Solving Case Studies - Methodology for Case Study

SOLVING CASES

The goal of this document is to provide a methodology for case study. Using this methodology you will be able to apply logical analysis concepts to the challenges you face in your academic and professional careers. Reading information in a text provides knowledge, but unless that knowledge is applied to a practical problem students may quickly forget what they have learned. Students who apply textbook knowledge to a "real world" case develop a better understanding of text material and learn to apply knowledge.

A systems approach should be used to solve each case. A generalized procedure for the systems approach is explained below that can be used as you solve the cases in this course. It is easy to make the error of jumping to a solution and then trying to use facts in the case to justify the answer. Instead, you should let the facts in the case lead you to a solution. The solution that seems obvious could be wrong for a number of reasons.

It also is easy to be trapped in the belief that the obvious solutions are to use a computer, use a database, send data via telecommunications, or some other high technology answer. However, the firm may not be able to afford to buy computers or it may not have personnel trained to develop a database. Not every problem should be solved using computer resources. Computers are not the remedy to every business problem.

Overview of the Systems Approach

The steps in the "systems approach" to problem solving are given in many texts. The exact wording of the steps may change but the principles are the same among texts. The process begins by recognizing a problem and gathering pertinent information. Next you clearly define the problem and the components that impact on the problem such as people, organizations, sources of information, and similar objects. You may have to repeat these two steps several times because as you define the problem you may discover you need more information. As more information is gathered it may change the problem definition. You should repeat these steps until you are satisfied that you have a well defined problem and a sufficient amount of information to begin solving the problem.

Solving the problem begins with looking at alternatives. An alternative is simply a solution to the problem. At this stage you are not concerned if the alternative is efficient or elegant. Once a sufficient number of alternatives have been developed you will evaluate them and choose a single alternative to develop. You cannot choose to do everything, there are never enough resources to try many solutions.

Last, perform an evaluation of your solution. You may find that what seemed obvious cannot be done for simple reasons. You should not fire current employees simply because they may hesitate to adopt your solution. Your solution may require