PPS Overview Facilitators Guide

Practical Problem Solving
Facilitator’s Guide
PPS Overview
An overview of the 8 steps to Practical Problem Solving.
A step by step guide to presenting Gemba Academy’s 5S course to lean learners in all positions. This guide includes
key points, discussion items, quiz questions and answers, and helpful tips. Using Gemba Academy’s online learning
content, any facilitator can teach teams of people how to solve problems efficiently and effectively.
July 2017
PPS Overview
Preparation and Lesson Plan
Use this page to prepare for each training session.
Resources
• Gemba Academy videos
• Online quizzes
Prepare for a Successful Training Session

• Watch videos and complete quizzes on your own at least one day before the training session.
• Read this guide thoroughly and become familiar with the course content before presenting to
others.
• Prepare a suitable training room for your participants.
• Prepare a computer with internet access and a projector or large screen. Test all equipment
before the training session.
• Have your Gemba Academy username and password ready.
U:_______________
P:_______________
• Choose your quiz style. The most popular option is to use the online interactive quiz,
answering questions as a group with open discussion. Another option is to print the PDF
version and have participants complete the quizzes individually.
Training Session Outline

• Step 1: Introduce the session topic and content to the participants.
• Step 2: Play a video.
• Step 3: Lead a group discussion using this guide. Review key
points, ask prepared questions and have participants fill in Choose Your Quiz
the blanks in their workbooks. Style
• Step 4: Take the quiz and review
responses.
• Step 5: Apply what has been learned
in your workplace.
When questions come up,

encourage other participants to
answer. Responding to questions
with “What does the team think?”
goes a long way to build
engagement.
Helpful
Tip
1
PPS Overview
Step 1: Session Overview
• Introduce the training topic.
• This module introduces the concept of practical problem solving, outlines some tools and
techniques to solve problems, and outlines the 8 steps to practical problem solving.
• Explain what to expect during this session.

In this session we will:
• Watch “PPS Overview” (10:47)
• Discuss what we learned from the video using the workbook
• Review the content with a quiz and talk about the results.
• Before you begin…

• Ask your participants if they have heard the term “practical problem solving" before. If they
have, can they explain it? If not, what do they think it means? What does it involve?
Step 2: Play “PPS Overview”
Step 3: Review Key Points
What is a Problem?
• A problem can be defined as any deviation from the standard, a gap between actual and
desired conditions, or an unfulfilled customer need.
• There are three main types of problems:
1. Standard not achieved.
2. Standard achieved, but a higher standard is required.
3. Performance to the standard varies, or is not consistently achieved.
Why Practical Problem Solving?

• PPS allows organizations to have a common understanding and definition of what a problem
is.
• It also removes time lost in debate and discussion, so organizations can focus on things that
really matter.
• It ensures problems don’t reoccur.
The PDCA Cycle

• PDCA stands for Plan, Do, Check, Act.
• The Plan step is especially important, since failing to plan properly results in longer resolution
times. When an organization takes time to plan, they can solve their problems much faster.
Problem Solving Approaches

• Just Do It: for small problems that may not require much time or resources to solve, sometimes
just fixing them and moving on is the best solution.
2
PPS Overview
• 8 Disciplines: Ford Motor Company uses 8 disciplines to tackle engineering problems. These
are not the 8 steps of PPS, but share some similarities.
• DMAIC: A Six Sigma methodology, DMAIC stands for Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and
Control.
The 8 Steps to Practical Problem Solving

1. Clarify the Problem: clearly describe the current situation while going to investigate the
problem with our own eyes. Also try to contain the problem so it doesn’t affect the customer.
2. Break Down the Problem: take the big, vague issue and break it down into its component
parts. Also study the inputs and outputs of the process to scope and prioritize your efforts.
3. Set a Target We Will Achieve: this step forces us to make a commitment, and should be a
challenge and a limit to the scope. It doesn’t have to be a huge step towards the ideal state
4. Analyze the Root Cause: go and see for yourselves to find points of cause. If there are multiple
root causes, use the 5 Why analysis and similar tools to identify them all.
5. Develop Countermeasures: to remove the root causes, come up with a plan that includes
who, what, and when, which will enable you to implement multiple countermeasures.
6. See Countermeasures Through: seek the help and ideas of many people, update the status
continually, and never give up.
7. Evaluate both Process and Results: ask “was this an effective countermeasure, or just luck?”
8. Standardize Success, Learn from Failures: use “Yokoten”, which means copying and expanding
good kaizen ideas to other areas while identifying unresolved issues and learning from them.
Be sure to set targets for future improvement, since failing to improve unresolved problems
can lead to problems in the future.
Step 4: Quiz
1. Which best describes the definition of a problem as discussed in the module? Please select all that
apply.
A gap between actual and desired conditions
An unfulfilled customer need
Any deviation from the standard
Meeting customer needs
3
PPS Overview
2. Which type of problem does the image best represent?
Standard achieved, but a higher standard is not required.
Performance to standard varies (not consistently achieved)
Standard not achieved
3. Which type of problem does the image best represent?

Standard achieved, but a higher standard is not required
Standard not achieved
Performance to standard varies (not consistently achieved)
4. The failure to plan properly almost always results in longer times to resolve the problems.
True
False
5. The primary Six Sigma roadmap used today is Define, MEASURE, Analyze, Improve, and Control.
Please write in the missing word.
6. It’s not important to contain the problem in order to protect the customer.
True
False
4
PPS Overview
7. Please match the correct answer for each description on the left. Each description will have only
one answer.
Breaking the big problem down into smaller, Set a Target We WILL Achieve
more specific problems.
Clearly describe the current situation. Clarify the Problem
This step forces us to make a commitment. Analyze the Root Cause
Find points of cause, which is the starting point Break Down the Problem
of root cause analysis.
8. Which statement best describes the last of the 8 steps to Practical Problem Solving?
See Countermeasures Through
Evaluate both Results and Process
Develop Countermeasures
Standardize Success, Learn from Failure
9. No problem is a problem.
True
False
Step 5: Reflection
Give your participants 10-15 minutes to fill out the reflection questions at the end of their
workbooks. Once they’ve finished, have a short discussion with them. Now that you understand
better what Practical Problem Solving is and what goes into it, how do you think it will benefit your
company? Are there any large, vague problems that your company is battling? Spend 5-10 minutes
discussing.

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Practical Problem Solving

Prepare for a Successful Training Session

Training Session Outline

When questions come up,

• Explain what to expect during this session.

• Before you begin…

Step 2: Play “PPS Overview”

Step 3: Review Key Points

Why Practical Problem Solving?

The PDCA Cycle

Problem Solving Approaches

The 8 Steps to Practical Problem Solving

3. Which type of problem does the image best represent?

Clearly describe the current situation. Clarify the Problem

This step forces us to make a commitment. Analyze the Root Cause

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