Problems and Solutions
Two Interesting cases on problems and solutions, through forward. I have heard the first one long back. The second was also very interesting.
Case 1
When NASA began the launch of astronauts into space, they found out that the pens wouldn't work at zero gravity (ink won't flow down to the writing surface). To solve this problem, it took them one decade and $12 million.They developed a pen that worked at zero gravity, upside down, underwater,in practically any surface including crystal and in a temperature range from below freezing to over 300 degrees C.
And what did the Russians do...?? They used a pencil.
Case 2
One of the most memorable case studies on Japanese management was the case of the empty soap cover, which happened in one of Japan 's biggest cosmetics companies. The company received a complaint that a consumer had bought a soap cover that was empty. Immediately the authorities isolated the problem to the assembly! line, which transported all the packaged boxes of soap to the delivery department. For some reason, one soap cover went through the assembly line empty. Management asked its engineers to solve the problem.Post-haste, the engineers worked hard to devise an X-ray machine with high-resolution monitors manned by two people to watch all the soap covers that passed through the line to make sure they were not empty.
No doubt, they worked hard and they worked fast but they spent a whoopee amount to do so.
But when a rank-and-file employee in a small company was posed with the same problem, he did not get into complications of X-rays,etc., but instead came out with another solution. He bought a strong industrial electric fan and pointed it at the assembly line. He switched the fan on, and as each soap cover passed the fan, it simply blew the empty boxes out of the line.
Moral : Always look for simple solutions.
Though in the first case leads to new innovation, the time taken to solve the problem was huge. Yes we need innovation to leap forward, but not in all cases.When should think of simpler and cost effective solutions for a problem.
Case 1
When NASA began the launch of astronauts into space, they found out that the pens wouldn't work at zero gravity (ink won't flow down to the writing surface). To solve this problem, it took them one decade and $12 million.They developed a pen that worked at zero gravity, upside down, underwater,in practically any surface including crystal and in a temperature range from below freezing to over 300 degrees C.
And what did the Russians do...?? They used a pencil.
Case 2
One of the most memorable case studies on Japanese management was the case of the empty soap cover, which happened in one of Japan 's biggest cosmetics companies. The company received a complaint that a consumer had bought a soap cover that was empty. Immediately the authorities isolated the problem to the assembly! line, which transported all the packaged boxes of soap to the delivery department. For some reason, one soap cover went through the assembly line empty. Management asked its engineers to solve the problem.Post-haste, the engineers worked hard to devise an X-ray machine with high-resolution monitors manned by two people to watch all the soap covers that passed through the line to make sure they were not empty.
No doubt, they worked hard and they worked fast but they spent a whoopee amount to do so.
But when a rank-and-file employee in a small company was posed with the same problem, he did not get into complications of X-rays,etc., but instead came out with another solution. He bought a strong industrial electric fan and pointed it at the assembly line. He switched the fan on, and as each soap cover passed the fan, it simply blew the empty boxes out of the line.
Moral : Always look for simple solutions.
Though in the first case leads to new innovation, the time taken to solve the problem was huge. Yes we need innovation to leap forward, but not in all cases.When should think of simpler and cost effective solutions for a problem.
posted by A. Vimal Babu at 08:53
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