Solving that elusive problem

As an engineer, the most frequent work that we have to work through is solving problems. Engineers are there to find solution to an existing problem or to work around a problem and finding a better and improved ways dealing with them. I have been in the industry for almost 12 years now and have seen numerous issue that requires attention and solution. Some of the problem can take years to solve and some of them might just take a few minutes. The key to all this is i believe starts with the problem identification. Once we are able to find that, then eventually the solution is somewhat easier to conjure.

So what is the golden rule in identifying a root cause, what I sincerely believe is that we have to look at the problem and find any theory or hypothesis that can actually explain the problem that we have on hand. In doing so what I normally do is to browse through the internet finding similar problem that others might have already faced. From there we at least has a foundation theory to back our claim and able to scientifically explain the phenomena that we have seen in our problem.

There are numerous ways that people do to actually brainstorm to search for ideas relating to the problem at hands. The most popular methods i believe is the fish bone diagram. What the diagram does is that it helps us to visualize the plausible causes based on a few category. Looking at those category will help us to generate ideas which eventually might lead to the actual root cause.

Most of the times we have to work backwards by looking at the symptoms that our problem is showing to us, much like a doctor diagnosing a patient by asking them the symptom. From all these symptoms we will be able to deduce what are the cause that actually fit all these symptoms and rejecting the other hypothesis that does not generate all the symptoms that we see.

Sometime we just have to be stubborn and determined in order to not let our effort diminishes away as time flies by.