1. 4/12/06 Paul Morris What’s the Real Problem? Paul Morris CIS144 Week 2

2. Impatient Guest The Situation: Shortly after the upper floors of a high rise hotel had been renovated to increase the hotel’s room capacity, the guests complained that the elevators were too slow. The building manager assembled his assistants. His instructions to solve the perceived problem: “Find a way to speed up the elevators.” Solutions? Real Problem: Find a way to take the guest’s mind off their wait rather than to install elevators. The guests stopped complaining when mirrors were installed on each floor in front of the elevators.

3. Bargain Prices The Situation: A local merchant on Main Street in Ann Arbor was having difficulty selling a health food mix from the rain forest called Rain Forest Crunch, which was a hot selling item in other stores. Part of the attractiveness of Rain Forest Crunch was that it was indeed from the Brazilian rain forest and part of the proceeds of the sale went to its protection. The instructions given by the store manager: “Lower the price of the item to increase sales.” Solutions? Real Problem: It was not in a prominent position in the store to be easily seen by the customers.

4. Better Printing Inks The Situation: In 1990 the Bureau of Engraving and Printing initiated a program to improve the quality of paper money being printed in the United States of America. The instructions to solve the perceived problem : “Develop a program to find better printing inks.” Solutions? Real Problem: It was not the inks but the printing machines.

5. We’ll force the #####!!! The Situation: Alarmed by the swelling ranks of uninsured workers in Maryland, state lawmakers are taking a step without precedent in the nation. Legislative solution: Approve legislation that would force Wal-Mart Stores Inc., Maryland's largest private employer, to spend at least 8 percent of its payroll on workers' health insurance or make compensatory payments to the state. Real Problem: This is not an isolated issues!!!