Problem Solving Exercise

Problem Solving Exercise. There are many issues associated with shift-taking at work. The scenario presented is an example of the challenges people undergo while reporting for their shifts.

Problem Solving Exercise

Introduction

Driver A returns back to the yard from his shift where Driver B is waiting to start.  Driver A has to be somewhere and needs to depart immediately.  As Driver B does their inspection, they notice multiple tires needing to be changed right away.  Driver B is upset as this will cause delays in being able to perform their work in designated shift time.

What steps/actions would you take to remediate the situation with both Driver A and B?

Create assumptions to support your solution 

Problem Solving

Solution

There are many issues associated with shift-taking at work. The scenario presented is an example of the challenges people undergo while reporting for their shifts. Driver B reports to the yard, waiting to take over from Driver A. However, during the inspection, Driver B notices various tires, which should be changed. To solve this problem, the following assumptions are made:

1. The time Driver B should start working is fixed, and Driver B is expected to be working by that time – to avoid unnecessary delays in the production process.
2. Problems that occurred during shift A should not be caried forward to shift B – Driver A should inspect the vehicles and write a report about their conditions before handing them over to Driver B.
3. There is no mechanic to inspect the vehicles after every shift – necessary inspection and changing of tires should be done by respective drivers during their shifts.

Bearing the above assumptions in mind, the actions I would take to remediate the situation are listed below.

1. Assuming that there are multiple vehicles in the company, Driver B should use one whose condition is good for the shift. This will eliminate unnecessary wastage of time and successful completion of work in designated shift time. The vehicle whose tires should be changed should be handled by Driver A during the next shift. This will allow Driver A to leave for the place he is urgently required.
2. If there is only one vehicle, both Driver A and Driver B should team up and change the tires. With reference to assumption c, Driver A should be the one to change the tires. However, due to the nature of the scenario – Driver B should avoid unnecessary delays to complete the designated work during shift time successfully, and Driver A is urgently needed somewhere –  both of them should work together to change the tires. This option will mean that both Drivers will experience some delays; however, the delay will be significantly lower than the case where only one driver was to change the tires.