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Have you ever been asked to write a problem statement and include a proposed solution at work or school, but don’t know where to start?
Keep reading for everything you need to know about problem statements, how to write one, and examples to base your own statements on.
What is a question statement?
Ann effective problem statement It aims to identify the gap between the current state (problem) and the desired state (goal) of a process or product.
Problem statements help authors solve problems and meet unmet needs by providing viable solutions.
A good problem statement, also called a point of view (POV) statement, creates a framework that offers possible solutions to the problem.
It contains clear statements about issues that authors can address, allowing you to stay focused on the main issues.
Related: How to Solve Problems in 3 Steps | Define, Redefine, Repeat | Entrepreneur
Point of view of the problem statement
Problem statements take many forms, but the goal is always to develop effective solutions.
A problem statement can be constructed using several different perspectives.
Here are some ways to express the problem:
End User Perspective
“I’m a busy working person who tries to eat healthy, but I don’t always have time to go grocery shopping or buy healthy foods because of the long hours I work. It’s frustrating and disgusting to myself.”
Research perspective
“Hardworking professionals often work long hours and don’t have time to go grocery shopping, so they need a convenient way to eat healthy foods easily.”
Perspective of the four Ws
The methodology behind this type of problem statement is that the who, what, where and why should be included.
It is commonly used to improve user experience and solve business problems by finding solutions to pain points (specific problems faced by customers). Using this perspective usually includes the most detailed information.
“Our busy working professional struggles to eat healthy meals during the week due to long working hours. We need to provide a quick and convenient way to make purchases.”
Each of the above perspectives addresses the same problem from a different perspective.
It’s up to you how you approach the problem statement, as long as you focus on the problem and come up with possible solutions.
Related: Problem Definition: The Most Important Business Skill Never Taught | Entrepreneur
Three Key Elements of a Problem Statement
A typical problem statement is structured like this: 3 key elements.
- The specific issue is clearly stated and detailed enough to explain why it is important.
- how to solve the problem.
- A description of the purpose, purpose and scope of the research.
It is essential to include statement of purpose at the beginning of the problem statement. This allows the reader to know exactly what the statement is about.
of range A problem statement should be a short statement explaining what is or isn’t said in the statement and is often included in the introductory part of the statement.
Below is Problem statement written by Tan T. Trinh“Take off and Landing Winglets” leverages three key factors:
problem
A recent trend in new aircraft design is the addition of winglets, which are small fins attached to the ends of the main wings.
After the aircraft has taken off and cruised, winglets improve performance by reducing the drag produced by the wings.
However, winglets present two problems during the critical stages of aircraft takeoff and landing.
First, vibrations commonly called buffeting occur in the main wing.
Second, the aircraft loses some control over yaw, the side-to-side movement of the nose.
In NASA-funded research [Ref. 2]the DC-10 transport aircraft was equipped with winglets on its main wings and experienced significant buffeting during takeoff and landing.
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the method used to solve the problem
Our current project examines winglet-induced buffeting in three wing designs.
Buffeting and yaw under experimental wind tunnel takeoff and landing conditions for (1) a wing without winglets, (2) another wing with conventional winglets, and (3) a wing with spheroidal winglets. Record.
Our objective is to determine the extent to which the difference in loading on the wing and its winglets during takeoff and landing causes the performance problems described above.
Related: Here are 5 problem-solving skills every entrepreneur should have
Statement of Purpose, Purpose and Scope
In this study, we develop theoretical models of wing-loaded lift forces and compare these with the actual recorded wing and wing-plate lift forces during test conditions.
Related: 27 Quotes to Change the Way You Think About Problems | Entrepreneur
Questions to answer when writing a question
When you write a problem statement, you are solving a problem for a situation that requires a solution.
To create a good problem statement during the brainstorming stage, Ask yourself the following questions:
- What are the people involved in the case study doing wrong?
- What are the main issues and their root causes?
- What impact will this issue have on stakeholders in the long term?
- Will this issue have a domino effect?
- What or who is contributing to the problem?
- Are other people’s reactions to the problem creating a pendulum effect?
Related: To solve big problems, assume everything is wrong and ask stupid questions | Entrepreneur
Example of question sentence
Continue reading for an example problem statement that you can use as a template to base your statement on.
Example 1
Below is a question statement that covers: Youth homelessness crisis:
The goal of Intentional Youth Housing is to rapidly provide housing to youth facing housing insecurity and provide them with the support they need to maintain secure housing and build a foundation for future success. is.
As of March 2018, the city had 1,227 homeless people, according to the city’s dashboard for fighting homelessness.
