problem solving steps engineering

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• Engineering problem solving
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• How ‘good’ a solution do you need
• Steps in solving well-defined engineering process problems, including textbook problems
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Engineering Problem Solving ¶

Some problems are so complex that you have to be highly intelligent and well-informed just to be undecided about them. —Laurence J. Peter

Steps in solving ‘real world’ engineering problems ¶

The following are the steps as enumerated in your textbook:

Collaboratively define the problem

List possible solutions

Evaluate and rank the possible solutions

Develop a detailed plan for the most attractive solution(s)

Re-evaluate the plan to check desirability

Implement the plan

Check the results

A critical part of the analysis process is the ‘last’ step: checking and verifying the results.

Depending on the circumstances, errors in an analysis, procedure, or implementation can have significant, adverse consequences (NASA Mars orbiter crash, Bhopal chemical leak tragedy, Hubble telescope vision issue, Y2K fiasco, BP oil rig blowout, …).

In a practical sense, these checks must be part of a comprehensive risk management strategy.

My experience with problem solving in industry was pretty close to this, though encumbered by numerous business practices (e.g., ‘go/no-go’ tollgates, complex approval processes and procedures).

In addition, solving problems in the ‘real world’ requires a multidisciplinary effort, involving people with various expertise: engineering, manufacturing, supply chain, legal, marketing, product service and warranty, …

Exercise: Problem solving

Step 3 above refers to ranking of alternatives.

Think of an existing product of interest.

What do you think was ranked highest when the product was developed?

Consider what would have happened if a different ranking was used. What would have changed about the product?

Brainstorm ideas with the students around you.

Defining problems collaboratively ¶

Especially in light of global engineering , we need to consider different perspectives as we define our problem. Let’s break the procedure down into steps:

Identify each perspective that is involved in the decision you face. Remember that problems often mean different things in different perspectives. Relevant differences might include national expectations, organizational positions, disciplines, career trajectories, etc. Consider using the mnemonic device “Location, Knowledge, and Desire.”

Location : Who is defining the problem? Where are they located or how are they positioned? How do they get in their positions? Do you know anything about the history of their positions, and what led to the particular configuration of positions you have today on the job? Where are the key boundaries among different types of groups, and where are the alliances?

Knowledge : What forms of knowledge do the representatives of each perspective have? How do they understand the problem at hand? What are their assumptions? From what sources did they gain their knowledge? How did their knowledge evolve?

Desire : What do the proponents of each perspective want? What are their objectives? How do these desires develop? Where are they trying to go? Learn what you can about the history of the issue at hand. Who might have gained or lost ground in previous encounters? How does each perspective view itself at present in relation to those it envisions as relevant to its future?

As formal problem definitions emerge, ask “Whose definition is this?” Remember that “defining the problem clearly” may very well assert one perspective at the expense of others. Once we think about problem solving in relation to people, we can begin to see that the very act of drawing a boundary around a problem has non-technical, or political dimensions, depending on who controls the definition, because someone gains a little power and someone loses a little power.

Map what alternative problem definitions mean to different participants. More than likely you will best understand problem definitions that fit your perspective. But ask “Does it fit other perspectives as well?” Look at those who hold Perspective A. Does your definition fit their location, their knowledge, and their desires? Now turn to those who hold Perspective B. Does your definition fit their location, knowledge, and desires? Completing this step is difficult because it requires stepping outside of one’s own perspective and attempting to understand the problem in terms of different perspectives.

To the extent you encounter disagreement or conclude that the achievement of it is insufficient, begin asking yourself the following: How might I adapt my problem definition to take account of other perspectives out there? Is there some way of accommodating myself to other perspectives rather than just demanding that the others simply recognize the inherent value and rationality of mine? Is there room for compromise among contrasting perspectives?

How ‘good’ a solution do you need ¶

There is also an important aspect of real-world problem solving that is rarely articulated and that is the idea that the ‘quality’ of the analysis and the resources expended should be dependent on the context.

This is difficult to assess without some experience in the particular environment.

How ‘Good’ a Solution Do You Need?

Some rough examples:

10 second answer (answering a question at a meeting in front of your manager or vice president)

10 minute answer (answering a quick question from a colleague)

10 hour answer (answering a request from an important customer)

10 day answer (assembling information as part of a trouble-shooting team)

10 month answer (putting together a comprehensive portfolio of information as part of the design for a new $200,000,000 chemical plant)

Steps in solving well-defined engineering process problems, including textbook problems ¶

Essential steps:

Carefully read the problem statement (perhaps repeatedly) until you understand exactly the scenario and what is being asked.

Translate elements of the word problem to symbols. Also, look for key words that may convey additional information, e.g., ‘steady state’, ‘constant density’, ‘isothermal’. Make note of this additional information on your work page.

Draw a diagram. This can generally be a simple block diagram showing all the input, output, and connecting streams.

Write all known quantities (flow rates, densities, etc.) from step 2 in the appropriate locations on, or near, the diagram. If symbols are used to designate known quantities, include those symbols.

Identify and assign symbols to all unknown quantities and write them in the appropriate locations on, or near, the diagram.

Construct the relevant equation(s). These could be material balances, energy balances, rate equations, etc.

Write down all equations in their general forms. Don’t simplify anything yet.

Discard terms that are equal to zero (or are assumed negligible) for your specific problem and write the simplified equations.

Replace remaining terms with more convenient forms (because of the given information or selected symbols).

Construct equations to express other known relationships between variables, e.g., relationships between stoichiometric coefficients, the sum of species mass fractions must be one.

Whenever possible, solve the equations for the unknown(s) algebraically .

Convert the units of your variables as needed to have a consistent set across your equations.

Substitute these values into the equation(s) from step 7 to get numerical results.

Check your answer.

Does it make sense?

Are the units of the answer correct?

Is the answer consistent with other information you have?

Exercise: Checking results

How do you know your answer is right and that your analysis is correct?

This may be relatively easy for a homework problem, but what about your analysis for an ill-defined ‘real-world’ problem?

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3 What is Problem Solving?

Chapter table of contents, what is problem solving.

• What Does Problem Solving Look Like?

Developing Problem Solving Processes

Summary of strategies, problem solving:  an important job skill.

The ability to solve problems is a basic life skill and is essential to our day-to-day lives, at home, at school, and at work. We solve problems every day without really thinking about how we solve them. For example: it’s raining and you need to go to the store. What do you do? There are lots of possible solutions. Take your umbrella and walk. If you don’t want to get wet, you can drive, or take the bus. You might decide to call a friend for a ride, or you might decide to go to the store another day. There is no right way to solve this problem and different people will solve it differently.

Problem solving is the process of identifying a problem, developing possible solution paths, and taking the appropriate course of action.

Why is problem solving important? Good problem solving skills empower you not only in your personal life but are critical in your professional life. In the current fast-changing global economy, employers often identify everyday problem solving as crucial to the success of their organizations. For employees, problem solving can be used to develop practical and creative solutions, and to show independence and initiative to employers.

what does problem solving look like?

The ability to solve problems is a skill at which you can improve.  So how exactly do you practice problem solving? Learning about different problem solving strategies and when to use them will give you a good start. Problem solving is a process. Most strategies provide steps that help you identify the problem and choose the best solution. There are two basic types of strategies: algorithmic and heuristic.

