A problem statement is a short text that is usually located at the beginning of a report or proposal to explain the problem or issue the document discusses to the reader. In general, a problem statement will outline the basic facts of the problem, explain why the problem is important, and determine a solution as quickly and directly as possible. Problem formulations are often used in the business world for planning purposes but can also be used in academic situations as part of a stylized report such as a written report or project. See Step 1 below to get started writing your own Problem Formulation!
Step
Method 1 of 2: Writing Your Own Problem Formula
Step 1. Describe the "ideal" state
There are many different ways to write a problem statement - some sources recommend going straight to the problem itself, while others recommend providing some background context first to make the problem (and solution) easier for the reader to understand. If you're really not sure how to start, choose the second option. While brevity is something that every practical writing should aim for, good understanding is even more important. Start by explaining how things should work. Before you mention your problem, explain in a few sentences how things would have gone if there were no problems.
For example, suppose we work for a major airline and we have seen that the way passengers board our planes is inefficient using time and resources. In this case, we might begin our problem formulation by describing an ideal situation in which the boarding system is inefficient that the airline should achieve, like this: "The boarding protocol used by ABC Airlines should aim to get every passenger on this flight aboard. quickly and efficiently so that the plane can take off as quickly as possible. The boarding process must be optimized for time efficiency but must also be simple enough so that it can be easily understood by all passengers."
Step 2. Describe your problem
In the words of the inventor, Charles Kettering, "A well-stated problem is a half-solved problem." One of the most important (if not the most important) goals of a problem statement is to articulate the problem addressed to the reader in a way that is clear, straightforward, and easy to understand. Briefly summarize the problem you want to solve - this gets to the heart of the problem and positions the most important information in the problem statement near the top, where it's most visible. If you have just stated an "ideal" state as suggested above, you may want to start your sentence with a sentence such as "However, …" or "Unfortunately, …" to show that the problem you have identified is what is preventing the ideal vision from becoming a reality. reality.
Suppose we think we have developed a faster, more efficient system for getting passengers on board our planes than the typical "back to front" seating system. In this case, we might continue with a few sentences such as, "However, ABC Airlines' current boarding system is an inefficient use of company time and resources. By wasting employee hours, current boarding protocols make the company is less competitive, and by contributing to a slow boarding process, this makes the brand image unfavorable."
Step 3. Describe the financial costs of your problem
As soon as you state your problem, you'll want to explain why it's a big problem - after all, no one has the time or resources to try to solve every little problem. In the business world, money is almost always the bottom line, so you will want to try to highlight the financial impact of your troubles on the company or organization you are targeting. For example, are the issues you discussed preventing your business from making more money? Is actively draining your business money? Is it damaging your brand image and thus indirectly draining your business money? Be precise and specific about the financial burden of your problem - try to determine the exact dollar amount (or a well-accounted for) cost of your problem.
In our airline example, we could go on to explain the financial costs of a problem like this: "The inefficiency of the boarding system is currently a significant financial burden for the company. On average, the current boarding system wastes about four minutes per boarding session, resulting in a total of 20 man-hours wasted per day on each ABC flight. This is a waste of about $400 per day, or $146000 per year."
Step 4. Account for your statement
No matter how much money you claim drains your issue against your company, if you can't justify your claim with sound evidence, you may not be taken seriously. As soon as you start making specific claims about how serious your problem is, you should start supporting your statement with evidence. In some cases, this may be from your own research, from data from related research or projects, or even from reputable third-party sources.
- In some corporate and academic situations, you may need to explicitly reference your evidence in the text of your problem statement, while in other situations it may be sufficient to simply use footnotes or other forms of abbreviations for your citations. If you're not sure, ask your boss or professor for advice.
- Let's re-examine the sentence we used in the previous step. They describe the costs of the problem, but do not explain how these costs were discovered. A more thorough explanation might include this: "… Based on internal performance tracking data, [1] On average, the current boarding system wastes approximately four minutes per boarding session, bringing a total of 20 hours of wasted work per day on each ABC flight. Terminal personnel are paid an average of $20 per hour, so this is a waste of about $400 per day, or $146000 per year." Note the footnote - in an actual problem statement, this would correspond to a reference or appendix containing the stated data.
Step 5. Propose a solution
Once you've explained what the problem is and why it's so important, move on to explaining how you propose to take care of it. As with the original statement of your problem, the explanation of your solution should be written to be as clear and concise as possible. Stick to the big, important, concrete concepts and leave the small details for later - you'll have plenty of opportunities to get into every little aspect of your proposed solution in the body of your proposal.
