ABP: There’s Such A Thing As Too Much Information

One of the first things that will strike you in the Analysis Of Business Problems (ABP) course is the sheer volume of information you have to contend with to arrive at your decisions. The second is the multiple dimensions the same case can be interpreted in. It’s almost as if the cases, and enclosed problem(s), have been constructed in a manner that aims to confuse and prevent the reader from clearly seeing the very crux of the matter at hand.

Once one has swum through the lake, lagoon, river or (insert preferred water body) of information presented, only then can one begin to attempt to solve the problem. Or more accurately, what one thinks the problem is.

I intentionally say “what one thinks the problem is” because it is almost impossible to process all the information without the bias of professional or personal lenses, the default thinking trap of looking at the seemingly most obvious problem detailed in the case, or worse, proposing solutions without consideration of all the potential factors causing the problem.

This then begs another question: How do you properly solve an ABP problem and not get overwhelmed with the mountain of information?

My approach, which seems to be working well so far, is to strip down the case to its simplest form – usually in the form of a sentence. Only then do I proceed to identify the information presented, categorizing accordingly for its potential value in addressing the problem as I have interpreted it.

I must be forthright here; I make no claims that I have a foolproof method as I occasionally find myself stumped by the challenge of which information to keep and which to discard. My solution to this conundrum is threefold: to be intentional about going over every piece of information, being neutral in my assessment of each piece’s import towards the problem statement and possible solution, and lastly, challenging myself to tackle dimensions of problems I am not traditionally comfortable with. The last bit of my trident of solutions is long speak for numbers.

Once I have looked at the information, I then go back to my simplified problem statement with the aim of refining it based on the information I have determined as vital to the case as presented. Then the magic of computation and criteria weighing begins.

Only when I have satisfactorily completed these steps of simplifying the problem statement, assessing the information to determine which to keep, reviewing the problem statement in line with the information gathered, processing the numerical information where applicable, developing and assigning “weights” to criteria for the possible solutions, formulating options, and selecting a solution based on a combination of all previously stated steps, can I say that the I am well on the path to properly solving an ABP case.

Fair warning though, even with the right amount of information in developing the problem statement from the case, it is very easy to make errors in proffering solutions by adding information outside of the realm of the case as presented. My solution to this is a very simple refrain I mutter to myself from time to time: “If it doesn’t exist in the case narrative, it’s not a factor in the solution.”

#MEMBA12