Algorithmic strategies are traditional step-by-step guides to solving problems. They are great for solving math problems (in algebra: multiply and divide, then add or subtract) or for helping us remember the correct order of things (a mnemonic such as “Spring Forward, Fall Back” to remember which way the clock changes for daylight saving time, or “Righty Tighty, Lefty Loosey” to remember what direction to turn bolts and screws). Algorithms are best when there is a single path to the correct solution.

But what do you do when there is no single solution for your problem? Heuristic methods are general guides used to identify possible solutions. A popular one that is easy to remember is IDEAL [Bransford & Stein [1] ] :

IDEAL is just one problem solving strategy. Building a toolbox of problem solving strategies will improve your problem solving skills. With practice, you will be able to recognize and use multiple strategies to solve complex problems.

What is the best way to get a peanut out of a tube that cannot be moved? Watch a chimpanzee solve this problem in the video below [Geert Stienissen [2] ].

Problem solving is a process that uses steps to solve problems. But what does that really mean? Let's break it down and start building our toolbox of problem solving strategies.

What is the first step of solving any problem? The first step is to recognize that there is a problem and identify the right cause of the problem. This may sound obvious, but similar problems can arise from different events, and the real issue may not always be apparent. To really solve the problem, it's important to find out what started it all. This is called identifying the root cause .

Example: You and your classmates have been working long hours on a project in the school's workshop. The next afternoon, you try to use your student ID card to access the workshop, but discover that your magnetic strip has been demagnetized. Since the card was a couple of years old, you chalk it up to wear and tear and get a new ID card. Later that same week you learn that several of your classmates had the same problem! After a little investigation, you discover that a strong magnet was stored underneath a workbench in the workshop. The magnet was the root cause of the demagnetized student ID cards.

The best way to identify the root cause of the problem is to ask questions and gather information. If you have a vague problem, investigating facts is more productive than guessing a solution. Ask yourself questions about the problem. What do you know about the problem? What do you not know? When was the last time it worked correctly? What has changed since then? Can you diagram the process into separate steps? Where in the process is the problem occurring? Be curious, ask questions, gather facts, and make logical deductions rather than assumptions.

When issues and problems arise, it is important that they are addressed in an efficient and timely manner. Communication is an important tool because it can prevent problems from recurring, avoid injury to personnel, reduce rework and scrap, and ultimately, reduce cost, and save money. Although, each path in this exercise ended with a description of a problem solving tool for your toolbox, the first step is always to identify the problem and define the context in which it happened.

There are several strategies that can be used to identify the root cause of a problem. Root cause analysis (RCA) is a method of problem solving that helps people answer the question of why the problem occurred. RCA uses a specific set of steps, with associated tools like the “5 Why Analysis" or the “Cause and Effect Diagram,” to identify the origin of the problem, so that you can:

Once the underlying cause is identified and the scope of the issue defined, the next step is to explore possible strategies to fix the problem.

If you are not sure how to fix the problem, it is okay to ask for help. Problem solving is a process and a skill that is learned with practice. It is important to remember that everyone makes mistakes and that no one knows everything. Life is about learning. It is okay to ask for help when you don’t have the answer. When you collaborate to solve problems you improve workplace communication and accelerates finding solutions as similar problems arise.

One tool that can be useful for generating possible solutions is brainstorming . Brainstorming is a technique designed to generate a large number of ideas for the solution to a problem. The goal is to come up with as many ideas as you can, in a fixed amount of time. Although brainstorming is best done in a group, it can be done individually.

Depending on your path through the exercise, you may have discovered that a couple of your coworkers had experienced similar problems. This should have been an indicator that there was a larger problem that needed to be addressed.

In any workplace, communication of problems and issues (especially those that involve safety) is always important. This is especially crucial in manufacturing where people are constantly working with heavy, costly, and sometimes dangerous equipment. When issues and problems arise, it is important that they be addressed in an efficient and timely manner.  Because it can prevent problems from recurring, avoid injury to personnel, reduce rework and scrap, and ultimately, reduce cost and save money; effective communication is an important tool..

One strategy for improving communication is the huddle . Just like football players on the field, a huddle is a short meeting with everyone standing in a circle.   It's always important that team members are aware of how their work impacts one another.  A daily team huddle is a great way to ensure that as well as making team members aware of changes to the schedule or any problems or safety issues that have been identified. When done right, huddles create collaboration, communication, and accountability to results. Impromptu huddles can be used to gather information on a specific issue and get each team member's input.

"Never try to solve all the problems at once — make them line up for you one-by-one.” — Richard Sloma

Problem solving improves efficiency and communication on the shop floor. It increases a company's efficiency and profitability, so it's one of the top skills employers look for when hiring new employees.  Employers consider professional skills, such as problem solving, as critical to their business’s success.

The 2011 survey, "Boiling Point? The skills gap in U.S. manufacturing [3] ," polled over a thousand manufacturing executives who reported that the number one skill deficiency among their current employees is problem solving, which makes it difficult for their companies to adapt to the changing needs of the industry.

• Bransford, J. & Stein, B.S. (). The Ideal Problem Solver: A Guide For Improving Thinking, Learning, And Creativity . New York, NY: W.H. Freeman. ↵
• National Geographic. [Geert Stienissen]. (2010, August 19). Insight learning: Chimpanzee Problem Solving [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPz6uvIbWZE ↵
• Report: Boiling Point: The Skills Gap in U.S. Manufacturing Deloitte / The Manufacturing Institute, October 2011. Retrieved from http://www.themanufacturinginstitute.org/Hidden/2011-Skills-Gap-Report/2011-Skills-Gap-Report.aspx ↵

Introduction to Industrial Engineering Copyright © 2020 by Bonnie Boardman is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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Engineering Problem-Solving

• First Online: 21 September 2022

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• Michelle Blum 2  

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You are becoming an engineer to become a problem solver. That is why employers will hire you. Since problem-solving is an essential portion of the engineering profession, it is necessary to learn approaches that will lead to an acceptable resolution. In real-life, the problems engineers solve can vary from simple single solution problems to complex opened ended ones. Whether simple or complex, problem-solving involves knowledge, experience, and creativity. In college, you will learn prescribed processes you can follow to improve your problem-solving abilities. Also, you will be required to solve an immense amount of practice and homework problems to give you experience in problem-solving. This chapter introduces problem analysis, organization, and presentation in the context of the problems you will solve throughout your undergraduate education.

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https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary , viewed June 3, 2021.

Mark Thomas Holtzapple, W. Dan Reece (2000), Foundations of Engineering, McGraw-Hill, New York, New York, ISBN:978-0-07-029706-7.

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Aide, A.R., Jenison R.D., Mickelson, S.K., Northup, L.L., Engineering Fundamentals and Problem Solving, McGraw-Hill, New York, NY, ISBN: 978-0-07-338591-4.

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End of Chapter Problems

1.1 ibl questions.

IBL1: Using standard problem-solving technique, answer the following questions

If you run in a straight line at a velocity of 10 mph in a direction of 35 degree North of East, draw the vector representation of your path (hint: use a compass legend to help create your coordinate system)

If you run in a straight line at a velocity of 10 mph in a direction of 35 degree North of East, explain how to calculate the velocity you ran in the north direction.

If you run in a straight line at a velocity of 10 mph in a direction of 35 degree North of East, explain how to calculate the velocity you ran in the east direction.

If you run in a straight line at a velocity of 10 mph in a direction of 35 degree North of East, explain how to calculate how far you ran in the north direction.

If you run in a straight line at a velocity of 10 mph in a direction of 35 degree North of East, explain how to calculate how far you ran in the east direction.

