This FAQ webpage is not your typical list of 'questions and answers'. Based on upon telephone exchanges with prospective clients, ANALYZE consulting chemists have noticed that callers generally fall into several well-defined groups. Given the wide range of client problems, there is no specific set of questions and answers applicable to all callers. ANALYZE employs an interactive problem solving process in which questions discover information which is then used to ask additional questions in order to define the problem and obtain a timely, cost-effective resolution.

First time callers are often members of one of the following groups:

1. Technically trained individuals who generally know what they want but need help with the details
   
   • Experienced Consultants
   • Chemists from Corporate and Contract Labs
   
   
2. Technically trained individuals who have a materials problem but do not know how to address it
   
   • Process/Manufacturing Engineers
   • Engineering Consultants
   • R&D/Technology Managers
   
   
3. Non-technical people who have a ‘problem’ and/or ‘opportunity’ but are not sure how to go about achieving a resolution to their issue.
   
   • Entrepreneurs,
   • Business Owners/Managers
   • Purchasing Agents

Typically, the first questions from Group 1 individuals are: “Do you do___________ , or do you have experience in a specific type of analysis?”; “What is the price?”; and, “How soon can I have the results?”. Alternatively, they might ask: “I want to identify this material and do you think FTIR will provide the required ID? If not, what other analysis method do you recommend?”.

The first question frequently asked by individuals in the other two groups is: “What do you do?” The second question is: “How much will it cost to do ___________ (e.g., understand why a plastic part broke or to deformulate a perfume which is no longer available or develop a new coating for my application or manufacture a product which I have developed)?”.

THE PROBLEM SOLVING PROCESS

Whether we verbally describe it to the client or follow it quietly, we do have a “problem solving” process or “product opportunity realization process” that helps guide our response to these questions. This process can be diagrammed in the following manner:




While individuals belonging to the first group usually have defined the problem before they contact us, all others generally require help. The definition of the problem is the first step and often the most critical factor in determining the success of a problem solving project.

The ANALYZE Problem Solving Process Involves the Following Steps:

• Problem Definition
  
• Establish Hypothesis or Strategy to Solve Problem
  
• Test Hypothesis (Implement Strategy)
  
• Client Communication
  
• Actions to Solve Problem

PROBLEM DEFINITION

The art of problem definition is proactive and based on inquiry.

• Ask Questions
  • Diagnosis precedes prescription
    
  • Information gathering
    
  • Product identification
    
  • Past history
    
  • Manufacturing process
    
  • Field use conditions
    
  • Client concerns and additional info
    
  • Requires mostly listening (>70%) rather than talking
    

• Separate Facts from Fiction
  • Problems are like jigsaw puzzles
    
  • People have different perspectives
    

• Clarify Communication
  • No mutual mystification
    
  • We ask simple questions to get straightforward answers

As discovery proceeds, the specific questions asked may differ depending on the issue at hand and the answers obtained to a preceding question. For example, here is a possible sequence of questions:

• What is the Product?
  • Application
    
  • Physical appearance, color, dimensions
    
  • Material
    

• What is Different About the Problem Part from a Good Part?
  
  
• Did the Problem Occur During Manufacturing or During Use?
  • If problem occurred during processing, describe steps before, during and after the point at which suspect the problem occurred
    
    
  • If the problem occurred while the product was being used, describe the conditions under which the problem occurred
    

• Is this an Appearance Issue (Cosmetic) or Does it Affect the Performance of the Part?
  
  
• How Long Has the Part Been in Production?
  
  
• Has the Problem Occurred Previously?
  
  
• Is the Problem Intermittent or Does it Happen All of the Time?
  
  
• Does the Production or is it Limited to One Product or One Process line?

ESTABLISH HYPOTHESIS

Once the information gathering is done, then a hypothesis (tentative explanation or explanations) that accounts for the discovered set of facts is established that can be tested by analyses. If the facts are insufficient to establish a hypothesis, then a strategy is developed to provide the needed additional facts.

TEST HYPOTHESIS - IMPLEMENT STRATEGY

The testing of the hypothesis (implementation of the strategy) starts by verifying the supplied information. For instance, “Is the plastic part really molded from ABS?”. The testing strategy will always require common sense and some combination of chemical composition analyses, physical/mechanical properties testing and performance testing related to the actual process or field use conditions.

Performance of the analysis/testing plan, interpreting the data, integrating the results and the relevance to the problem are part of this stage. The goal is to verify or eliminate plausible explanations.

From a business perspective, a quotation is provided at the beginning of this phase to set expectations between ourselves and the client. A verbal quote during the initial telephone call may suffice for simple projects but a written quotation is likely necessary for more complex and extensive projects.

CLIENT COMMUNICATION

We provide results to the client and listen to the feedback. This is an important step to insure that we are meeting the project expectations and are able to bring new information into the discussion based on what has been learned to date.

In some cases, reiteration or additional work is required to verify newly learned ‘facts’ with a second analytical method, alter an existing hypothesis to accommodate what has been learned and verify the altered hypothesis by additional testing.

ACTIONS TO SOLVE PROBLEM

The goal of all of this activity is to solve the problem to the client’s satisfaction. Recommendations for actions to eliminate the conditions giving rise to the problem are always discussed with the client. We enjoy hearing that our contribution has helped our clients become more successful

For consulting activities, our final product is a written report documenting in detail what has been done and provided in the following format:

• Executive Summary
  
• Analytical Methodology
  
• Raw Data
  
• Interpretation
  
• Relevance to the Problem