In our airline example, our solution to the problem of inefficient boarding practices is this new system we have invented, so we must briefly describe the outline of this new system without going into small details. We might say something like, "Using a modified boarding system proposed by Dr Edward Right of the Kowlard Business Efficiency Institute that regulates passengers to board the plane from the side rather than the back to the front, ABC Airlines can eliminate four minutes of wasted." Then we might continue. explain the basic gist of the new system, but we won't use more than a sentence or two to do this, because the "meat" of our analysis will be in the body of the proposal
Step 6. Explain the benefits of the solution
Again, now that you've told your readers what to do about this problem, a very good idea is to explain why this solution is a good idea. Since businesses are always trying to improve efficiency and earn more money, you'll want to focus primarily on the financial impact of your solution - which costs will be reduced, what new forms of revenue will be generated, and so on. You can also describe non-tangible benefits, such as increased customer satisfaction, but the total explanation shouldn't be longer than a few sentences per paragraph.
In our example, we might briefly explain how our company can be expected to profit from the money saved by our solution. A few sentences like this can work: "ABC Airlines could benefit substantially from implementing this new boarding program. For example, the estimated annual savings of $146000 could be directed as a new source of revenue, such as expanding flight selection to high-demand markets. In addition, by being the first Indonesian airline to adopt this solution, ABC can gain considerable recognition as an industry trendsetter in the areas of value and convenience."
Step 7. Conclude by summarizing the problem and solution
Once you have presented an ideal vision for your company, identified the problems that are preventing you from achieving this ideal, and suggested solutions, you are almost done. All that's left to do is conclude with a summary of your main arguments that will allow you to easily transition into the main body of your proposal. There is no need to draw this conclusion any more than it is necessary - try to state, in just a few sentences, the basic gist of what has been described in your problem statement and the approach you intend to take in the body of the article.
In our airline example, we might conclude something like this: "Optimization of current boarding protocols or adoption of new and more effective protocols is critical to the company's continued competitiveness. In this proposal, alternative boarding protocols developed by Dr Right is analyzed for feasibility and steps for effective implementation are suggested." It summarizes the main points of the problem statement - that the current boarding procedure is not so good and that the new one is better - and tells readers what to do next if they continue reading
Step 8. For academic work, don't forget the thesis statement
If you have to write a problem statement for school/college, not for work, the process will be largely the same, but there may be additional things you will need to consider to ensure good grades. For example, many scientific writing classes will ask you to include a thesis statement in your problem statement. A thesis statement (sometimes simply called a "thesis") is a single sentence that summarizes your entire argument, down to its essence. A good thesis statement identifies both the problem as well as the solution as concisely and clearly as possible.
- For example, let's say we're writing a paper on the subject of an academic essay factory - a company that sells pre-written and/or custom-made work for students to buy and submit as their own work. As a statement of our thesis, we could use this sentence, which acknowledges the problem and the solution we will propose: "The practice of buying academic essays, which disrupts the learning process and benefits wealthy students, can be overcome by providing lecturers with powerful digital analysis tools.."
- Some classes explicitly require you to place your thesis sentence in a specific place in your problem statement (for example, as the first or last sentence). Otherwise, you'll have more freedom - check with your professor if you're not sure.
Step 9. Follow the same process for the conceptual problem
Not all problem reports will be documents that deal with practical and real problems. Some, especially in academia (and especially in the humanities), will tackle conceptual problems - problems that have to do with how we think about abstract ideas. In this case, you can still use the same basic problem formulation framework to present the problem at hand (while clearly shifting from the business focus). In other words, you will want to identify the problems (often, in conceptual problems, this is in the form that some ideas are not well understood), explain why they are problematic, explain how you plan to address them, and summarize all of this in a conclusion..
For example, suppose we are asked to write a problem statement for a report on the importance of religious symbolism in Fyodor Dostoevsky's The Brothers Karamazov. In this case, our problem formulation should identify some of the less understood aspects of religious symbolism in the novel, explaining why this is important (for example, we might say that a better understanding of religious symbolism in the novel could draw new insights from the book).), and lay out our plan to support our argument
Method 2 of 2: Polishing Your Problem Formulation
Step 1. Summarize
If there's one thing to keep in mind when writing a problem report, it's this. The Problem Report should not be longer than necessary to fulfill its function of presenting the problem and its solution to the reader. Don't waste words. Any sentences that do not directly contribute to the purpose of this problem statement should be removed. Use clear and direct language. Don't get bogged down in small details - the problem statement should deal only with the essence of the problem and solution. In general, keep your problem statement as short as possible without compromising its informative nature.
