted. If you want to maximize profits and customer satisfaction, prevent problems rather than
wasting your resources cleaning up the mess after the fact. This article presents
seven powerful tools and techniques you can use to prevent problems throughout your
organization.
The primary key to problem prevention is that of thinking of the future
and then stepping back again into the present to take action. Here are seven powerful
tactics for problem prevention.
- Training.
Training is critical in all aspects of business. People are your most
precious asset and training is the key to their success. Build your training programs by
considering likely future problems and incorporating prevention tactics and solutions.
Your well-trained people can identify potential issues and prevent them from blowing up
into problems.
What if?
Yes, it's a simple question but it's also an
extremely powerful tool when used properly. Think about a part of your business, ask
"What would happen if ___?", and fill in the blank with a potential
circumstance. If the answer is that the process might break down or the customer might be
unhappy, you have the opportunity to change things now. Continue asking the question until
you have covered the range of normal conditions and things that could go wrong. You'll
define what are acceptable investments and outcomes.
Worst-case scenario. An extreme of the "What if?"
case is the "worst-case." Consider the worst possible thing that could occur.
Then modify the process or product so the scenario won't occur or will be greatly
diminished in severity. Work your way through the scenarios until you are satisfied with
the outcome of the new worst case. You'll know your done when the resulting problems don't
bother you or justify further effort. I personally love the worst-case scenario process
because it's quick and once it's done, anything better is gravy. It's great for crisis
situations.
Simulation - getting the bugs out.
Any new process, procedure, or
product should be run through a simulation process that exercises the
boundaries of what could happen. This is a more thorough extension of the
preceding scenario concepts. Set up all or part of the process, a new
reporting system for example, and test all of its parameters in and out of
bounds. See what happens and adjust accordingly.
Process hazards review.
For safety sake, conduct a review of
any potential safety hazards on any process that could injure people. This is routinely
done in the chemical process industry and is coming into broader industrial acceptance.
Obviously, you don't want your process equipment to break or burst into flames. At the
same time, you don't want someone to be injured because a fork truck is simply taking a
new route through the building. Even office procedures are not immune from hazards. Don't
assume everything is okay; check it out.
Root cause analysis.
When something does go wrong, conduct a
thorough analysis to find out what the causes were. They may not be obvious and, until
they are eliminated, you stand the chance of having the problem come back again and again.
This is one case where you really have to focus on the past. One key to success is to be
relentless in asking and answering questions such as "What happened?",
"What else?", "Why?", and "What more do we need to know?"
This will help you understand what changed or failed so that you can create a permanent
fix. Selecting a Root Cause
Analysis program.
Reward prevention. Fighting fires makes heroes and heroes are
often rewarded. Adjust your recognition systems to ensure that you foster prevention
rather than just heroic recovery.
Problem prevention requires the intentional use of skills and techniques
such as these seven. We’ve used and taught these for years and know they work. Make
prevention a priority for your organization and you and your customers will reap the
benefits.
Creative Problem Solving works very well as a
method for preventing problems.
 
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