Never ending problems in OM

1. Never ending problems in OM Production line downtime Shoplifting in the store New product New market/segment Names for products

2. Chapter 6Brainstorming and its Variants Under-productive meetings- Solution without any real conviction/confidence Feel we know a better solution- in unconscious Later we realize a better solution

3. Objective finding - define the problem area • Acceptance finding (divergent) • Fact finding - gather information • Solution finding - evaluate and choose between • Problem finding - define the problem correctly • Idea finding - generate solutions to the problem

4. Brainstorming • A paradigm-preserving approach • The idea- gain insights into problems that otherwise we might overlook • It enables us to bring to mind those other solutions that somehow always seem to evade us when we most need them • Open-ended problems? • Technical/professional problem?

5. Brainstorming – A Method for Identifying Issues and Formulating Hypotheses • Useful when there is a wide range of possible issues and solutions • For generating and not for testing an idea • Brainstorming techniques • group brainstorming • individual brainstorming, and • storyboarding

6. Osborne’s Rules Brainstorming Rules • Evaluate later • One does not have to defend or explain ideas • Go for quantity • Flexibility- different theme • ice cream, microwave dinners, concentrated fruit juice • Fluency- variety within a theme • Raspberry Ripple, Raisin, Vanilla and Chocolate • Encourage wild ideas- dazzling vs. Satisfying • Build on other ideas • Elaboration, new direction

7. State the purpose and objective from the onset Set ground rules for participants Give everyone an opportunity to participate Solicit all ideas and opinions – nothing is rejected until consensus building takes place After exhausting all ideas, eliminate certain ideas, e.g. not relevant, duplicative, etc. Finalize outcome using consensus Highest Priority, Assigning Points, etc. Tips for Brainstorming

8. Not recommended unless time is too tight participants are rarely available group is too large Individual brainstorming

9. Steps of classical brainstorming

10. Fig. 6.3 Classical brainstorming steps

11. Brainstorming Process

12. “How to” … Redefinition • Problem as given • How to “introduce new products which are winners” • Sub-problem • How to “identify winning new products” • Looking at the problem in a new way • How to “satisfy customers’ wants and needs” • Metaphorical approach • How to “get the horse first past the post”

13. Example • Problem as given: • How to decrease production times. • Re-definitions: • How to increase the use of computers. • How to improve the efficiency of the workforce. • How to generate flexibility. • How to replace batch production with continuous production. • Problem taken: • How to improve the efficiency of the workforce.

14. Example … • Ideation stage: • Job sharing between departments. • Introduce performance-related pay. • Encourage social outings. • Give workers super powers. • Get rid of lunch breaks. • Discuss how to achieve common goals. • Bring in organizational consultants. • Replace workers with computers.

16. YAE • A clothes manufacturer is facing resistance from employees to the frequent changes to job and work methods that developments in the product and production methods have forced upon them. • Re-definitions • How to make employees more enthusiastic to new methods. • How to make new methods more welcome. • How to make the rewards more appealing. • How to determine what kinds of rewards to give. • How to achieve the appropriate balance between new methods and rewards.

17. How to make employees more enthusiastic to new methods- Ideas • Give them incentives. • Make them co-operate. • Ask them what would please them. • Make the new methods appear challenging. • Introduce benefits with each new method introduced. • Reduce negative responses towards new tasks. • Train the employees to become more flexible. • Alter the inspection routines. • Show them that co-operation will be to their benefit.

18. How to make rewards more appealing- Ideas • Ask the employees themselves. • Look at a crystal ball. • Give them non-monetary rewards. • Make them offers they cannot refuse. • Offer holiday trips and parties. • Tell them what they will lose if they do not co-operate. • Ask someone who knows. • Show them the punishments.

19. A Solution • The answer seems to lie in reducing or eliminating the hostility towards the new ways of performing jobs or tasks. Employees may be persuaded to have a more positive attitude if some kind of reward is offered with each new method that they learn. This way new methods will appear challenging rather than threatening. • For example • learning a new method might be rewarded with token points. After collecting a certain number of points employees might be offered a special reward such as three-days additional paid leave. quantity is favored over quality

20. Dispose Of Unsold Stock Of Old Fashioned Black Umbrellas • Publicity carriers for firms • Give away on rainy day • Use material to make hats • Use upside down as irrigation devices • Sell to UK • Burn down warehouse and collect insurance • Make giant sculpture • Use struts as bicycle spokes

21. Forms of brainstorming • Classical Brainstorming • Rules, Process • Variants • Wildest idea • Stop and go • Round-robin • Gordon-Little • Trigger method

25. 1 Introduce the problem in an abstract form and ask participants to suggest ideas for solving the problem in this abstract form. • 2 In the course of the ideation process the leader introduces key pieces of information associated with the problem. As a result of this information the problem is progressively refined to a less abstract level. • 3The leader eventually reveals the original problem to the group. • 4Using previously generated ideas as stimuli,the group generates ideas with regard to the specific needs of the original problem.

27. YAE • Suppose the real problem is to do with implementing change in the workplace: • 1 The problem is first introduced in an abstract form – e.g.how to get something off the ground. Suggestions might include ‘attaching it to a balloon’. • 2 After ideas have been exhausted at this level the leader might suggest that the problem involves getting a new project off the ground.Suggestions at this stage might include ‘extensive consultation with everyone involved in the project’. • 3 When the problem is eventually revealed,the suggestions at stages 1 and 2 might be usefully modified to produce novel insights into the real problem.

