Problem Solving and Decision Making Batch of 2016-18 Term 1, July Oct 2016

The Creative Problem Solving Process of

Osborn and Parnes
Source: http://www.creativeeducationfoundation.org/our-process/what-is-cps

Over the course of the past fifty years, many researchers and developers
presented a variety of different creative problem solving models and
approaches. Work on these presentations has taken place in many different
settings, including colleges and universities, public elementary and
secondary schools, small and large businesses, and numerous consulting
organizations.

In the literature of psychology, sociology, education, or training and

organizational development, the common phrase, creative problem solving,
has been used to describe many models, which may or may not have any
common origins or structure.

Early interest in the creative process examined the natural approaches taken
by highly creative people in applying their personal creativity when solving
problems (e.g., Crawford, 1937; Spearman, 1931; Wallas, 1926). The effort
to make creative processes more visible, explicit, and deliberate was a
formidable challenge for researchers for many years.

Alex Osborn developed the original description of Creative Problem Solving

(CPS, Version 1.0). In his book, Wake Up Your Mind, Osborn (1952) presented
a comprehensive description of a seven-stage CPS process. This process
description was based on his work in the advertising field, dealing with the
natural tension between people on the more creative side (e.g., graphic
artists, copy writers) and those on the business side (e.g., client managers,
business managers) to develop successful campaigns and meet customers
needs. Osborns Applied Imagination (1953, 1957) popularized his
description of CPS and the term brainstorming now arguably the most
widely known, used (and too frequently, misused) term associated with
creativity.

In making the creative process more deliberate and explicit, Osborn

integrated what was known at the time about the stages and tools used by
highly creative individuals, based on his study and experience in the
practical world. Osborns interest emphasized the deliberate development of
creative talent, particularly within the field of education. He expressed the
vision of bringing a more creative trend to American education, which

Prof. Debmallya Chatterjee, Prof. Amol Subhash Dhaigude and Prof. Sham Ranjan Shetty,
TAPMI, Manipal 1
Problem Solving and Decision Making Batch of 2016-18 Term 1, July Oct 2016

became the impetus for founding the Creative Education Foundation and,
subsequently, for the development of an academic program in Buffalo.

After Osborns death in 1966, Parnes and his colleagues continued to work
with CPS. They developed a modification of Osborns approach, which came
to be known as the Osborn- Parnes approach to Creative Problem Solving.
The framework was eclectic, drawing tools and methods from several other
creativity and problem-solving models and methods.

Today, CPS is a proven method for approaching a problem or a challenge in

an imaginative and innovative way. Its a tool that helps people re-define the
problems they face, come up with breakthrough ideas and then take action
on these new ideas. Alex Osborn and Sidney Parnes conducted extensive
research on the steps that are involved when people solve problems, the
result of which is the following 6 steps that are broken down into 3 stages:

At the same time that CPS is a structured process, its also a very flexible
one. When you begin to use and internalize the CPS process, you find that
its cyclical. You begin to see how to move from step to step, and how to
jump back and forth between steps. When CPS becomes part of your own
way of thinking and working, you can use one step at a time, as you need it,
when you need it. Once you understand the fundamentals of CPS, you can
adapt this process to every situation you encounter, thereby realizing its
power.

STAGE 1: EXPLORE THE CHALLENGE

Objective Finding - Identify Goal, Wish or Challenge

Prof. Debmallya Chatterjee, Prof. Amol Subhash Dhaigude and Prof. Sham Ranjan Shetty,
TAPMI, Manipal 2
Problem Solving and Decision Making Batch of 2016-18 Term 1, July Oct 2016

This could be a wish or a goal. It might be the initial dissatisfaction or a

desire that opens the door to using the CPS process.

Fact Finding - Gather Data

Assess and review all the data that pertains to the situation at hand. Whos
involved, whats involved, when, where, and why its important. Make a list
of the facts and information, as well as the more visceral hunches, feelings,
perceptions, assumptions and gossip around the situation. In this step, all the
data is taken into consideration to review the objective and begin to
innovate.

