Problem examples Archives - Page 2 of 2

Background:
Mark is hosting a small gathering at his apartment and decides to order a few pizzas to keep things easy and enjoyable. He places his order online with his favourite local pizza shop, which promises delivery within 30 minutes. However, an hour passes, and the pizzas still haven’t arrived. His friends are starting to get hungry, and the delay is becoming frustrating.

Workaround:

Mark decides to prepare some quick snacks from his kitchen—crisps, dips, and a few drinks—to keep everyone’s hunger at bay while waiting for the pizzas. This temporary solution helps to keep his guests satisfied for the time being, but it doesn’t bring the pizzas any faster.

Symptom: The pizza delivery is taking longer than expected, leaving guests hungry.
Workaround Applied: Serving alternative snacks to keep guests satisfied while waiting.

Deeper Analysis:

Curious about the delay, Mark calls the pizza shop to check on his order. The restaurant apologises, explaining that they’re short-staffed tonight, which has slowed down both pizza preparation and delivery times. To address this specific issue, they prioritise Mark’s order in the kitchen, promising it will arrive soon. The pizzas eventually arrive, but this workaround only helps for this single order and doesn’t solve the ongoing staffing issues.

Cause: Staffing shortages at the pizza shop, leading to slower pizza preparation and delivery times.

Root Cause:

A few weeks later, Mark orders from the same pizza shop again and encounters a similar delay. When he asks about it, the manager explains that they’ve had trouble hiring enough drivers, especially on weekends, because of increased competition from food delivery apps. As a result, they’re frequently understaffed, which affects delivery times.

Root Cause: Difficulty in hiring and retaining delivery drivers due to high competition with food delivery apps.

Solution:

To solve the root issue, the pizza shop decides to partner with a food delivery service, which provides access to more drivers during peak hours. By outsourcing deliveries, the pizza shop can ensure timely service even when they’re short on in-house drivers. This solution leads to faster deliveries, more satisfied customers, and reduced pressure on their own team.

Solution: Partnering with a food delivery service to supplement their delivery staff during peak times.

Outcome:
The next time Mark orders from the pizza shop, his pizza arrives on time, and he no longer has to worry about delays or finding workarounds for hungry guests. The partnership with a food delivery service has resolved the delivery issues and restored his confidence in the restaurant’s reliability.

Summary:

Workaround: Providing alternative snacks to keep guests satisfied.
Symptom Addressed: Late pizza delivery causing guests to become hungry and impatient.
Cause: Staffing shortages leading to slower pizza preparation and delivery.
Root Cause: Challenges in hiring and retaining delivery drivers due to competition from food delivery apps.
Solution: Partnering with a food delivery service to supplement delivery staff during peak times.

Anecdote Explanation:
This story shows how a workaround (serving snacks) can help address a symptom (late pizza delivery), but it doesn’t fix the underlying cause (staffing shortages). Even prioritising Mark’s order doesn’t solve the ongoing delays because the real issue lies in the pizza shop’s inability to consistently maintain enough delivery drivers. By partnering with a food delivery service (the solution), the pizza shop addresses the root cause and ensures timely deliveries in the future.

Workaround:

John places a bucket under the leak to catch the water. This helps prevent the water from damaging the floor, and it gives him peace of mind that the problem is under control for now. However, the bucket doesn’t stop the leak itself; it only catches the water, and John has to empty the bucket every few hours during heavy rain.

Symptom: Water leaking onto the bedroom floor during rain.

Workaround Applied: Placing a bucket under the leak to catch the water.

Deeper Analysis:

After a few rainy nights of emptying the bucket, John realises that he can’t keep doing this forever. He climbs up to the attic and sees that the cause of the leak is a hole in the roof. The hole allows rainwater to seep through the ceiling into the bedroom. John tries to patch the hole with some plastic and duct tape, which seems to work temporarily. But after a couple of weeks, the tape starts to peel, and the leak comes back.

Cause: A hole in the roof, allowing rainwater to leak through.

Root Cause:

John decides to call a roofing specialist to inspect the roof. The roofer discovers that the hole is just one of several weak spots, and they are all due to old, damaged roof tiles that have deteriorated over time. The roofer explains that the roof is over 20 years old and hasn’t been maintained properly, which has led to cracks and leaks. Simply patching the hole won’t solve the problem because new leaks will keep forming.

Root Cause: Old, damaged roof tiles that haven’t been maintained, leading to cracks and leaks.

Solution:

The roofer suggests replacing the old roof tiles with new, more durable ones. By installing a new roof, John can prevent leaks from happening in the first place. Although it’s a bigger investment than placing a bucket or patching holes, it addresses the underlying issue, ensuring that his home stays dry during future rains.

Solution: Replacing old, damaged roof tiles with new, durable ones to prevent leaks.

Outcome: John decides to go ahead with the new roof installation. After the new tiles are in place, the leaks stop completely, and John no longer has to worry about placing buckets or patching up holes. His home is safe, dry, and more comfortable, and he doesn’t have to spend every rainy night running around with buckets and tape.

Summary:

Workaround: Placing a bucket under the leak to catch water.

Symptom Addressed: Water leaking onto the bedroom floor during rain.

Cause: A hole in the roof letting water seep through.

Root Cause: Old, damaged roof tiles that haven’t been maintained.

Solution: Installing new, durable tiles to prevent leaks.

Anecdote Explanation: This story shows how a simple workaround (the bucket) can temporarily deal with a symptom (the leaking water), but it doesn’t solve the underlying problem (the hole in the roof). Even trying to patch the hole isn’t a lasting solution because the real issue is that the roof is old and deteriorating. Only by replacing the roof tiles (the root cause) does John finally fix the problem for good.