Review Figure 4.1 (problem-solving steps) on page 67, PDSA, and DMAIC. How do they differ, and how are they similar? What is familiar, what is not? Is it a good - or bad - idea to have specific steps? Why? How does your organization solve problems, and is this method effective? Please explain. In what situations might one work better than the other? If you have an example you can share from your organization about how problems are solved, please do.

It is not unusual for organizations to have no established method of problem-solving, this was sometimes referred to in undergraduate textbooks as "the garbage can method". One advantage to having consistent approaches to problem-solving is that it makes it easier to train people, new members of the organization can learn it quickly and contribute sooner.

Add any comments you wish about Baldrige 3 & Baldrige 5 as they relate to your current or previous organization. Although we use problem-solving throughout Baldrige, some of the first contacts we have with the issues that need to be resolved are with customers (Baldrige 3) and with employees (Baldrige 5) because these are the people that will solve the problems for the customers.