If you run in a straight line at a velocity of 10 mph in a direction of 35 degree North of East, how far north have you traveled in 5 min?

If you run in a straight line at a velocity of 10 mph in a direction of 35 degree North of East, how far east have you traveled in 5 min?

What type of problem did you solve?

IBL2: For the following scenarios, explain what type of problem it is that needs to be solved.

Scientists hypothesize that PFAS chemicals in lawn care products are leading to an increase in toxic algae blooms in lakes during summer weather.

An engineer notices that a manufacturing machine motor hums every time the fluorescent floor lights are turned on.

The U.N. warns that food production must be increased by 60% by 2050 to keep up with population growth demand.

Engineers are working to identify and create viable alternative energy sources to combat climate change.

1.2 Practice Problems

Make sure all problems are written up using appropriate problem-solving technique and presentation.

The principle of conservation of energy states that the sum of the kinetic energy and potential energy of the initial and final states of an object is the same. If an engineering student was riding in a 200 kg roller coaster car that started from rest at 10 m above the ground, what is the velocity of the car when it drops to 2.5 m above the ground?

Archimedes’ principle states that the total mass of a floating object equals the mass of the fluid displaced by the object. A 45 cm cylindrical buoy is floating vertically in the water. If the water density is 1.00 g/cm 3 and the buoy plastic has a density of 0.92 g/cm 3 determine the length of the buoy that is not submerged underwater.

A student throws their textbook off a bridge that is 30 ft high. How long would it take before the book hits the ground?

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The Problem Solving Framework

Define your problem before jumping into immediate solutions.

Effective problem-solving isn't about jumping quickly into solutions; it's about solving the right problems in the right way.

Personally, I don’t like never-ending discussions, finding another blocker, or asking for one more requirement in your ticket. I prefer to move fast with limited information and some degree of uncertainty. I strongly believe in an iterative approach, where relevant data and good decisions emerge during the journey.

Yet, such an iterative approach only makes sense if we work on problems worth solving with the most optimal solutions to them.

Here, you can find a PDF cheat sheet that sums up this article.

How to Solve Problems?

For inspiration on building a problem-solving framework, I recommend the short, humorous, yet insightful book " Are Your Lights On " by Don Gause and Gerald Weinberg. This book emphasizes the importance of carefully defining the problem before rushing into solutions. It challenges readers to think critically, question assumptions, and consider multiple perspectives.

In organizations where the engineering team is viewed as a "feature factory", the discovery process can be perceived as wasteful. As long as software engineers don't produce something tangible (like pull requests or features), their work is undervalued. The trap here is the assumption that Product Managers, senior management, or the CEO have all the answers.

Side note : I have covered the true role of software engineers in empowered organizations in a few of my past articles:

Building a Team of Missionaries, Not Mercenaries

Focusing on Solutions, Not Problems

In such environments, engineering teams come up with solutions too quickly. This isn’t surprising in the end, as they are inventors and creators with strong technical skills, often the only ones in the company who can build things. They are frequently assessed by what they produce, not by what they think through.

But here's the trap: in order to solve a problem, it must first be defined. If engineers jump immediately into the solution, it doesn't mean the problem is undefined. It means it's defined with some (hidden) assumptions, biases, and personal interests.

There is also another challenge with software engineers. If not jumping into solutions too quickly, they also tend to overthink their problems indefinitely, multiplying missing requirements, finding edge cases, and overall getting stuck in a quest for perfection.

What's the Problem?

In the complex world we live in, the initial solution is rarely the optimal one. Complex problems may have multiple definitions, none of which is ultimately the right one. A problem may have multiple stakeholders, each with their own solution, and these stakeholders may have different power to articulate their preferences (the loudest one in the room, the most senior on the org chart, or those who prefer to remain silent).

The book describes problems from a few different angles, For example:

A PROBLEM IS A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THINGS AS DESIRED AND THINGS AS PERCEIVED . —"Are Your Lights On"

This means that to solve a problem, you can either focus on achieving the desired state or change your perception of the problem. You can check the book for more ideas or continue reading for a systematic framework I came up with based on the lecture and my personal experiences.

The Problem-Solving Framework

Here’s a framework that will help both groups:

For teams that tend to jump into instant solutions, this framework provides perspective and support in problem framing.

For teams that overthink their problems, it helps narrow the focus to "just enough" information to start iterations.

Inspired by "Are Your Lights On", here is an 8-step framework to help find optimal solutions for problems faced by software engineering (or, more generally, product engineering) teams.

The 8 Steps of Problem Solving

Recognizing the problem (What’s a problem?)

Defining the problem (What are the facts behind the problem?)

Exploring the problem's depths (What are root causes of the problem?)

Identifying stakeholders (Who have the problem?)

Assessing the willingness to solve (Is it worth solving the problem? Is it aligned with broader goals and strategy?)

Developing solution strategies (What are options for solving problems? Which are the optimal ones?)

Implementing the solution

Monitoring and reviewing (Are success metrics defined and achieved through the solution?)

The 8 Steps of Problem Solving - Explained

Here are detailed descriptions for each step:

Recognizing the Problem : Acknowledge that a problem exists. This step doesn't necessarily require a deep understanding of the problem but recognizes that something needs attention.

Defining the Problem : Clearly articulate and define what the problem actually is. Gather and analyze data, synthesizing inputs to state the problem clearly and concisely.

Exploring the Problem's Depths : Look beyond the surface to understand the complexity of the problem. Conduct root cause analysis or interviews with users and team members, considering external factors.

Identifying Stakeholders : Identify all parties impacted by the problem, as well as those who will be involved in implementing solutions. Understand different perspectives and interests of these stakeholders.

Assessing the Willingness to Solve : Consider the pros and cons from different stakeholders' viewpoints. Decide if the problem is worth solving, considering factors like impact, business goals, and priorities.

Developing Solution Strategies : Brainstorm potential solutions and evaluate their feasibility. Encourage creative thinking and consider multiple approaches. Evaluate each proposed solution in terms of effectiveness, cost, and impact on stakeholders.

Implementing the Solution : Plan and execute the implementation process in detail, keeping all stakeholders informed.

Monitoring and Reviewing : Establish clear metrics for success and regularly review them. Gather feedback from all relevant stakeholders and be prepared to make adjustments if necessary.

I recommend going through the framework's steps with each significant problem you are facing:

Technical debt challenges, e.g., monolith breakdown, framework migration, dependencies update (and anything else you can classify with Ten Types of Technical Debt ).

Product development, like creating new features or delivering new value to customers (stating your work as a problem to solve, not a task to deliver is a big shift on its own).

Challenges related to SDLC process, like delivery frequency, testing automation, CI/CD processes.

Team-related challenges, like team empowerment, expectations, and performance management, team empowerment and productivity (you can check Top Ten Factors of Developers' Productivity ).

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The Problem Solving Steps all Engineers Should Know

Andrew Sario Engineering IRL

Imagine walking into a room, everyone is clamoring for answers and after a few moments you know exactly what everyone should do to fix the problem.

You deal with problems on a daily basis as an Engineer but sometimes you run into the situation where you solve the wrong problem, or senior engineers get frustrated with how long it’s taking to complete a task — perhaps they gave you some vague problem statement and when you asked for some direction it was still high level because it should be “obvious”.

I think where people get caught is the Senior engineers giving out tasks aren’t necessarily looking to walk you through a solution, they want a problem to go away, they want to spend as close to zero brain cells on the problem (at this point in time). So your job is to make it go away and not to use their brain cycles.

