Problem Statements: Select the Right Problem for Right Now
Step 1: Research the Problem
Engage Stakeholders
- Frontline Craft Workers, Supervisors and Planners have first hand experiences being impacted by poor systems.
- Maintenance Managers provide maintenance priorities and can collect data.
- Operators, Shift Supervisors and Ops Management offer insight into how production is affected by poor
equipment reliability. - Support Departments like Stores, Purchasing, HR, Finance, Safety and Quality each see different facets of the problem.
Different perspectives shape our understanding of a problem. A group of people standing around a large beach ball* each see only the colors facing them and thinks their view represents the whole ball. In reality, they only see a portion. Similarly, in maintenance and reliability, no one person or department has the complete picture. By gathering input from multiple stakeholders, you can uncover the full scope of the problem and make more informed decisions. With those Stakeholders, ask the right questions:
What is the problem?
Where is the problem occuring?
When did the problem begin?
How does the problem affect personnel, products, and equipment?
Avoid “Why” to avoid gathering opinions rather than facts.
Step 2: Focus on a Specific Issue
Use KPIs and data to analyze trends within one theme like production cost per unit or equipment downtime. Agree on what matters the most in terms of money, time and operational impact. Settling on the most critical issue means saying ‘no’ to the good ideas to focus on the best idea. To make the decision on what’s most critical consider how to gain support from sponsors, understand the time frame required, define constrains that must be maintained and decide the degree of change required to make the idea meaningful.
Study these problem statement examples. Notice why some are good, some are bad and one could be better.
| How can Plant A reduce the maintenance budget by 10% year over year? | ❌ Focuses on the wrong problem. Open to solving with short-sighted solutions, e.g. cutting the maintenance budget with no consideration of long-term effects. |
| How can we fix all breakdowns as fast as possible? | ❌ Overly broad, lacks focus and measurable targets. Seeks to address a symptom instead of the root cause of the poor reliability or reactive culture. Limits proactive maintenance like laser alignment. |
| How can Plant A improve the wrench time of frontline craft employees from 23% to 50% in the next two years? | ⚠️ Specific and measurable. Potentially dangerous unless changes to work systems are a primary solution. Stricter control of frontline craft is not an adequate solution. |
| How can we improve equipment reliability for Line 3 by increasing MTBF from 20 to 40 days within a year while staying within budget? | ✅ Well-structured and defines success clearly. Allows for creative solutions and clearly states a key constraint. |
| How can Plant A reduce unplanned downtime from 15% to 5% in six months while maintaining production targets? | ✅ Clear, measurable, time-bound, and relevant. Aligns with overall plant goals and supported by key stakeholders. |
Step 3: Craft a Problem
Statement
Use the SMART format below. Then refine the statement until it accurately captures the issue and the desired outcome.
Iterating the problem statement with stakeholders improves its accuracy. Buy in improves it.
Want to talk more about how to drive real, lasting results in your plant?
Hi, I'm John
John Sewell is a management consultant specializing in maintenance and reliability improvement. He helps manufacturers and heavy industry uncover the hidden drivers behind high costs, unscheduled downtime, and underperformance. John works directly with client teams to conduct data-driven analysis and deliver practical recommendations backed by a clear business case.
0 Comments