Customer Reviews

Solve That Problem!: Tools and Techniques for Continuous Improvement (How to Be Better)

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This is, without a doubt, one of the most useful and best written guides about problem solving and continuous tools you can buy, and here are some reasons why:

- It's formatted as a mini encyclopedia that covers seven categories of tools: (1) requirements and problem definition, (2) data gathering, (3) analysis, (4) ideas and options, (5) decision making, (6) planning, and (7) continuous improvement.

- Each tool is presented in a fixed format that includes What it Is, How to Use It, and Example.

- The layout and design makes finding information effortless and is highly visual.

You get 35 tools, ranging from the more common ones such as Pareto charts, SWOT analysis, cause and effect diagrams, to lesser know ones such as perception of performance grids and mind mapping. In addition, some of the tools are complex, such as customer-supplier agreements, time-cost and cost-benefit analyses, and team purpose analysis. I especially like the paired comparison technique and the complete treatment of planning tools, which includes work breakdown structures, critical path method, and planning tables. Another nice touch is the tool selection chart on page 12. This is one of the reasons that this short book is such a handy reference and easy to use. If you're interested in this book because you're getting involved in a continuous process improvement initiative I recommand that you also read "Continuous Process Improvement: Simplifying Work Flow Systems" by George D. Robson.