Strategies for Creative Problem-Solving

"Strategies for Creative Problem Solving, Second Edition, will help you sharpen your "street smarts" and leverage your creative skills to find better solutions for virtually any technical problem. Drawing on advanced, National Science Foundation-funded research, it introduces a start-to-finish problem-solving framework that integrates proven strategies from todays most effective technical organizations. Using its hands-on techniques and exercises, you'll learn how to gather data, systematically identify problems, generate superior alternatives, choose and implement the best solution, evaluate what you learn, and use that knowledge to create even better outcomes."--BOOK JACKET.

Steven E. LeBlanc is associate dean for academic affairs and professor of chemical engineering at the University of Toledo. H. Scott Fogler is Vennema Professor of Chemical Engineering at the University of Michigan.

PREFACE

vii

CHAPTER 1 Problem-Solving Strategies-Why Bother?

1

(10)

1.1 What's the Real Problem?

1

(4)

1.2 Right Problem/Wrong Solution

5

(3)

Summary

8

(1)

References

8

(1)

Further Reading

9

(1)

Exercises

9

(2)

CHAPTER 2 Getting Started

11

(18)

2.1 Getting in the Right Frame of Mind

11

(2)

2.2 Taking Risks

13

(2)

2.3 Looking for Paradigm Shifts

15

(1)

2.4 Having a Vision

16

(1)

2.5 Using A Heuristic

17

(2)

2.6 Fostering Creativity

19

(1)

2.7 Interacting Creatively

20

(1)

2.8 Working Together in Teams

21

(2)

Closure

23

(1)

Summary

24

(1)

References

24

(1)

Further Reading

24

(1)

Exercises

25

(4)

CHAPTER 3 Problem Definition

29

(32)

3.1 The First Four Steps

29

(5)

3.2 Defining The Real Problem

34

(16)

3.2A Finding Out Where the Problem Came From

34

(4)

3.2B Exploring the Problem

38

(3)

3.2C Using the Present State/Desired State Technique

41

(1)

3.2D The Duncker Diagram

42

(4)

3.2E Using the Statement-Restatement Technique

46

(4)

3.2F Evaluating the Problem Definition

50

(1)

3.3 The Next Four Steps

50

(3)

Summary

53

(1)

References

54

(1)

Further Reading

54

(1)

Exercises

54

(7)

CHAPTER 4 Generating Solutions

61

(26)

4.1 Recognizing Mental Blocks

62

(3)

4.2 Blockbusting

65

(3)

4.3 Brainstorming

68

(8)

4.3A Osborn's Checklist

69

(1)

4.3B Random Stimulation

70

(1)

4.3C Other People's Views

71

(3)

4.3D Futuring

74

(2)

4.4 Organizing Brainstorming Ideas: The Fishbone Diagram

76

(1)

4.5 Brainwriting

77

(1)

4.6 Analogy and Cross-Fertilization

77

(2)

4.7 Incubating Ideas

79

(1)

Closure

80

(1)

Summary

81

(1)

References

81

(1)

Further Reading

82

(1)

Exercises

82

(5)

CHAPTER 5 Deciding the Course of Action

87

(32)

5.1 Situation Analysis

88

(4)

5.1A Evaluation Criteria

88

(3)

5.1B The Pareto Analysis and Diagram

91

(1)

5.2 K.T. Problem Analysis and Troubleshooting

92

(6)

5.3 Decision Analysis

98

(6)

5.3A Cautions

103

(1)

5.3B Missing Information

104

(1)

5.3C Is the Decision Ethical?

104

(1)

5.4 Potential Problem Analysis

104

(5)

Summary

109

(1)

References

110

(1)

Further Reading

110

(1)

Exercises

110

(9)

CHAPTER 6 Implementing the Solution

119

(32)

6.1 Approval

119

(1)

6.2 Planning

120

(7)

6.2A Allocation of Time and Resources

121

(1)

6.2A.1 Gantt Chart

121

(2)

6.2B Coordination and Deployment

123

(2)

6.2C Critical Path

125

(1)

6.2D Necessary Resources

126

(1)

6.3 Carry Through

127

(5)

Revealing the Solution

128

(4)

6.4 Follow Up

132

(1)

6.5 Problem Statements That Change with Time

132

(1)

6.6 Experimental Projects

133

(14)

6.6A Do You Really Need the Experiments?

134

(1)

6.6B Define the Objectives of the Experiment

135

(1)

6.6C Choose the Responses You Want to Measure

135

(1)

6.6D Identify the Important Variables

135

(1)

6.6E Design the Experiment

136

(1)

Types of Errors

136

(1)

The Minimum Number of Experiments

137

(4)

6.6F Performing the Experiment: How Many Times?

141

(1)

6.6G Analyze the Results

141

(3)

6.6H Report

144

(3)

Closure

147

(1)

Summary

147

(1)

References

147

(1)

Further Reading

148

(1)

Exercises

148

(3)

CHAPTER 7 Evaluation

151

(18)

7.1 General Guidelines

151

(4)

7.2 Ethical Considerations

155

(4)

7.3 Safety Considerations

159

(3)

Summary

162

(1)

References

162

(1)

Further Reading

162

(1)

Exercises

162

(7)

CHAPTER 8 Putting It All Together

169

(14)

8.1 Case Study: Meet Me at the Mall

171

(2)

8.2 Case Study: The Silver Bullet

173

(7)

Closure

180

(3)

Appendix 1

183

(1)

Appendix 2

184

(17)

INDEX

201

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Strategies for Creative Problem-Solving

Summary

Author Biography

Table of Contents

Supplemental Materials