Tips and Tricks: Problem Solving

THE PROBLEM SOLVING PROCESS

The flowchart on the following page describes the problem solving process which consists
of three steps : identifying the problem, determining its causes and finding solutions.

Your description of the problem should concretely and concisely sum up your observations,
without addressing possible solutions. The clearer the description, the more elements you
will have to work out solutions. There are three types of problems: those that arise before,
during, and after painting.

Possible causes fall under one of five categories: methods, tools, products, environment,
and surface. To determine the true causes of the problem, information pertaining to the five
categories must be gathered. Here are some sample questions you might ask customers to
ascertain actual causes.

CAUSES QUESTIONS
Products
  • What products did you use (type, look, line, batch number, quantity used, color)?
  • What use have you made of the products (walls, doors, floors, etc.)?
  • How did you store the products?
    		•
    Surfaces
  • What type(s) of surfaces are involved (gypsum, wood (species), metal, masonry, synthetic)?
  • What were surface conditions prior to painting (bare or already painted, contaminated or not, temperature, ventilation, humidity)?
  • Have the surfaces been repaired? If so, what type of repairs were necessary?
  • What surface area is involved?
    		•
    Methods
  • What type of preparation and finishing processes did you use?
  • What procedures did you follow?
  • How many coats did you apply?
  • How long did you wait between each coat?
    		•
    Tools
  • What tools did you use?
    		•
    Environment
  • What was the temperature at the time of application or when you noticed the problem?
  • What was the level of humidity?
  • Was the room ventilated?

    • Once the problem has been described and the actual cause(s) have been determined, the solutions may seem obvious. However, you should pay as much attention to the choice of solutions as you do to every other aspect of the problem-solving process. You must seek not only an adequate solution, but also search for the best possible solution. This best possible solution should be based on two criteria : efficiency and feasibility.

  • Efficacité. Evaluation based on the solution's ability to eliminate the primary
    cause of the problem.

  • Faisabilité. Evaluation based on the various factors needed to implement the
    solution (cost, time, material, manpower, etc.).
    •

    The problem-solving process


    PROBLEMS, CAUSES AND SOLUTIONS

    The following chart lists the most frequently encountered problems in interior and exterior painting. Problems are grouped in three categories: before, during and after the application. Problems, causes and solutions are presented in details in the following pages.

    Chart of problems before, during and after the application

    Click here to access the detailed list of problems, causes and solutions