But this is counter intuitive, if I don’t know where to start or I take too long then that will also be frustrating since the problem will still be there.

Correct. So you are caught in between a rock and a hard place. But it’s not the worst and we can certainly equip ourselves with the skills we need to handle these situations.

What’s the situation?

Problem Solving and reducing our “mean-time to solve”. There’s a spectrum of problems one can consider and if you realize this you can see that more complex problems do require more time to solve — there’s an “expected” time to solve. So you want to perform in such a way that you are below this line as much as is practicable.

I’ve worked in Engineering for over a decade now and I can tell you that for sure there are specific tricks to solving particular problems specific to the industry, company, field, technology, etc. You gain these by purely time. Working on problems and solutions in that area. This is why experience is king — but it is also overrated sometimes.

Someone with 5 years more experience may not be very good and if you only looked at the number of years you would be none the wiser.

So how can we overcome this hurdle and forget the number of years we’ve worked and just perform better?

Use the book 10+1 Steps to Problem Solving: An Engineers Guide.

Here I created simple steps to follow that looks at a more birds-eye view but is so practical you can apply it to any situation.

But this isn’t some “one-size fits all” methodology, nor is it “how do I calculate the potential energy in this craft”, “how do you enable this features in this software”. Don’t get it twisted.

But it does help formalize your approach, use the right mindset and ask the right questions at the various stages of problem solving.

What’s wrong with Steps to Problem Solving lists out there? They are mostly correct, but the primary issue is they are so generic and have little practicality. They lay out steps around identification of the problem, analysis, breaking it down to small bits, evaluating. But more often than not they spend half the time talking about implementation, working out the kinks, timing, etc.

This presents 2 problems:

• It is super slow
• It is solution focused

I’m not saying you shouldn’t plan out your solutions and have implementation plans, timings, schedules, documentation — you need these (at the solution stage). But when you plan out how you are going to try to fix something and spend all this time pondering — you could have simply tried and moved on.

You either fixed it or you got more data.

You iterate faster through your questions, quick testing of the obvious things, getting eyes on the situation in the correct way, checking your fundamentals and proceeding from there. (These are still in the first three steps by the way).

The rest of the steps are still focused on going deeper into the rabbit hole to solve your problems. This is when you are stuck, for hours, days, weeks!

So what are the steps?

Here’s direct extract of the index:

• The Question
• The Obvious
• Check Yourself
• The RTFM Protocol
• What about the Environment?
• Phone-A-Friend
• The Secret Step

The book goes on to explain each of these steps and provide a checklist style summary at the end of each. You can practically use this as a framework to approach problems, particularly tricky ones so that you can reduce the average amount of time you spend fixing things. There’s real examples from easy to difficult ones covered so you gain context on how to fix.

I really wanted to help as many people as I can with this so I actually made the book completely free. You can get online access and read the whole thing from my website here .

It will require you create an account but other than that you are good.

At the time of this writing only the first 2 chapters are available, but you are getting early access as the book isn’t set to release until the 4th Quarter of this year! (In time for Christmas).

You can register to get notified when the release is coming out so you can be first in line to get your own copy.

What’s the advantage of problem solving this way?

So if you remember to the opening of this article we did cover some of the pain points and frustrations that can happen in an engineering career. So think of it this way, if you can consistently solve problems and make things go away, or better yet, things seem to get fixed faster when you are around — then you’ll be wanted around.

This tends to have a compounding effect where you help others solve their problems simply by understanding this method and asking the right questions to get them to their own answer, and now people want you on bigger projects.

You do this and gain more responsibility and then now you have the foundation for increasing your pay, your role and your impact. (There’s challenges here of course but I will have courses and free content to address these). You can become one of the “go to” engineers in your company.

Every Engineer should be aware of these problem solving steps.

Get your free book access today.

Written by Andrew Sario Engineering IRL

Comp/Control Systems Engineer, Host of the Engineering IRL Podcast, Author (STEM), OT Cyber Security Specialist. https://www.engineeringinreallife.com

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An Introduction to Electrical and Computer Engineering and Product Design by Tufts ECE Students

Engineering Method

The engineering method (also known as engineering design) is a systematic approach used to reach the desired solution to a problem. There are six steps (or phases): idea, concept, planning, design, development, and launch from problem definition to desired result.

Engineering Method. Source: Ronald L. Lasser

The engineering method has six steps (or phases):

• Development

The development step is often divided to include the iterative cycle of build, test, debug, and redesign. The engineering method by nature is an iterative process.

The idea phase usually begins with a problem. The problem statement is typically only vaguely defined and requires research into its viability and its feasibility. Viability suggests that there is significant value (or demand in the case of product development) in pursing the solution. Feasibility serves as a check on whether the idea can be realized. Feasibility may be high, medium, or low: where high feasibility means that people, technology, and time resources are readily available or known; medium is that resources may not be available directly, but can be found; and low means the resources may be rare or do not exist. The most critical part of the idea phase is to define the problem, validate its value, and identify the customer who desires its solution.

The concept phase is about generating numerous models (mathematical, physical, simulation, simple drawings or sketches), all of which should convey that the solution meets the customer’s expectations or requirements. The numerous concepts are generated using brainstorming techniques, which are review sessions in which elements of one concept are recombined with elements from other in an effort to find a single concept that fits best. Typical design judgment and compromise are required to merge concepts. The concept phase ends with a selection of a single concept.

3. Planning

The planning phase is about defining the implementation plan: identifying the people, tasks, task durations, task dependencies, task interconnections, and budget required to get the project done. Many tools are used to convey this information to team members and other stakeholders including Gantt and Pert charts, resource loading spreadsheets, sketches, drawings, proof-of-concept models to validate that the project can be successfully completed.

One critical tool of the planning phase is the system engineering diagram. This diagram shows the solution as an interconnection of smaller and less complicated sub-systems. A system engineering diagram establishes all the inputs and outputs for each module, as well as the way in which the module transforms the inputs into outputs.

The design phase is where “the rubber meets the road.” Details are specified; specifications are established. Some call this phase “design planning” and the development phase “detailed design.” But no matter what it is called, the purpose of this phase is to translate the customer requirements and systems engineering model into engineering specifications that an engineer (designer) can work with to design and build a working prototype. Specifications are detailed using a number with associated units, e.g., 4 volts, or 3.82 inches, or 58 Hz, or a completion time of 22 days.

5. Development

The purpose of development is to generate the engineering documentation: schematics, drawings, source code, and other design information into a working prototype that demonstrates the solution to the problem. The solution may be a tangible working prototype or an intangible working simulation. Of course, nothing works the first time, so this part of the process tends to be more iterative than the other phases. Specifically, it consists of the iterative cycle: design, test, debug, and redesign. If the project had earlier delays or is not on the planned schedule for other reasons, then this time may be the most frantic since the customer deadline may be closely looming.

While testing and debug are often consider a separate phase, most times they occur side-by-side with development as a design morphs from a concept to an artifact. The latter is recommended, reserving time at the end of development for a final test to confirm the desired result meets customer expectation and designer’s intent. Testing is the verification and validation phase where the concept meets both the anticipated design specifications and the customer’s requirements of the solution. Testing is achieved through experiments—an information-gathering method where dissimilarity and difference are assessed with respect to the design’s present and compared to desired state for the design. The purpose of an experiment is to determine whether test results agree or conflict with the a priori stated behavior. A sufficient numbers of successful testing verifications and validations are necessary to generate acceptable results and to reduce any risk that the desired behavior is present and functions as expected. If the test observations and results do not agree, then a debug process is necessary to identify the root causes and begin corrective action to resolve the discrepancies.