A problem statement is not the place to add your own personal comments or "flavors," as this makes the problem statement even longer without any practical purpose. You may or may not have the opportunity to be more verbose in the body of your document, depending on the seriousness of the topic and your readers
Step 2. Write for your readers
When making a problem statement, it is important to remember that you are writing for someone else, not for yourself. Different readers will have different knowledge, have different reasons for reading, and have different attitudes toward your problem, so try to keep your target audience in mind as you write. You want your problem statement to be clear and easy for your readers to understand as well as possible, which means you may need to adapt your tone, style, and diction from one type of reader to another. As you write, try to ask yourself questions like:
- "For whom, specifically, am I writing?"
- "Why am I dealing with this type of reader?"
- "Does this reader know all the terms and concepts as well as I do?"
- "Does this reader have the same attitude as I do on this matter?"
- "Why do my readers care about this issue?"
Step 3. Don't use terms without defining them
As noted above, your problem statement should be written in such a way that it is easy for your readers to understand it as fully as possible. This means that, unless you are writing for a technical reader who may be knowledgeable in the terminology of the field you are writing about, you will want to avoid using technical terms too heavily and ensure that you define any terms that you do use. Don't make the assumption that your readers automatically have all the technical knowledge you have; you risk alienating them and losing readers as soon as they encounter terms and information that are unfamiliar to them.
For example, if we were writing for a board of highly educated physicians, it might be OK to assume that they would know what the term "metacarpals" means. However, if we are writing to a readership consisting of both doctors and wealthy hospital investors who may or may not be medically trained, it is a good idea to introduce the word "metacarpal" and its definition - the bone between the first two joints of the finger
Step 4. Keep the scope narrow, problem defined
The best Problem Reports are not broad and verbose. Instead, focus on one thing and easily identify problems and solutions. Generally, narrow, well-defined topics are easier to write convincingly than large and vague ones, so whenever possible, you'll want to keep the scope of your problem statement (and thus the body of your document) well focused. If this keeps your problem statement (or the body of your document) short, this is usually a good thing (except in academic situations where you have a minimal page limit for your assignment).
- A good rule of thumb is to only state problems that you can definitely solve without a doubt. If you are unsure of a definitive solution that will solve your entire problem, you may want to narrow the scope of your project and change your problem formulation to reflect this new focus.
- To keep the scope of the problem statement under control, waiting until after completing the body of the document or a new proposal to write the problem statement can help. In this case, when we write our problem statement, we can use our own document as a guide so that we don't have to guess about the realms we might cover when we write it.
Step 5. Remember the "five Ws"
The problem statement should be as informative as possible in as few words as possible, but it should not delve into small details. If you're ever in doubt about what to include in your problem statement, a smart idea is to try to answer the five Ws (who/who, what/what, where/where, when/when, and why/why), plus how / how. Addressing the five Ws gives your readers a good basic level of knowledge to understand problems and solutions without venturing into unnecessary levels of detail.
For example, if you are writing a problem statement to propose the construction of a new building for the local city council, you might address the five Ws by explaining who will benefit from the development, what will be needed for the construction, where the construction should be, when the construction should be started, and why development was ultimately a brilliant idea for the city
Step 6. Use formal language
Problem formulations are almost always used for serious proposals and projects. Because of this, you'll want to use a dignified and formal writing style (similar to the style you'd expect to use for the body of the document) in your problem statement. Make sure your writing is clear, plain, and direct. Don't try to win over your readers by taking a friendly or relaxed tone in your problem statement. Don't use humor or jokes. Don't include anything else or anecdotes that aren't important. Do not use slang or colloquial language. A good problem report knows that there is work to be done and doesn't waste time or ink on unnecessary content.
The closest you can usually get to incorporating purely "entertaining" content is in academic writing in the humanities. Here, sometimes, it's possible to encounter problem reports that begin with a quote or an epigraph. In this case too, however, the quote has to do with the issue at hand and the rest of the problem statement is written in a formal tone
Step 7. Always correct mistakes
This is a must for all serious forms of writing - there is not a first draft in history that could not benefit from a careful eye and from a good proofreader. After you have completed your problem statement, read it quickly. Does the "plot" seem correct? Does it present its ideas coherently? Does it seem logically organized? If not, make these changes now. When you are finally satisfied with the structure of your problem statement, check for spelling, grammar, and formatting errors.
