Let's develop the process known as CPS Creative Problem Solving, with an application example.
Problem description: The General Roca railway decided to hire an expert in Creativity and Problem Solving to improve the drop in sales and loss of an annual market percentage (30%) on the railroad between Buenos Aires-Mar del Plata.
This route competes only with the medium-distance buses, since the route is not advantageous by air due to the inconvenience and long distances of the airports in both cities.
New ideas and a consensual plan of action are needed to solve this problem and improve the position of the company, since the problem is critical for the company and from one to ten it is scored a ten.
Without 50% of the market the company is not profitable.
These facts have been listed by the head of marketing and you decide to meet with a group of five to six people with experience and motivation from different sectors of the company, to develop the sequence of the CPS.
These were:
Identify and describe the problem and assess its intensity:
Briefly and completely describe what the problem consists of, for which it is recommended to do it in writing, and it will be given a value from 1 to 10 taking into consideration that 1 means no discomfort in the face of the conflict and 10 too discomfort in the face of the conflict. conflict.
Problem specification:
Break down as much as possible the components of the situation and the responses.
Redefine the problem based on gathering data:
It is to be able to see the problem from another perspective, that is, to restructure it, for which it is necessary to read everything previously stated and change any data that seems inaccurate to the situation-problem and add the new information that has arisen as a result of the redefinition of the problem, for which it is important to place it in a new perspective.
The following phrase can be used by placing in the blank spaces the misconception that was had about the problem and the current conception of it:
The problem posed is not _____________ but the real problem is xxx
Determine Objectives or clarify the problem
Specify in a clear and detailed way the ideal situation to be achieved, that is, the goal to be achieved; as well as the desired end situation
Find alternatives or generate ideas:
We must look for alternatives to find the ideal solutions taking into consideration that criticism will be prohibited, according to the following steps:
- Any idea that appears must be taken into account and write it down Be very clear that anything goes and that the more fired and strange ideas are better because they open creativity Ideas can be improved by combining some of them since they generate and give rise to a better idea.
Valuation of Solutions:
Evaluate each of the alternatives that were generated from your search to make a selection of those that can offer greater advantages, which will be determined by the group valuation.
Selection of the most suitable solutions and visualization of consequences:
The best of the alternatives will be the one that has obtained a higher qualification for which it is convenient not to focus on a single solution since there is always the possibility of problems arising and it cannot be carried out, so it is better to have a second and third alternative in case the first does not give the expected result.
Once the behavior to follow to solve the problem has been determined, the process of planning the actions will have to be activated, anticipating the possible obstacles and difficulties that may arise in the development of the same, to also solve them in the best way.
Application and evaluation of responses:
The process will have concluded once the selected alternative is put into practice and achieving the objective, they would have been proposed, therefore, it is necessary to be attentive to observe the consequences to assess to what extent things are developing as planned and the objectives are achieved desired, but if the results are not achieved then the precise adjustments will be made in the corresponding phases or start the CPS process again. The planned Action Plan must be controlled in detail.
You then start looking for the specification of the problem, for which you ask the group to brainstorm the biggest drawbacks, doubts and dangers for the company. This list is generated:
- Recruit best qualified staff. Improve customer service for greater comfort. Increase market share fast. Better prediction of user response to marketing. Develop a slogan. Improve management's relationship with subordinates. Reduce promotion costs. Improve the identification of the user target. Determine customer preferences. Improve group targeting procedures.
We need to find the priority ones and the group selected items 1, 2, 4 and 8.
Items 2, 4 and 9 are identifiable as user objectives, difficult to develop and are not being investigated for now.
The criteria of priority and criticality are considered, and from this it arises that item 2 is the priority, since it affects the profit and image of the company and we must improve the market share as soon as possible. In other words, improving the long distance service for the convenience of users, is having more users and more market share.
The five Ws, What, Who, Where, When, Why applies and we will try to redefine the problem as precisely as possible: We will try to have different perspectives on the problem and a lot of expanded data and facts when answering this series of questions:
Who are the potential users?
- Mid-distance travelersBusiness peopleVacation peoplePeople who combine business and pleasureFrequent travelersPeople visiting relativesMen and womenYoung and adultsRich and low-income peoplePeople who travel on micro-sightseeing toursPeople who travel only on Mondays and Fridays Newspaper and parcel services
What is customer service?
- Determine preferences Address needs Solve problems Anticipate problems Interact with users with a positive attitude
Where is the customer service most evident?
- During the trips In the ticket offices In the withdrawal of suitcases or dispatched cars
When do delays occur?