Launch includes the release of the engineering design and documentation package to manufacturing facilities for production. At this point, all qualification testing is complete, and the working prototype has demonstrated functionality.

Cited References

• Ertas, A., & Jones, J. C. (1996). The Engineering design process (2nd ed.). New York: John Wiley & Sons. OCLC WorldCat Permalink: http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/807148675
• Ullman, D. G. (2009). The Mechanical Design Process (4th ed.). New York, N.Y.: McGraw Hill. OCLC WorldCat Permalink: http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/244060468
• Ulrich, K.T., & Eppinger, S. D. (2008). Product Design and Development (4th ed.) New York, N.Y.: McGraw Hill. OCLC WorldCat Permalink: http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/122424997
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Chapter 1: Fundamental Concepts

1.7 Problem Solving Process

Learning how to use a structured problem solving process will help you to be more organized and support your future courses. Also, it will train your brain how to approach problems. Just like basketball players practice jump shots over and over to train their body how to act in high pressure scenarios, if you are comfortable and familiar with a structured problem solving process, when you’re in a high pressure situation like a test, you can just jump into the problem like muscle memory.

6 Step Problem Solving Method:

• Write out the answer with all necessary information that is given to you. It feels like it takes forever, but it’s important to have the problem and solution next to each other.
• Draw the problem, this is usually a free-body diagram (don’t forget a coordinate frame). Eventually, as you get further into the course, you might need a few drawings. One would be a quick sketch of the problem in the real world, then modelling it into a simplified engineering drawing, and finally the free-body diagram.
• Write out a list of the known/given values with the variable and unit, i.e m = 14 kg   (variable = number unit)
• Write out a list of the unknown values that you will have to solve for in order to solve the problem
• You can also add any assumptions you made here that change the problem.
• Also state any constants, i.e. g = 32.2 ft/m 2   or g = 9.81 m/s 2
• This step helps you to have all of the information in one place when you solve the problem. It’s also important because each number should include units, so you can see if the units match or if you need to convert some numbers so they are all in English or SI. This also gives you the variables side by side to ensure they are unique (so you don’t accidentally have 2 ‘d’ variables and can rename one with a subscript).
• Write a simple sentence or phrase explaining what method/approach you will be using to solve the problem.
• For example: ‘use method of joints’, or equilibrium equations for a rigid body, MMOI for a certain shape, etc.
• This is going to be more important when you get to the later chapters and especially next semester in Dynamics where you can solve the same problem many ways. Might as well practice now!
• This is the actual solving step. This is where you show all the work you have done to solve the problem.
• When you get an answer, restate the variable you are solving for, include the unit, and put a box around the answer.
• Write a simple sentence explaining why (or why not) your answer makes sense. Use logic and common sense for this step.
• When possible, use a second quick numerical analysis to verify your answer. This is the “gut check” to do a quick calculation to ensure your answer is reasonable.
• This is the most confusing step as students often don’t know what to put here and up just writing ‘The number looks reasonable’. This step is vitally important to help you learn how to think about your answer. What does that number mean? What is it close to? For example, if you find that x = 4000 m, that’s a very large distance! In the review, I would say, ‘the object is 4 km long which is reasonable for a long bridge’. See how this is compared to something similar? Or you could do a second calculation to verify the number is correct, such as adding up multiple parts of the problem to confirm the total length is accurate i.e. ‘x + y + z = total, yes it works!’

Additional notes for this course:

• It’s important to include the number and label the steps so it’s clear what you’re doing, as shown in the example below.
• It’s okay if you make mistakes, just put a line through it and keep going.
• Remember your header should include your name, the page number, total number of pages, the course number, and the assignment number. If a problem spans a number of pages, you should include it in the header too.

Key Takeaways

Basically: Use a 6-step structured problem solving process: 1. Problem, 2. Draw, 3. Known & Unknown, 4. Approach, 5. Analysis (Solve), 6. Review

Application: In your future job there is likely a structure for analysis reports that will be used. Each company has a different approach, but most have a standard that should be followed. This is good practice.

Looking ahead: This will be part of every homework assignment.

Written by Gayla & Libby

Engineering Mechanics: Statics Copyright © by Libby (Elizabeth) Osgood; Gayla Cameron; Emma Christensen; Analiya Benny; and Matthew Hutchison is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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Tips for Solving Engineering Problems Effectively

Problem solving is the process of determining the best feasible action to take in a given situation. Problem solving is an essential skill for engineers to have. Engineers are problem solvers, as the popular quote says:

“Engineers like to solve problems. If there are no problems handily available, they will create their own problems.” – Scott Adams

Engineers are faced with a range of problems in their everyday life. The nature of problems that engineers must solve differs between and among the various disciplines of engineering. Because of the diversity of problems there is no universal list of procedures that will fit every engineering problem. Engineers use various approaches while solving problems.

Engineering problems must be approached systematically, applying an algorithm, or step-by-step practice by which one arrives at a feasible solution. In this post, we’ve prepared a list of tips for solving engineering problems effectively.

#1 Identify the Problem

Evaluating the needs or identifying the problem is a key step in finding a solution for engineering problems. Recognize and describe the problem accurately by exploring it thoroughly. Define what question is to be answered and what outputs or results are to be produced. Also determine the available data and information about the problem in hand.

An improper definition of the problem will cause the engineer to waste time, lengthen the problem solving process and finally arrive at an incorrect solution. It is essential that the stated needs be real needs.

As an engineer, you should also be careful not to make the problem pointlessly bound. Placing too many limitations on the problem may make the solution extremely complex and tough or impossible to solve. To put it simply, eliminate the unnecessary details and only keep relevant details and the root problem.

#2 Collect Relevant Information and Data

After defining the problem, an engineer begins to collect all the relevant information and data needed to solve the problem. The collected data could be physical measurements, maps, outcomes of laboratory experiments, patents, results of conducted surveys, or any number of other types of information. Verify the accuracy of the collected data and information.

As an engineer, you should always try to build on what has already been done before. Don’t reinvent the wheel. Information on related problems that have been solved or unsolved earlier, may help engineers find the optimal solution for a given problem.

#3 Search for Creative Solutions

There are a number of methods to help a group or individual to produce original creative ideas. The development of these new ideas may come from creativity, a subconscious effort, or innovation, a conscious effort.

You can try to visualize the problem or make a conceptual model for the given problem. So think of visualizing the given problem and see if that can help you gain more knowledge about the problem.

#4 Develop a Mathematical Model

Mathematical modeling is the art of translating problems from an application area into tractable mathematical formulations whose theoretical and numerical analysis provides insight, answers, and guidance useful for the originating application.

To develop a mathematical model for the problem, determine what basic principles are applicable and then draw sketches or block diagrams to better understand the problem. Then define and introduce the necessary variables so that the problem is stated purely in mathematical terms.

Afterwards, simplify the problem so that you can obtain the required result. Also identify the and justify the assumptions and constraints in the mathematical model.

#5 Use Computational Method

You can use a computational method based on the mathematical method you’ve developed for the problem. Derive a set of equations that enable the calculation of the desired parameters and variables as described in your mathematical model. You can also develop an algorithm, or step-by-step procedure of evaluating the equations involved in the solution.

To do so, describe the algorithm in mathematical terms and then execute it as a computer program.

#6 Repeat the Problem Solving Process

Not every problem solving is immediately successful. Problems aren’t always solved appropriately the first time. You’ve to rethink and repeat the problem solving process or choose an alternative solution or approach to solving the problem.

Bottom-line:

Engineers often use the reverse-engineering method to solve problems. For example, by taking things apart to identify a problem, finding a solution and then putting the object back together again. Engineers are creative , they know how things work, and so they constantly analyze things and discover how they work.

Problem-solving skills help you to resolve obstacles in a situation. As stated earlier, problem solving is a skill that an engineer must have and fortunately it’s a skill that can be learned. This skill gives engineers a mechanism for identifying things, figuring out why they are broken and determining a course of action to fix them.

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10+1 Steps to Problem Solving

 an engineer's guide, from a career in operational technology, and control systems, becoming a "go-to" expert engineer doesn't have to mean 10 years of experience.

The good news is there is a more practical way to have an impact on your engineering projects.

10+1 starts with the question.  At first it seems there are many questions and few answers, but as you gain experience you learn that answers are easy. The real challenge is finding the right question.

Andrew Sario

When Andrew Sario started out as an Engineer there was always a balance between applying techniques learned from studying versus simply getting things done. Working across multiple projects in different roles meant applying different methods to solve problems .

Andrew noticed a pattern.

These are the 10+1 Steps to Problem Solving:

The Question

The Obvious

Check Yourself

The RTFM Protocol

What about the Environment?

Phone-A-Friend

Pray  

No matter the problems you want to fix you will naturally use one or all of these steps. ​(There's an 11th secret step, making it 10+1 - you'll see in the book).

But where you'll get stuck is knowing what to use and when, what mindset and approach you should have for each step and when it can be re-used.

How do you know what the actual problem is?

How do you know when you should ask for help?

What do you do if the problem is vague?

What if you don't know this specific technology, tool, industry or company?

10+1 Steps to Problem Solving will help you consistently solve problems and get recognized as an asset to your team, enabling you to work on bigger and better projects.

It won't happen overnight, but this book will help you solve problems and give you a blueprint for exactly what to do next. 

Saurav Gautam Senior Engineer, Emerson Automation Solutions

Andrew has been very helpful to me with engineering career advice and explains things in a way that is easy to digest. I recommend his content including the information in the Engineering IRL podcast.

Keith Lam Graduate Electrical Engineer, UGL

Chapter 9 of the book was interesting and I found myself really engaged. I really liked Andrew's example titled 'The Black Screen of Death' and breakdown of different problems.

Patrick Olugbimero Graduate Electrical Engineer, UGL

I'd highly suggest Andrew's content even to people that aren't engineers. His content has a certain philosophy to it that can be applied to more than just engineering. The simplicity of the action steps is also highly reassuring and makes his advice applicable but also challenging at the same time.

Ashley More Former Engineering Intern,

Siemens ltd..

Andrew's new 10 + 1 steps to problem-solving book has become an invaluable framework for my thinking as an engineer and would recommend it, and his other content, to all engineers and engineering students.

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Don't Over Think It

At the end of the day there is no one way to do this. You can very easily lookup steps for problem solving and there are several versions mostly saying the same thing.

Identify the problem

Breakdown the problem

Understand everyone's interests

List solutions

Evaluate options

Plan implementation

These are similar steps to what you find in Engineering processes for problem solving. They are not wrong.

The problem with these lists is...

They don't really help you. They have 2 key problems:

They are too high level / conceptual and are detached from practicality

Solutions and planning focused - half the list is about solution planning

So what's different about the 10+1 approach?

All 10 steps are directly about getting you to solution options (apply solutions as per company or industry best practices) faster and you are encouraged to iterate through potential solutions as opposed to, planning, evaluating, listing, etc.

Each step has a realistic portion to them and are detailed yet simple. They are geared towards refining your logic, reshaping your mindset and giving you an approach that helps in real life and supports the actual stages of problem solving you will face.

10+1 is where you start reliably helping engineers solve problems and develop trust in your skills.

What about +1?

This 11th step is really what brings you to "the next level". Where even when all 10 steps fail you have one more trick up your sleeve and should really only be used as a last resort. You can come up with the clutch save and really get things done.

You are trying to reduce the average time it takes you to come to a possible solution and want to leverage your consistency to land you bigger and better projects, Have an impact.

The 10+1 Steps to Problem Solving will help you get there.

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FREE K-12 standards-aligned STEM

curriculum for educators everywhere!

Find more at TeachEngineering.org .

• TeachEngineering
• Solving Everyday Problems Using the Engineering Design Cycle

Hands-on Activity Solving Everyday Problems Using the Engineering Design Cycle

Grade Level: 7 (6-8)

(two 60-minutes class periods)

Additional materials are required if the optional design/build activity extension is conducted.

Group Size: 4

Activity Dependency: None

Subject Areas: Science and Technology

NGSS Performance Expectations:

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Engineering connection, learning objectives, materials list, worksheets and attachments, introduction/motivation, vocabulary/definitions, investigating questions, activity extensions, user comments & tips.

This activity introduces students to the steps of the engineering design process. Engineers use the engineering design process when brainstorming solutions to real-life problems; they develop these solutions by testing and redesigning prototypes that work within given constraints. For example, biomedical engineers who design new pacemakers are challenged to create devices that help to control the heart while being small enough to enable patients to move around in their daily lives.

After this activity, students should be able to:

• Explain the stages/steps of the engineering design process .
• Identify the engineering design process steps in a case study of a design/build example solution.
• Determine whether a design solution meets the project criteria and constraints.
• Think of daily life situations/problems that could be improved.
• Apply the engineering design process steps to develop their own innovations to real-life problems.
• Apply the engineering design cycle steps to future engineering assignments.

Educational Standards Each TeachEngineering lesson or activity is correlated to one or more K-12 science, technology, engineering or math (STEM) educational standards. All 100,000+ K-12 STEM standards covered in TeachEngineering are collected, maintained and packaged by the Achievement Standards Network (ASN) , a project of D2L (www.achievementstandards.org). In the ASN, standards are hierarchically structured: first by source; e.g. , by state; within source by type; e.g. , science or mathematics; within type by subtype, then by grade, etc .

Ngss: next generation science standards - science.

International Technology and Engineering Educators Association - Technology

View aligned curriculum

Do you agree with this alignment? Thanks for your feedback!

State Standards

Massachusetts - science.

Each group needs:

• Marisol Case Study , one per student
• Group Leader Discussion Sheet , one per group

To share with the entire class:

• computer/projector setup to show the class the Introduction to the Engineering Design Cycle Presentation , a Microsoft® PowerPoint® file
• paper and pencils
• (optional) an assortment of scrap materials such as fabric, super glue, wood, paper, plastic, etc., provided by the teacher and/or contributed by students, to conduct the hands-on design/build extension activity

(Have the 19-slide Introduction to the Engineering Design Cycle Presentation , a PowerPoint® file, ready to show the class.)

Have you ever experienced a problem and wanted a solution to it? Maybe it was a broken backpack strap, a bookshelf that just kept falling over, or stuff spilling out of your closet? (Let students share some simple problems with the class). With a little bit of creativity and a good understanding of the engineering design process, you can find the solutions to many of these problems yourself!

But what is the engineering design process? (Listen to some student ideas shared with the class.) The engineering design process, or cycle, is a series of steps used by engineers to guide them as they solve problems.

