Framing and frameworks
Framing the problem
20 min
Most failed fixes solve the wrong problem. Framing sets the gap, the scope and the measure before anyone proposes a solution.
| Element | Content | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Current state | What happens now, measured | Order API p95 latency 2.4 s; 3.1% checkout abandonment |
| Desired state | Target, measured | p95 under 800 ms; abandonment under 2% |
| Gap | Desired − current | −1.6 s; −1.1 points |
| Impact | Cost of the gap | 1.1% × 400,000 orders/month × $62 → about $272,800 a month |
| Scope | In and out | Checkout path; not the mobile app redesign |
| Constraints | Time, budget, policy | No schema change before Q1 freeze |
5W2H checks completeness: who, what, where, when, why, how, how much. Kepner-Tregoe 'is / is not' sharpens it by contrast:
| Is | Is not | Distinction | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What | Checkout API timeouts | Catalog or login | Only the write path |
| Where | US-East region | EU region | Different DB cluster |
| When | Since Oct 12, 18:00–22:00 | Before Oct 12; daytime | Release on Oct 12; peak load |
| Extent | 4% of requests | All requests | Large carts only |
A solution inside the problem statement ('we need a new CRM') skips analysis. Restate it as the gap the CRM was meant to close.
Word bank
All definitions →- 5W2H
- Who, what, where, when, why, how, how much: a completeness check for a problem.
- Is / is not analysis
- Kepner-Tregoe contrast of where a problem occurs and where it could but does not.
- Problem statement
- A measured description of the gap between current and desired state, with impact and scope.
Knowledge check
Which is a well-framed problem statement?
Errors occur in US-East but not EU. In is / is not analysis this points to: