Problem-Solving Techniques

About this course

In this course you will cover a wide variety of problem-solving techniques in the following eight areas:Problem identification Improvement priorities identificationDecision makingProcess identificationResources planningProcess improvementPerformance measurementPredictive techniquesEach of the eight areas feature several problem-solving techniques such as Cost-Benefit Analysis, Pareto Analysis, PEST, Weighted Scoring, Moving Averages, and many more. Each technique has a short lecture describing how each technique works using easy to understand examples throughout. Every lecture is followed with a short assignment that is designed to enhance and reinforce your learning. Several of the lectures also have accompanying "How To.." videos such as how to create a Pareto Chart in spreadsheet software, and how to draw a Project Network Diagram.The course features over five hours of video and 24 different problem-solving techniques. However, students can take the course in any sequence they want, as each technique is aimed at solving specific types of problems. In reality, you may end up using a combination of techniques in order to analyse a problem from different angles. The overall aim of the course is to get you to think differently and have a structured approach to solving everyday problems. Instead of jumping straight into trying to solve a problem, it is vital to first think about understanding the problem before you choose a particular technique that might help you.

Course objectives

• to teach learners how to identify and analyze problems
• to encourage a structured approach to problem-solving
• to provide practical experience through assignments