- Ticket office staff When some other problem affects passengers Delays in trips During peak frequencies (Monday and Friday) When people notice this bad service When they do not notice it When someone asks for assistance When the traveler receives immediate attention When an employee helps a passenger
Why is customer service so important?
- Helps attract more users Helps retain frequent users Gives us sustained profit Gives a positive company image Create satisfied customers who travel again
The group determines that the priority items for answering these questions are:
- Middle-distance travelersPeople who travel by microPeople who travel only on Mondays and Fridays Newspaper and parcel services Determine preferences Anticipate problems Ticket office staff Travel delays When someone calls for assistance When the traveler receives immediate attention Helps attract more users Helps retain frequent users Gives us A sustained profit Gives a positive image of the company Creates satisfied customers who travel again Then the group sees if combinations or unions of several items can be made.
The problem is redefined to create a different perspective and creative solutions. So the group asks, in what way can we:
- motivate employees to assist passengers? attract passengers who travel regularly by bus? attract new customers? increase mid-distance customer satisfaction? reduce the number of delayed departures?
The group considers that items 1, 3 and 4 are priority but they consider that item 4 is the one that will improve the financial position the fastest, because bus services do not offer comparative advantages against the train, there are many accidents in the cities. routes and the train offers to carry more luggage and cars, bicycles, etc. no fee.
So now our problem is: HOW do we increase the satisfaction of medium-distance customers?
- install more comfortable seats provide more entertainment provide game rooms and lounges train staff to be more courteous lower travel tickets
We will look for the objectives and their different alternatives. We will use several techniques, for example we start with a matrix form called the two-word method:
Key words of the problem are listed alternately in two columns, then combined into a sentence with one word from each column and recombined to create new ideas.
For example, let's focus on the words increase and satisfaction and we have:
- Increase Satisfaction Improve Pleasure Extend Easy Extend Play Renew Peace of Mind Optimize Well-being
Different combinations of this give these objectives:
- Food with Gourmet (broaden the pleasure) Food and drink second free (renew satisfaction) Free travel insurance (improve peace of mind) Better seats (lengthen the game) Shorten ticket queues (optimize something easier)
Then the group uses Brainstormng and generates more objectives:
- Video cassettes in the hallways. Snack with free drinks Bingo games on board.
With the total of 13 objective ideas, in general there should be more than ten, to increase the satisfaction of medium-distance customers, we need to assess between these alternatives, and converge, identify and select creative ideas, and it was agreed:
- Comfort on the trip (better seats, games rooms, etc.) Expand the food (gourmet food, snack with free drink).
For this, three criteria were used: cost, easy and fast implementation, and increasing user satisfaction. Then only two mother ideas remained:
- More comfort in the seats. VCR or video cassettes in the hallways.
Now we move to the critical stage of selecting the ideal solution. For this there are two divergent activities, first the evaluation criterion is generated.
- low cost. Implementation time. Degree of modification of existing equipment. Effect on current travel operations. Employee acceptance. Long-term interest level of users. Ability to interest different types of passengers.
Now the second step is to improve these ideas but the group decides that as they are, the ideas adequately meet the solution of the problem.
Then of these seven criteria, 2 and 5 are eliminated, since they have time until the next high season and employees have been made aware of the risks of the company if it does not improve.
The weight matrix is built to weigh each criterion (which is still subjective), and thus make a decision acceptable to all.
Criterion Weight Comfort seats VCRs in aisles
Idea score Subtotal
- Low cost 5 2 10 3 15 Degree of equipment modification 5 1 5 2 10 Effect of current operations 4 2 8 3 12 User acceptance level 4 3 12 5 20 Interesting different people 3 3 9 5 15
Totals 44 72
The general score of 1 to 5 was used (1 = not important; 5 = very important) and a score was also given to how each solution satisfied the adopted criterion. So we should note that a low cost should receive a high score, for example the comfort seats received a high score of 2.
In other words, the lower the number, the less that idea satisfies the criterion and the higher the better it satisfies it, for example, the interest of different people in having televisions in the corridors and enjoying a movie while traveling is rated a 5.
The idea of installing VCRs in the aisles always in this example satisfies better than having more comfortable seats. Finally, the most profitable idea is this, as it obtained 72 points.
An Action Plan is built determining responsibilities and deadlines.
If the results are not achieved after three months of executing the changes, then the precise adjustments will be made in the corresponding phases or the CPS process will be started again.
The planned Action Plan must be controlled in detail and determine delays and cost-benefits. The C&S of each step will identify future inconveniences to foresee the precise adjustments to be implemented.
