Case Studies: How Simple Solutions Outshine Complex Ones in Real-World Problems

Focus on solutions, not on problems.

Underwater Pen

When NASA began launching astronauts into space, they discovered that pens wouldn't work in zero gravity (ink wouldn't flow down to the writing surface). To solve this issue, it took them a decade and $12 million to develop a pen that functioned in zero gravity, upside down, underwater, on practically any surface including crystal, and in a temperature range from below freezing to over 300 degrees Celsius.

And what did the Russians do?

They used a pencil!

Simple Intelligence

One of the most memorable case studies I came across on Japanese management was the case of the empty soapbox, which occurred in one of Japan's largest cosmetics companies. The company received a complaint that a consumer had purchased an empty soapbox. The issue was traced back to the assembly line, which transported all the packaged soapboxes to the delivery department.

For some reason, one soapbox went through the assembly line empty.

Management tasked its engineers with finding a solution. Quickly, the engineers devised an X-ray machine with high-resolution monitors operated by two people to inspect all the soapboxes passing through the line to ensure they were not empty. They worked diligently and swiftly but incurred significant costs to do so.

However, when a regular employee in a small company faced the same problem, they did not complicate matters with X-rays. Instead, they proposed a simple solution. The employee purchased a powerful industrial electric fan and directed it at the assembly line. By turning on the fan, it blew the empty boxes off the line as they passed by.

Keep it small and simple!

I have a small doubt. Can I be able to attach a file with the extension as .pps even though it is a ppt presentation?

Kindly help.

Anu

You can attach, even if this is 0 bytes. I think you are attaching the shortcut, not the original file. Check once again.

Many years ago in a small Indian village, a farmer had the misfortune of owing a large sum of money to a village moneylender.

The moneylender, who was old and ugly, fancied the farmer's beautiful daughter. So he proposed a bargain.

He said he would forgo the farmer's debt if he could marry his daughter. Both the farmer and his daughter were horrified by the proposal. So the cunning moneylender suggested that they let providence decide the matter.

He told them that he would put a black pebble and a white pebble into an empty money bag. Then the girl would have to pick one pebble from the bag.

1) If she picked the black pebble, she would become his wife and her father's debt would be forgiven.

2) If she picked the white pebble, she need not marry him, and her father's debt would still be forgiven.

3) But if she refused to pick a pebble, her father would be thrown into jail.

They were standing on a pebble-strewn path in the farmer's field. As they talked, the moneylender bent over to pick up two pebbles. As he picked them up, the sharp-eyed girl noticed that he had picked up two black pebbles and put them into the bag. He then asked the girl to pick a pebble from the bag.

Now, imagine that you were standing in the field. What would you have done if you were the girl? If you had to advise her, what would you have told her?

Careful analysis would produce three possibilities:

1. The girl should refuse to take a pebble.

2. The girl should show that there were two black pebbles in the bag and expose the moneylender as a cheat.

3. The girl should pick a black pebble and sacrifice herself to save her father from his debt and imprisonment.

Take a moment to ponder over the story. The above story is used with the hope that it will make us appreciate the difference between lateral and logical thinking. The girl's dilemma cannot be solved with traditional logical thinking. Think of the consequences if she chooses the above logical answers.

What would you recommend to the girl to do?

Well, here is what she did...

The girl put her hand into the money bag and drew out a pebble. Without looking at it, she fumbled and let it fall onto the pebble-strewn path where it immediately became lost among all the other pebbles.

"Oh, how clumsy of me," she said. "But never mind, if you look into the bag for the one that is left, you will be able to tell which pebble I picked."

Since the remaining pebble is black, it must be assumed that she had picked the white one. And since the moneylender dared not admit his dishonesty, the girl changed what seemed an impossible situation into an extremely advantageous one.

MORAL OF THE STORY:

Most complex problems do have a solution. It is only that we don't attempt to think.

Really smart, isn't it?

Hi friends,

All case studies were excellent. I was even asked a case study during my interview, but unfortunately, I couldn't answer it correctly. Let's see if you all can answer it.

Once in an office, an employee complained to the HR manager that our in-house coffee person doesn't clean the kitchen and utensils properly, and doesn't provide hygienic food. The employee mentioned finding a cockroach or flies at the bottom of the glass after finishing tea.

Can anybody tell me, if you were in the HR manager's position, what would be your next step? Would you scold the office boy, conduct an inquiry, or do something else?

I'll be waiting for your answers.

Regards,
Wricha

If I were an HR manager there, I would not scold anyone. There could have been many possibilities; however, I would have asked the canteen personnel to use disposable glasses and cups to ensure hygiene.

Regards,
Neelam

Japanese thinking - another example:

The Japanese have always loved fresh fish. However, the waters close to Japan have not held many fish for decades. So, to feed the Japanese population, fishing boats got bigger and went farther than ever.

The farther the fishermen went, the longer it took to bring in the fish. If the return trip took more than a few days, the fish were not fresh, and the Japanese did not like the taste.

To solve this problem, fishing companies installed freezers on their boats. They would catch the fish and freeze them at sea. Freezers allowed the boats to go farther and stay longer. However, the Japanese could taste the difference between fresh and frozen fish, and they did not like frozen fish, which brought a lower price.

Therefore, fishing companies installed fish tanks. They would catch the fish and stuff them in the tanks, fin to fin. After a little thrashing around, the fish stopped moving. They were tired and dull but alive.

Unfortunately, the Japanese could still taste the difference. Because the fish did not move for days, they lost their fresh-fish taste, and the Japanese preferred the lively taste of fresh fish, not sluggish fish.

So, how did Japanese fishing companies solve this problem? How do they get fresh-tasting fish to Japan?

To keep the fish tasting fresh, the Japanese fishing companies still put the fish in the tanks. But now they add a small shark to each tank. The shark eats a few fish, but most of the fish arrive in a very lively state. The fish are challenged.

As soon as you reach your goals, such as finding a wonderful mate, starting a successful company, paying off your debts, or whatever, you might lose your passion. You don't need to work so hard so you relax.

Like the Japanese fish problem, the best solution is simple. It was observed by L. Ron Hubbard in the early 1950s.

"Man thrives, oddly enough, only in the presence of a challenging environment."

The Benefits of a Challenge

The more intelligent, persistent, and competent you are, the more you enjoy a good problem. If your challenges are the correct size, and if you are steadily conquering those challenges, you are happy. You think of your challenges and get energized. You are excited to try new solutions. You have fun. You are alive!

Recommendations:

Instead of avoiding challenges, jump into them. Beat the heck out of them. Enjoy the game.

If your challenges are too large or too numerous, do not give up. Failing makes you tired. Instead, reorganize. Find more determination, more knowledge, more help.

Don't create success and lie in it. You have resources, skills, and abilities to make a difference.

Put a shark in your tank and see how far you can really go! 😊

Viji