Young people experiencing homelessness in the city.
Of these, 126 were matched to the project and awaiting registration, and 45 homeless youth were registered to the project and awaiting permanent housing.
An average of 158 new youths come to our system each month, and it takes 144 days from identification to detention.
To reduce this long-term homelessness, the city aims to support a menu of developmentally appropriate, rapidly deployable housing interventions for young people.
Related: These inspiring teen girls invented a solar-powered housing solution for the homeless | they’re now presenting their work at MIT.entrepreneur
Example 2
Here is the problem statement regarding the reduction of : employee well-being:
The problem that this study should address is the decline in employee benefits that follows junior mid-level managers and the corresponding rise in employee turnover faced by business leaders across the financial services industry (Oh et al., 2014).
Declining employee benefits levels negatively impact morale, leading to high turnover costs, dysfunctional work environments, anemic corporate cultures, and poor customer service (Compdata, 2018; Oh et al., 2014). .
According to Ufer (2017), the financial services industry has the highest millennial employee turnover rate of all industries in the developed world, at 18.6% annually.
Starkman (2015) reported that 50% of those surveyed in financial services were dissatisfied with one of the four key aspects of their workplace: job, company, salary and career path. .
Poor employee well-being hinders the ability of financial services firms to provide excellent customer service in a world that is increasingly dependent on financial services (Wladawsky-Berger, 2018).
Mid-level managers play a key role in supporting the success of many of today’s top companies (Anicch & Hirsh, 2017).
The current body of literature does not adequately address the issue of well-being in the financial services industry from an adherent’s perspective (Uhl-Bien, Riggio, Lowe, & Carsten, 2014).
Strategic direction is communicated top-down from senior executives, through mid-level leadership, and to more junior individual contributors.
Teams of mid-level managers are tasked with accomplishing core tasks, and managers themselves are expected to maintain employee morale, motivation and well-being (Anicch & Hirsh, 2017).
Unless industry leaders better understand the phenomenon of employee well-being from the perspective of followers and the role of employee well-being in positioning employees to provide the best customer experience. Customer service, which is the most important key market differentiator, can be difficult to maintain (Wladawsky-Berger, 2018).
Related: Is your company embracing these trends in employee well-being?
Example 3
Below is a problem statement that deals with the following problem: Unpredictable Online Student Attendance:
Distance learning via online platforms is a rapidly growing method of education delivery due to its convenience, broad reach, relatively low cost and ability to support learning goals.
Whether the platform is Blackboard, WebCT, Moodle, Angel, or another learning management system, online teaching utilizes a variety of popular learning tools such as discussion boards, drop boxes, automated tests, and wikis.
Chief among these tools are live online sessions.
Live online sessions can be delivered in virtual classrooms from Adobe Connect, Elluminate, GoToMeeting, Wimba, or other software programs.
Regardless of the software you use, student attendance at live online sessions, especially optional ones, can be unpredictable at best.
A common complaint among online faculty at Southern universities is that many, possibly most, students do not participate in live online sessions.
This study addresses the problem of low student attendance at non-essential virtual classroom meetings in online college courses.
Ofir, Lev, and Bezalel (2008) found that the level of interaction in synchronous classes, also known as web conferencing, is an important factor in class effectiveness.
Other researchers have described “the power of synchronous online systems to enhance student speech and expression” (McBrien, Jones, & Cheng, 2009). However, if the students are not present, there can be no dialogue and no expression.
According to Skylar (2009), “Research into the use of newer multimedia technologies, such as interactive synchronous web conferencing tools, is in its early stages and requires further, ongoing research” (p. 82).
McBrien, Jones, and Cheng (2009) stated that “further research is needed to investigate student perceptions of synchronous learning experiences”.
Various studies have explored differences in the capabilities of different platforms (Kenning, 2010; Lavolette, Venable, Gose, and Huang, 2010), but at the core of why students attend or do not attend not reached.
This research will benefit colleges and college administrators who can create or modify policies based on the results. Administrators may also decide to change virtual classroom providers.
Faculty members may benefit if the results indicate that their own practices need change.
Finally, the research will benefit online students whose learning experience is enhanced by the results.
Related: This is what the hybrid classroom has taught us about the future of work | entrepreneurs
The problem statement produces the answer
Whether you create a problem statement for work or school, by yourself, or with team members, it is essential to clearly define the problem and all its parameters in order to arrive at the final solution.
By using your decision-making skills and following the steps and examples above, you can find answers to any research project.
check out For more information, check out our other Entrepreneurial Articles For raising issues and other professional topics.