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Systems Engineering Process / Identifying A Problem

Identifying A Problem

Identifying a Problem

The aim of this first stage is to identify and describe the problem or opportunity that explains why your system should exist.

Obviously, each stage of building a project is going to be reliant on the first, but being able to succinctly explain and define the impetus, or inciting idea, of your project will inform the entire direction of your project.

Problems and opportunities are like two sides of a coin: one of them can always be formulated in terms of the other. The best way to distinguish between them is to think of problems define what is wrong and opportunities define what could be better.

A problem in need of a solution, or an opportunity to help?

In 1967, Professor Graeme Clark started researching ways to help people hear again, inspired by his father who struggled with hearing loss. In 1978, Rod Saunders became the first person to get a multichannel cochlear implant.

Cochlear implants bypass damaged portions of the ear and directly stimulate the auditory nerve. Signals generated by the implant are sent by way of the auditory nerve to the brain, which recognizes the signals as sound.

Working Backwards

Sometimes, we have an idea of something we want to make, but no 'real' reason to make it. Plenty of students start with the "what" (the system/product) instead of the "why" (the problem is solves/the need it meets). You can get to a why by thinking about who benefits from the system once it exists.

You can do this by applying ethical or inclusive thinking. Some ideas are included here.

Economic Ethics

  • Who saves money with this system?
  • Who is able to continue working because of this system?

Social Ethics

  • Who saves time with this system?
  • Who has their life improved because of this system?

Environmental Ethics

  • How does this system sustain the envoironment?
  • How does this system regenerate the environment?

Inclusion

  • Who is able to work because of this system?
  • Who is able to lift their grandchild/communicate/something because of this system?

Flip the narrative

Once you have your who or what is improved, you can just flip the solution to a problem.

flowchart LR op1[Farmers will have to work less hours] op2[Farmers currently work too many hours] op1 --> op2
flowchart LR op1[Amputees will be able to play the drums] op2[Amputees currently lose the ability to\n play instruments] op1 --> op2
flowchart LR op1[Elderly people will be able to live\n independently for longer] op2[Elderly people currently rely heavily\n on others for daily tasks] op1 --> op2
flowchart LR op1[Students with disabilities will be able\n to access classrooms independently] op2[School buildings currently limit access\n for students with disabilities] op1 --> op2
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