Problem Finding - Clarify the Problem

In this step, explore the facts and data to find all the problems and
challenges inherent in the situation, and all the opportunities they represent.
This is about making sure youre focusing on the right problem. It is possible
to come up with the right answer to the wrong problem. Re-define what you
want or whats stopping you.

STAGE 2: GENERATE IDEAS

Idea Finding - Generate Ideas

Generating ideas is much more than brainstorming. During this step, be

vigilant about deferring judgment and coming up with wild, outrageous, out-
of-the-box ideas. This is where you explore ideas that are possible solutions
and have the most fun. Its also where you need to stretch to make
connections, take risks, and try new combinations to find potentially
innovative solutions.

STAGE 3: PLAN FOR ACTION

Solution Finding Select and Strengthen Solutions

First, try to strengthen and improve the best ideas generated. Next,
generate the criteria that needs to be considered to evaluate the ideas for
success. Apply that criteria to the top ideas and decide which are most likely
to solve the redefined problem. The best idea needs to meet criteria that
makes it actionable before it becomes the solution. A creative idea is not
really useful if it wont be implemented.

Prof. Debmallya Chatterjee, Prof. Amol Subhash Dhaigude and Prof. Sham Ranjan Shetty,
TAPMI, Manipal 3
Problem Solving and Decision Making Batch of 2016-18 Term 1, July Oct 2016

Acceptance Finding Plan for Action

In this step, look at whos responsible, what has to be done by when, and
what resources are available in order to realize this idea as a full-fledged,
activated solution.

CPS Success Stories

Martin-Marietta saves $104 million for taxpayers. Using CPS, the firm
created a plant-wide Value Analysis program resulting in $104 million dollars
in cost savings over a four-year period.

Monsanto uses CPS to structure $1 billion Nutrasweet program. Starting

with a team of 150 people from different disciplines, and in the midst of a
major corporate restructuring, Monsanto used CPS to redefine how food is
sweetened and beat its competition to market, resulting in a potential payout
of $1 billion.

Mead Fine Paper establishes new standard for paper brightness. Using
CPS, a team from Mead was challenged with the task of increasing paper
brightness from a 94 grade (reflecting 94% of the light shone on it) to 96
grade. Using CPS, the team achieved an unheard of 99% achieving a new
world standard.

Kodak saves $3 million. A team of CEF colleagues as charged with helping a

Kodak division improve productivity. They created a training and
development program to transform the group into a high-functioning team,
train them to use CPS and take responsibility for the quality of their
relationships in the group. Management credited the program with helping
the group save $3 million annually.

Electrohome makes steel breathe. Using a multi-functional team and the

CPS process, electronics manufacturer Electrohome transformed a
manufacturing process from one in which 18 people produced 2000 units on
a shift with a 12-15% rejection rate, to one in which 2 people could produce
the same number of units with less than a 0.1% rejection rate.

Xerox improves product quality and cost-effectiveness. CEF is credited with

a key role in Xeroxs revitalization program and the establishment of its
internal creative culture.

Prof. Debmallya Chatterjee, Prof. Amol Subhash Dhaigude and Prof. Sham Ranjan Shetty,
TAPMI, Manipal 4
Problem Solving and Decision Making Batch of 2016-18 Term 1, July Oct 2016

Frito-Lay saves $600 million. Over a seven-year period, from 1982-1989,

the company flattened costs using the Osborn Parnes Creative Problem
Solving process, which was taught to multi-functional teams working
internally as well with vendors.

TRW reduces costs by 20%. A five-person multi-disciplinary team was taken

off the job for two years to find ways to reduce costs in a major division.
Working with CEF colleagues and using the CPS process, their goal of 20%
cost reduction was achieved.

Texaco off target by $300 million. Alerted to a rumored $300 million

discrepancy against budget, senior executives of Texaco visited the
companys off-shore engineering unit to discuss the situation. Upon arrival,
they were told by the units management that the rumors were only partially
true. The discrepancy was on the plus side of the ledger, a result of savings
created by engineers recently trained in CPS thinking strategies.

Prof. Debmallya Chatterjee, Prof. Amol Subhash Dhaigude and Prof. Sham Ranjan Shetty,
TAPMI, Manipal 5