In today’s post I’d like to write about the similarity between problems and customers’ requirements. Problem can be simply defined as the difference or gap from an accepted value in a particular situation. A problem will exist when a guy smokes a cigarette in a room that is occupied by non-smokers. In this case, smoking is an unacceptable value of a group of non-smokers, so the gap between the smoker’s and the group’s values is causing a problem here. A problem can also merge in a situation when your boss wants you to complete a certain task 3 days in advance from the previous date agreed between you and your boss. Like wise, customers can give you ‘problems’ when they request various changes from your standard designs.In order to understand the nature of various requests from customers, it will be enlightening for us to grasp the 4 types of problems in business environment. Since customers’ requirements are some sort of structured problems, they must be solved in order for us to gain the confidence of customers which subsequently lead to more business. No matter how difficult they seem to be, it is inevitable that we have to get the right solutions for all their requests.
A customer request or ‘the cause of a problem’ can be simply divided into 2 basic categories; they are either known to you or unknown. Similarly, the solutions for the requests, they can also be categorized as either known or unknown. Thus, from this similarity we can combine all these 4 categories and presented them in a matrix of 2 X 2. This type of matrix is useful and can assist us in making better decisions towards taking the correct actions to satisfying the customers.
Problem is the product of cause and solution. We’d normally say that a problem is simple if the cause is known and the solution is also known. If you have the right technology for every request, satisfying your customers is a simple matter. When the causes are known but the solutions are unknown, these problems may require a relative higher degree of sophistication to solve; problems of such nature require technology that must be acquired from outside sources. It’s like knowing the brakes of your car are worn out and you don’t have the knowledge to change them by yourself; this case we will sent the car to the repairman. If you face with this type of requirements, you might need out source or to employ an expert in order to complete them for you.
The third type of requests are that you might received those that your customers might just indicated by telling you their desired results, like increasing the production output by 50% from present situation. If you can only increase a maximum of 10% with the existing system, you might have to do R&D and challenge the target set by the customer. If there’s a similar system in the market that is performing as what your customer’s requested, you might acquire the system and perform a cause analysis or reverse engineering. This is the fourth type of problem or requirement from your customers.Thus, knowing precisely where you stand in working towards to satisfying you customers is important matter.
