Solutions vs. Problem Solving by Chad Mullins

Doesn’t anyone have problems anymore? There are so many solutions out there, it’s a wonder that we still have needs. The word “solution” has replaced the word “product” or “service” in everyday business use. But does this mean that nobody has problems? Microsoft would have you believe that all you need for communication is Office, yet we still have phones. People still rely on face-to-face meetings and a handshake for important matters, so obviously Microsoft has not “solved” communication.

What is a Solution?

So what’s the difference between solving a problem and finding a solution? The statement “I’ve found a solution” implies that 100% of the original problem is gone. It says that I have solved, not only the results of the problem, but the root of the problem. People solve a puzzle. Engineers solve an equation. If a problem is truly solved, then nothing is left. Why then, is the word “solution” commonly used to describe the results of a problem that is not completely gone?

The act of placing a pre-built solution on top of a custom-built problem is a backward way of thinking. What two companies are exactly the same? For instance, we were recently helping a company solve an internal scheduling problem. As we were evaluating possible solutions, we recognized that they could pay for software to solve many of their needs. This suggests that they have many of the same scheduling needs as other companies in their industry. Similarities aside, they also had specific needs that would not be addressed with any of the scheduling software packages. In the end, a custom web application was created.  It was everything they needed, and nothing they didn’t.

But how many times is an incomplete compromise implemented? Software companies have flooded the marketplace with products that require businesses to adapt the way they work to their products. This pattern has filtered through to most of the IT world – including web design and development. Focused effort by the software industry has homogenized market expectations, and reduced the importance of problem solving.

Here’s an Example

A common scenario can be found in the use of Content Management Systems (CMS). All available CMS options are nowhere near complete business solutions. They perform a specific set of functions well, and attempt to meet whatever needs are presented. For example, WordPress is a popular blogging tool that is commonly used as a CMS in small-to-medium websites. By default, WordPress is very good at blogging and page creation. This may seem like a great solution for a website, and it is as long as your information is simply organized. However, the minute you start creating complexity in the information architecture, WordPress starts to look less attractive. The internal workflow for managing a website in WordPress is completely different than with a CMS such as Expression Engine (EE). EE is not designed as a blogging tool, but instead mainly as a page creation and management tool. Point being, neither are made specifically for you and neither will completely solve your business need.

So What’s the Problem?

Many times, a business will be so ingrained in the pattern of “finding solutions” that they refuse to face the real problems. They have created a finely-tuned system of managing their operations based on their solution set, and see any analysis of their real problems as disruptive and unnecessary. In order to create any meaningful understanding, a person would need to really dig, and digging takes money.  Money that is, many times, in short supply.

The financial impact of problem solving can’t be ignored. There is a substantial financial investment required to investigate a problem and propose a solution. While it’s easy to suggest that ignoring a problem is cheaper than dealing with it, this view is a bit simplistic. A constant, purposeful analysis of business problems will provide valuable insight to decide when it’s appropriate to alter your business to fit a pre-built solution and when it’s worth the effort and cost to find a unique answer. Either way, analysis is they key.

Business problems will always exist, and there may be times when compromise is the right answer. Nevertheless, be careful not to ignore the importance of understanding a problem fully; a thorough understanding of a problem will always lead to a better solution.