BUMGT5980 Managerial Decision Making: Problem-Solving Analysis Report

This report addresses the challenges of managerial decision-making within organizations. It focuses on problem-solving techniques such as brainstorming, mindmapping, fishbone diagrams, and brainwriting to address issues like product misrepresentation. The report uses a case study of a frozen food packaging company, identifying mislabeling of products as a key problem. It explores various solutions, including product reformation, quality testing, and supplier code of conduct, with the aim of improving product accuracy and consumer trust. The analysis highlights the importance of these techniques in generating innovative solutions to current and future business problems, emphasizing the need for proactive measures in the frozen food industry to prevent similar issues.

Managerial Decision
Making

Introduction
 Organisation challenges and problems requires immediate address
 The organisations adopt problem solving techniques such as
brainstorming, mindmapping, brain writing and others to generate
solutions (Kwisthout, 2012)
 Problem identified here is the misrepresentation of the product by the
company
 Four appropriate problem solving tool has been used for addressing
the problem.

Overview
 Case scenario of Frozen food packaging and distributor
wholesaler has been considered.
 Issues related to product misinterpretation had been
identified.
 Food testing authority clarified the involvement of products
not mentioned to the final customers.
 30% of tuna found in the product which was not mentioned
on the product label.
 Fish products were sourced directly from overseas
companies.

Solutions
 Rationale
 Problem solving technique is important to engage
employees together.
 This method is crucial in enhancing the creativity skills of
employees by motivating them to discuss their ideas and
opinions.
 This method helps in acquiring innovative ideas and
techniques to overcome business problems.

Solutions
 Brainstorming
 Brainstorming is the process of
accumulation of ideas through
involving employees in sessions
(Wilson, 2013).
 It benefits in making people use
their creative skills.
 It is, however, time-consuming
in nature.
 Application of brainstorming had
resulted in gathering new ideas
such as product modification,
supplier’s code of conduct and
quality testing to be introduced
to overcome errors in the future.
Brainst
orming
Quality
Testing
Supplie
r’s
Code of
Conduc
t
Product
Modific
ation
Improvi
ng
product
labeling
Conductin
g internal
testing of
products
Code of
agreement
with
suppliers

Solutions
 Mindmapping
 Visual representation of the
ideas and information
 Effective problem solving
techniques (Dutt, 2015).
 Current problems-
misrepresentation of products
 Solution ideas identified
 Quality testing of products
 Strict supplier’s code of
conduct
 Product reformation using
changes in labelling
 Managing reputation

Solutions
 Fishbone diagram
 Presents a root cause analysis
scope for the problem
 Systematic way of presenting
the cause and effect of the
problem (Istikomah, Basori and
Budiyanto, 2017)
 From the diagram
 Problems such as low sales, low
profit, reputation damage,
supplier’s issues and quality
questions have been identified
 Misrepresentation of products
caused customer trust issues
and lowered sales and profits.

Solutions
 Brainwriting
 It is another version of
brainstorming wherein
employees are required to write
their ideas in paper (Jo Rudy,
2016).
 It benefits in collecting wide
number of solutions to one
problem.
 Its disadvantage is that requires
adequate planning.
 It had benefited in collecting
ideas such as market reputation,
quality testing and product
modification as the mode to
overcome product label
challenges in the future.
Product
Modification
Changing
labels of
product
Adding new
version of
product
without Tuna
Reputation
Apologising to
Food Testng
Authority
Providng free
samples of
new product
Quality
Testing
DNA testing
Internal food
testing

Appropriate Solutions
 Solution One
 Product reformation must be done
 Labels must be changed by incorporating the Tuna ingredient to
inform customers
 New Tuna-based products must be launched by banning the
misrepresented product.

Appropriate Solutions
 Solution Two
 Quality testing
 DNA testing of the fish and meat products must be done to identify
the products accurately
 Internal food quality testing must be deployed for ascertaining the
food quality standards

Conclusion
 Problem solving is necessary for
generating ideas to current and future
business problems.
 Frozen food packaging and distributor
wholesaler should consider using
product modification and quality testing
to overcome product-related
challenges.

References
 Dutt, M. (2015). Adding Value to Projects Using Mind Maps.
Journal of Creating Value, 1(2), 221-234.
 Istikomah, I., Basori, B., & Budiyanto, C. (2017). The Influences
of Problem-Based Learning Model with Fishbone Diagram to
Students's Critical Thinking Ability. IJIE (Indonesian Journal of
Informatics Education), 1(1), 171.
 Jo Rudy, L. (2016). How to Use Brainwriting for Rapid Idea
Generation. Retrieved September 16, 2019, from
https://business.tutsplus.com/tutorials/how-to-use-brainwriting-
for-rapid-idea-generation--cms-26451
 Kwisthout, J. (2012). Relevancy in Problem Solving: A
Computational Framework. The Journal of Problem Solving, 1(5).
 Wilson, C. (2013). Brainstorming and Beyond: A User-Centered
Design Method. Oxford: Newnes.