Question

Which questions should be asked when Analyzing Potential Problems?
At what cost?
When?
Where?
How?

Answers

GPT-4o mini
When analyzing potential problems, it’s important to ask a variety of questions to thoroughly understand the situation and the implications. Here’s a more detailed framework based on the questions you’ve mentioned:

1. **What?**
- What is the nature of the problem?
- What are the symptoms or signs of the problem?
- What are the potential causes of the problem?
- What impact does the problem have on stakeholders (employees, customers, etc.)?

2. **At What Cost?**
- What are the financial implications of the problem?
- What are the opportunity costs if the problem goes unresolved?
- How does the cost of addressing the problem compare to the potential losses incurred by not addressing it?
- Are there non-financial costs (e.g., reputational damage, employee morale) associated with the problem?

3. **When?**
- When did the problem first arise?
- Is this a recurring issue or a one-time occurrence?
- When will the impact of the problem be felt most acutely?
- How quickly can potential solutions be implemented, and what are the deadlines related to these solutions?

4. **Where?**
- Where is the problem occurring (specific departments, locations, or processes)?
- Are there geographical factors that influence the problem?
- Where in the workflow or process does the problem originate?
- Is the problem localized, or does it have a broader impact across the organization?

5. **How?**
- How did the problem develop? What were the contributing factors?
- How are current processes or systems failing?
- How are stakeholders responding to the problem?
- How can potential solutions be implemented effectively?
- How will success be measured once changes are made?

6. **Who?**
- Who is responsible for addressing the problem?
- Who are the key stakeholders affected by the problem?
- Who needs to be involved in the decision-making process to resolve the issue?

7. **Why?**
- Why is it important to address this problem now?
- Why did the problem occur (root causes)?
- Why might stakeholders resist changes that need to be made?

By exploring these questions, analysts can gain a holistic view of potential problems and develop effective strategies for resolution.

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