(Show students the slide presentation. Refer to the notes under each slide for a suggested script and comments. The slides introduce the main steps of the engineering design process, and walk through a classroom problem—a teacher’s disorganized desk that is preventing timely return of graded papers—and how students devise a solution. It also describes the work of famous people—Katherine Johnson, Lee Anne Walters, Marc Edwards, James E. West and Jorge Odón—to illustrate successful examples of using the steps of the engineering design process.)

Now that we’ve explore the engineering design process, let’s see if we can solve a real-world problem. Marisol is a high-school student who is very excited to have their own locker. They have lots of books, assignments, papers and other items that they keep in their locker. However, Marisol is not very organized. Sometimes they are late to class because they need extra time to find things that were stuffed into their locker. What is Marisol’s problem? (Answer: Their locker is disorganized.) In your groups, you’ll read through Marisol’s situation and see how they use the engineering design process to solve it. Let’s get started!

This activity is intended as an introduction to the engineering design cycle. It is meant to be relatable to students and serve as a jumping off point for future engineering design work.

Engineers follow the steps of the engineering design process to guide them as they solve problems. The steps shown in Figure 1 are:

Ask: identify the need & constraints

• Identify and define the problem. Who does the problem affect? What needs to be accomplished? What is the overall goal of the project?
• Identify the criteria and constraints. The criteria are the requirements the solution must meet, such as designing a bag to hold at least 10 lbs. Constraints are the limitations and restrictions on a solution, such as a maximum budget or specific dimensions.

Research the problem

• Learn everything you can about the problem. Talk to experts and/or research what products or solutions already exist.
• If working for a client, such as designing new filters for a drinking water treatment plant, talk with the client to determine the needs and wants.

Imagine: develop possible solutions

• Brainstorm ideas and come up with as many solutions as possible. Wild and crazy ideas are welcome! Encourage teamwork and building on ideas.

Plan: select a promising solution

• Consider the pros and cons of all possible solutions, keeping in mind the criteria and constraints.
• Choose one solution and make a plan to move forward with it.

Create: build a prototype

• Create your chosen solution! Push for creativity, imagination and excellence in the design.

Test and evaluate prototype

• Test out the solution to see how well it works. Does it meet all the criteria and solve the need? Does it stay within the constraints? Talk about what worked during testing and what didn’t work. Communicate the results and get feedback. What could be improved?

Improve: redesign as needed

• Optimize the solution. Redesign parts that didn’t work, and test again.
• Iterate! Engineers improve their ideas and designs many times as they work towards a solution.

Some depictions of the engineering design process delineate a separate step—communication. In the Figure 1 graphic, communication is considered to be incorporated throughout the process. For this activity, we call out a final step— communicate the solution —as a concluding stage to explain to others how the solution was designed, why it is useful, and how they might benefit from it. See the diagram on slide 3.

For another introductory overview of engineering and design, see the What Is Engineering? What Is Design? lesson and/or show students the What Is Engineering? video. 

Before the Activity

• Make copies of the five-page Marisol Case Study , one per student, and the Group Leader Discussion Sheet , one per group.
• Be ready to show the class the Introduction to the Engineering Design Cycle Presentation , a PowerPoint® file.

With the Students

• As a pre-activity assessment, spend a few minutes asking students the questions provided in the Assessment section.
• Present the Introduction/Motivation content to the class, which includes using the slide presentation to introduce students to the engineering design cycle. Throughout, ask for their feedback, for example, any criteria or constraints that they would add, other design ideas or modifications, and so forth.
• Divide the class into groups of four. Ask each team to elect a group leader. Hand out the case study packets to each student. Provide each group leader with a discussion sheet.
• In their groups, have students work through the case study together.
• Alert students to the case study layout with its clearly labeled “stop” points, and direct them to just read section by section, not reading beyond those points.
• Suggest that students either taking turns reading each section aloud or read each section silently.
• Once all students in a group have read a section, the group leader refers to the discussion sheet and asks its questions of the group, facilitating a discussion that involves every student.
• Encourage students to annotate the case study as they like; for example, they might note in the margins Marisol’s stage in the design process at various points.
• As students work in their groups, walk around the classroom and encourage group discussion. Ensure that each group member contributes to the discussion and that group members are focused on the same section (no reading ahead).
• After all teams have finished the case study and its discussion questions, facilitate a class discussion about how Marisol used the engineering design cycle. This might include referring back to questions 4 and 5 in “Stop 5” to discuss remaining questions about the case study and relate the case study example back to the community problems students suggested in the pre-activity assessment.
• Administer the post-activity assessment.

brainstorming: A team creativity activity with the purpose to generate a large number of potential solutions to a design challenge.

constraint: A limitation or restriction. For engineers, design constraints are the requirements and limitations that the final design solutions must meet. Constraints are part of identifying and defining a problem, the first stage of the engineering design cycle.

criteria: For engineers, the specifications and requirements design solutions must meet. Criteria are part of identifying and defining a problem, the first stage of the engineering design cycle.

develop : In the engineering design cycle, to create different solutions to an engineering problem.

engineering: Creating new things for the benefit of humanity and our world. Designing and building products, structures, machines and systems that solve problems. The “E” in STEM.

engineering design process: A series of steps used by engineering teams to guide them as they develop new solutions, products or systems. The process is cyclical and iterative. Also called the engineering design cycle.

evaluate: To assess something (such as a design solution) and form an idea about its merit or value (such as whether it meets project criteria and constraints).

optimize: To make the solution better after testing. Part of the engineering design cycle.

Pre-Activity Assessment

Intro Discussion: To gauge how much students already know about the activity topic and start students thinking about potential design problems in their everyday lives, facilitate a brief class discussion by asking students the following questions:

• What do engineers do? (Example possible answers: Engineers design things that help people, they design/build/create new things, they work on computers, they solve problems, they create things that have never existed before, etc.)
• What are some problems in your home, school or community that could be solved through engineering? (Example possible answers: It is too dark in a community field/park at night, it is hard to carry shopping bags in grocery store carts, the dishwasher does not clean the dishes well, we spend too much time trying to find shoes—or other items—in the house/garage/classroom, etc.)
• How do engineers solve problems? (Example possible answers: They build new things, design new things, etc. If not mentioned, introduce students to the idea of the engineering design cycle. Liken this to how research scientists are guided by the steps of the scientific method.)

Activity Embedded Assessment

Small Group Discussions: As students work, observe their group discussions. Make sure the group leaders go through all the questions for each section, and that each group member contributes to the discussions.

Post-Activity Assessment

Marisol’s Design Process: Provide students with writing paper and have them write “Marisol’s Design Process” at the top. Direct them to clearly write out the steps that Marisol went through as they designed and completed their locker organizer design and label them according to where they fit in the engineering design cycle. For example, “Marisol had to jump back to avoid objects falling out of their locker” and they stated a desire to “wanted to find a way to organize their locker” both illustrate the “identifying the problem” step.

• Which part of the engineering design cycle is Marisol working on as they design an organizer?
• Why is it important to identify the criteria and constraints of a project before building and testing a prototype? (Example possible answers: So that the prototype will be the right size, so that you do not go over budget, so that it will solve the problem, etc.)
• Why do engineers improve and optimize their designs? (Example possible answers: To make it work better, to fix unexpected problems that come up during testing, etc.)