28. Drawbacks • It doesn’t readily allow for problem definition • If the method itself is used to define the problem- then it preclude its use for generating ideas for the same problem.

30. Problem with brainstorming • Misunderstood and badly executed by managers who assume that any discussion of ideas is automatically brainstorming • Success depends on the experience and skills of the group leader • Not always enough to help staff grappling with ‘stuckness’ on an issue • Better-suited to conceptually simple problems, as opposed to the more complex development of those ideas. • Relies on random association and therefore does not always produce original solutions. • Not suitable for high technical content, people motivation and problems requiring the consideration of written material.

31. Brainwriting • Individuals or a group put ideas in writing • Each person writes their ideas down on • index cards, • self-adhesive notes or • slips of paper. • Everyone gets to express their ideas completely and quickly. Individuals can write their ideas down in a private, quiet place and share them later.

32. Brain-lining • The word combines the words ‘brainstorming’ and ‘online’, which describes fairly well what is meant by brainlining. • live, realtime online sessions

33. Brain-lining … • These brainlining sessions make use of games designed for the peculiar dynamics of online idea generation. Brainlining games stimulate the flow of ideas, encourage humor, and make the process fun. • Brainlining is extremely efficient. It allows all participants to enter ideas simultaneously. All ideas are visible, everybody can see every idea, and all ideas are recorded and available to all participants after the session has ended Stimulants Moderator Online Forums

34. Brain-lining Steps • 1 The Moderator is in charge;one has to follow the Moderator’s directions. • 2 Only the Moderator types in ALL CAPITALS and only when giving directions. • 3 The games are played with intensity,mutual support and fun. Cross-pollination Knowledge Building Global

35. Alphabet soup game • 1 The Moderator states the problem and announces a letter of the alphabet. • 2 All Brainliners make Suggestions using the given letter. • 3 Play continues until the Moderator gives a new letter or stops the game.

36. Moderator: HOW DO WE GET MORE PEOPLE TO BRAINLINE?THE LETTER IS ‘M’. • Jazz: Do it to music. • Classic: Offer more free time on the Net. • Pop: Stress the magic of it. • Rock: Show them it is a way of meeting people. • Jazz: Magnify their need to join.

37. Rock the boat game • 1Moderator announces the problem and makes a Suggestion. • 2 Any Brainliner makes an Opposing Suggestion. • 3 All Brainliners pitch in with Opposing Suggestions and continue until the Moderator calls a stop to the game. Example • Moderator: HOW DO WE MAKE SURE WE ARE NEVER LATE FOR APPOINTMENTS? • Make sure we don’t go to meetings. • Jazz: Make sure we always go to meetings – early. • Rock: Make sure meetings don’t start before we arrive. • Classic: Ask for meetings to be held up until we can attend.

38. GW-C6- Will not be collectedCases1. Inefficient office juniors2. More quality from work?

39. Quiz 2Ch 6Date 25/26 March

40. Project Paper due: April 16thProject Presentation: 18-21 AprilFinal: 18-21 April

41. Where do we go from here? Generate some more ideas Evaluate possible plans of action Where Do We Go From Here?

42. Force field analysis is a technique for looking at the forces for and against a decision A formal method for weighing up pros and cons Whether a selected course of action is possible The actions needed to follow a course of action Force Field Analysis Ideas here are useful in conjunction with brainstorming and they are all useful in their own right as problem solving techniques

43. Force Field Analysis Diagram Driving Forces Restraining Forces 5 4 3 2 1 1 2 3 4 5 Decision Statement

44. Describe your plan or proposal for change in the middle of the diagram List all driving forces for change in one column List all restraining forces against change in the other column Assign a score from 1 (weak) to 5 (strong) to each force Analysis perform the following steps

45. Anything that affects a decision can be considered a force Typical forces often focus on: Costs Staff Systems/IT Environmental issues Always be careful when giving force strengths – don’t fudge it! What Are Forces?

46. Imagine that we are the manager of Honda Bangladesh Ltd and we are considering installing a new machine for spraying motorbike parts – previously a job done by hand What are the forces affecting this decision? Force Field Analysis Example

47. Force Field Analysis Example … Driving Forces Restraining Forces 5 4 3 2 1 1 2 3 4 5 Decision Statement Loss of staff overtime Customers want better paint jobs Staff frightened of new technology Improve speed of production Environmental impact Raise output volumes Cost Control maintenance costs TOTAL: 10 TOTAL: 11 Disruption

48. Determine if the project is viable Try to improve the probability of success: Increase the strength of the driving forces FOR the project Decrease the strength of the restraining forces against the project Record tasks required to enact changes What Do We Do With The Analysis?

49. Force field diagrams can always be revised Adding new forces Adjusting force strength based on planned actions Adjusting one force can have negative effects on other forces Training staff to reduce their fear of new technology this will also increase the cost of the project Changing The Forces

50. We might simply decide that the plan is not worth going ahead with! However, we might also consider some changes to make the initial plan more viable Training staff (increase cost, +1) eliminate fear of technology (reduce fear, -2) Show staff that change is necessary for business survival (new force FOR, +2) Raise wages to reflect new productivity (cost +1, loss of overtime -2) Choose environmentally-friendly machines (eliminate environmental impact, -1) Solving the problem- what to do?