Solving business problems – what is your team’s approach?

Whether it's a business problem or a technology problem, the first step is to find a solution. Am I right? 

I don’t need a Business degree to recognise it's not the right way to solve a problem; surprisingly, many teams follow this approach.

Often a solution is reached before defining a problem. You might argue “Why would an organisation spend $$ without analysing the problem?”. I agree with the intention, but I believe getting clarity on the problem will save time and avoid complications in other business processes, time, money, and resources in the long run.

I have noticed instances where businesses quickly resolve problems without knowing the downstream effects on other processes, which can lead to further issues later. In some cases, standard processes have workarounds because no one had time to go back and fix it.

Here is your guide to solve problems in an ideal way,

1. The first step is to analyse and identify the problem - Explore thoroughly to get to the core of the problem by recreating, tracing the process steps and analysing the gap (what is happening vs. what should happen).
2. Define the problem – Clearly defining the problem is crucial before exploring solutions, and it is important to clarify the assumptions and business terminology used.
3. Identify potential solutions- After defining the problem, explore all potential options and solutions. Analysing the advantages and disadvantages of various options will help select the best solution.
4. Picking a suitable solution – Ensure the solution works for the business, not vice versa.
5. Solve the problem by implementing the right solution

All this sounds good, but who has time to go through these steps when the boss is looking for a status update the next day? and the problem must disappear before it makes noise in the meeting room. Trust me, all this might sound like a long process. Once the problem is clearly defined, figuring out the next steps shouldn't take long. 

One of the key factors leading to disaster is the tendency to jump to solutions too early in the process, often before fully identifying the problem. This usually happens due to a lack of clarity about the issue at hand, which can result in misinterpretation among different teams—such as operational, technology, and executive teams. Consequently, the solutions may diverge in multiple directions without a well-defined objective. This deviation can cause teams to focus more on completing tasks than on adequately addressing the original problem.

I have been a business analyst for over 15 years, and I often notice that organisations seek technological solutions to address the issue. While technology can undoubtedly solve many problems, identifying the root cause and getting clarity on the problem is a crucial step in the process.

What do you think is the right approach?