Leveraging Problem Structuring Methods for Quality Excellence: Structured Problem-Solving in Engineering Management

Quality assurance is critical to high product standards, reducing operational defects, and ensuring customer satisfaction. Quality management issues often arise from multifaceted problems involving people, processes, technology, and the environment. In addition, the quality management landscape has become increasingly complex. Some traditional quality tools, such as Ishikawa (Fishbone) diagram, have been widely used for root cause analysis. The Fishbone diagram's strength lies in its ability to identify potential causes of quality issues. It organizes these causes into categories, helping clarify where problems might originate. While effective, the Fishbone Diagram can sometimes fall short when complex interactions or causes are intertwined, especially in cases where multiple stakeholders have varying insights or opinions about the causes. The Fishbone Diagram can oversimplify complex quality challenges by limiting the exploration of interdependencies and cross-functional perspectives due to their linear structures. Problem Structuring Methods (PSM) provide a collaborative problem-solving approach that captures diverse perspectives and highlights relationships between issues. A PSM can potentially enhance the Fishbone Diagram’s effectiveness by facilitating a deeper understanding of problem dynamics, encouraging stakeholder engagement, and revealing interconnected causes. Through a systematic literature review, this paper investigates the potential of Problem Structuring Methods (PSMs) by exploring how PSMs can address quality management challenges (e.g., supporting stakeholder alignment, interdisciplinary collaboration, and continuous improvement initiatives). The expected results should demonstrate the potential of PSMs in enhancing traditional quality management practices.