To make this a more hands-on activity, have students design and build their own locker organizers (or other solutions to real-life problems they identified) in tandem with the above-described activity, incorporating the following changes/additions to the process:

• Before the activity: Inform students that they will be undertaking an engineering design challenge. Without handing out the case study packet, introduce students to Marisol’s problem: a disorganized locker. Ask students to bring materials from home that they think could help solve this problem. Then, gather assorted materials (wood and fabric scraps, craft materials, tape, glue, etc.) to provide for this challenge, giving each material a cost (for example, wood pieces cost 50¢, fabric costs 25¢, etc.) and write these on the board or on paper to hand out to the class. 
• Present the Introduction/Motivation content and slides to introduce students to the engineering design process (as described above). Then have students go through the steps of the engineering design process to create a locker organizer for Marisol. Inform them Marisol has only $3 to spend on an organizer, so they must work within this budget constraint. As a size constraint, tell students the locker is 32 inches tall, 12 inches wide and 9.5 inches deep. (Alternatively, have students measure their own lockers and determine the size themselves.) 
• As students work, ask them some reflection questions such as, “Which step of the engineering design process are you working on?” and “Why have you chosen that solution?”
• Let groups present their organizers to the class and explain the logic behind their designs.
• Next, distribute the case study packet and discussion sheets to the student groups. As the teams read through the packet, encourage them to discuss the differences between their design solutions and Marisol’s. Mention that in engineering design there is no one right answer; rather, many possible solutions may exist. Multiple designs may be successful in imagining and fabricating a solution that meets the project criteria and constraints.

Engineering Design Process . 2014. TeachEngineering, Web. Accessed June 20, 2017. https://www.teachengineering.org/k12engineering/designprocess

Contributors

Supporting program, acknowledgements.

This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation CAREER award grant no. DRL 1552567 (Amy Wilson-Lopez) titled, Examining Factors that Foster Low-Income Latino Middle School Students' Engineering Design Thinking in Literacy-Infused Technology and Engineering Classrooms. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

Last modified: October 26, 2023

Trust in AI is more than a moral problem

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The economic potential of AI is uncontested, but it is largely unrealized by organizations, with an astounding 87% of AI projects failing to succeed.

Some consider this a technology problem, others a business problem, a culture problem or an industry problem — but the latest evidence reveals that it is a trust problem.

According to recent research, nearly two-thirds of C-suite executives say that trust in AI drives revenue, competitiveness and customer success.

Trust has been a complicated word to unpack when it comes to AI. Can you trust an AI system ? If so, how? We don’t trust humans immediately, and we’re even less likely to trust AI systems immediately.

But a lack of trust in AI is holding back economic potential, and many of the recommendations for building trust in AI systems have been criticized as too abstract or far-reaching to be practical.

It’s time for a new “AI Trust Equation” focused on practical application.

The AI trust equation

The Trust Equation, a concept for building trust between people, was first proposed in The Trusted Advisor by David Maister, Charles Green and Robert Galford. The equation is Trust = Credibility + Reliability + Intimacy, divided by Self-Orientation.

It is clear at first glance why this is an ideal equation for building trust between humans, but it does not translate to building trust between humans and machines.

For building trust between humans and machines , the new AI Trust Equation is Trust = Security + Ethics + Accuracy, divided by Control.

Security forms the first step in the path to trust, and it is made up of several key tenets that are well outlined elsewhere. For the exercise of building trust between humans and machines, it comes down to the question: “Will my information be secure if I share it with this AI system?”

Ethics is more complicated than security because it is a moral question rather than a technical question. Before investing in an AI system, leaders need to consider:

• How were people treated in the making of this model, such as the Kenyan workers in the making of ChatGPT? Is that something I/we feel comfortable with supporting by building our solutions with it?
• Is the model explainable? If it produces a harmful output, can I understand why? And is there anything I can do about it (see Control)?
• Are there implicit or explicit biases in the model? This is a thoroughly documented problem, such as the Gender Shades research from Joy Buolamwini and Timnit Gebru and Google’s recent attempt to eliminate bias in their models, which resulted in creating ahistorical biases .
• What is the business model for this AI system? Are those whose information and life’s work have trained the model being compensated when the model built on their work generates revenue?
• What are the stated values of the company that created this AI system, and how well do the actions of the company and its leadership track to those values? OpenAI’s recent choice to imitate Scarlett Johansson’s voice without her consent, for example, shows a significant divide between the stated values of OpenAI and Altman’s decision to ignore Scarlett Johansson’s choice to decline the use of her voice for ChatGPT.

Accuracy can be defined as how reliably the AI system provides an accurate answer to a range of questions across the flow of work. This can be simplified to: “When I ask this AI a question based on my context, how useful is its answer?” The answer is directly intertwined with 1) the sophistication of the model and 2) the data on which it’s been trained.

Control is at the heart of the conversation about trusting AI, and it ranges from the most tactical question: “Will this AI system do what I want it to do, or will it make a mistake?” to the one of the most pressing questions of our time: “Will we ever lose control over intelligent systems?” In both cases, the ability to control the actions, decisions and output of AI systems underpins the notion of trusting and implementing them.

5 steps to using the AI trust equation

•  Determine whether the system is useful: Before investing time and resources in investigating whether an AI platform is trustworthy, organizations would benefit from determining whether a platform is useful in helping them create more value.
• Investigate if the platform is secure: What happens to your data if you load it into the platform? Does any information leave your firewall? Working closely with your security team or hiring security advisors is critical to ensuring you can rely on the security of an AI system.
• Set your ethical threshold and evaluate all systems and organizations against it: If any models you invest in must be explainable, define, to absolute precision, a common, empirical definition of explainability across your organization, with upper and lower tolerable limits, and measure proposed systems against those limits. Do the same for every ethical principle your organization determines is non-negotiable when it comes to leveraging AI.
• Define your accuracy targets and don’t deviate: It can be tempting to adopt a system that doesn’t perform well because it’s a precursor to human work. But if it’s performing below an accuracy target you’ve defined as acceptable for your organization, you run the risk of low quality work output and a greater load on your people. More often than not, low accuracy is a model problem or a data problem, both of which can be addressed with the right level of investment and focus.
• Decide what degree of control your organization needs and how it’s defined: How much control you want decision-makers and operators to have over AI systems will determine whether you want a fully autonomous system, semi-autonomous, AI-powered, or if your organizational tolerance level for sharing control with AI systems is a higher bar than any current AI systems may be able to reach.

In the era of AI, it can be easy to search for best practices or quick wins, but the truth is: no one has quite figured all of this out yet, and by the time they do, it won’t be differentiating for you and your organization anymore.

So, rather than wait for the perfect solution or follow the trends set by others, take the lead. Assemble a team of champions and sponsors within your organization, tailor the AI Trust Equation to your specific needs, and start evaluating AI systems against it. The rewards of such an endeavor are not just economic but also foundational to the future of technology and its role in society.

Some technology companies see the market forces moving in this direction and are working to develop the right commitments, control and visibility into how their AI systems work — such as with Salesforce’s Einstein Trust Layer — and others are claiming that that any level of visibility would cede competitive advantage. You and your organization will need to determine what degree of trust you want to have both in the output of AI systems as well as with the organizations that build and maintain them.

AI’s potential is immense, but it will only be realized when AI systems and the people who make them can reach and maintain trust within our organizations and society. The future of AI depends on it.

Brian Evergreen is author of “Autonomous Transformation: Creating a More Human Future in the Era of Artificial Intelligence .”

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