A problem statement is a formal document of a business in which a certain problem, an issue or a condition is briefly described. Whenever it is important that an issue needs to be addressed or a condition requires immediate improvements, a problem statement is issued for that purpose. Moreover, the main purpose of a problem statement is to determine and analyze the gap between the current state and the desired state. Therefore, instead of writing a new problem statement every time, the organizations usually use a problem statement template.
In a statement of problem, the issue is deeply analyzed with the help of facts and figures. Afterwards, the problem statement should particularly emphasize the importance of finding the proper solution. A different problem statement is prepared for different problems but most commonly, all the problem statements address the five W’s namely who, when, what, where and why.
Following are some of the useful problem statement templates provided for you. You can easily download and use these templates.
Best Problem Statement Templates
Detailed Issue Statement Template
Project Problem Statement Template
Simple Problem Statement Template
Standard Problem Statement
Focused Problem Statement
Sample Problem Statement Template
Elementary Problem Statement Template
Descriptive Problem Statement Template
Formal Problem Statement Template
Problem Statement EXAMPLE
Typical Problem Statement Template
Highlighted Problem Statement
Research Problem Statement Template
University’s Problem Statement Template
Basic Problem Statement Template
Entity’s Problem Statement Template
Simple Issue Statement Template
Writing a Problem Statement
A problem statement or an issue statement is of a great importance to a business. It doesn’t only identify a problem but also enables you to determine that how such a problem will be solved. As mentioned earlier, a problem statement will be different for each problem and for each type of organizations, as every entity will not be facing the same problem. However, regardless of the type of organization, following are some common steps involved in the composition of a problem statement.
Vision:
It is very important to have a clear vision in mind in order to solve a particular problem. The vision must be very clear and concise. Therefore, you should take your time to think and write down your vision carefully.
Problem Statement:
Write down a proper statement indicating the problem that is currently being faced. However, just indicating the problem is not enough. You should also present the solution by specifying the issues. The problem statement should also emphasize on the importance of finding the solution of the problem.
Plan for solving the issue:
Once the issue is identified, the next thing to do is to make a plan for solving the issue. You should specify which method you are going to use in order to solve the issue. By specifying the method, briefly explain its practical implementation and the steps involved in solving the issue being faced. This section is one of the most important element of the complete document.
Answering the 5 W’s:
An effective issue statement should always satisfactorily answer the 5 W’s:
- What: it includes the problem at hand, its effects, its boundaries and the impact of solving or not solving the problem.
- When: it indicates the beginning of the problem and by when, it should be solved.
- Who: it involves explaining the individuals or groups that will be affected by the problem and those who will be involved in solving it.
- Why: this includes emphasis on solving the issue and the impact of solving the issue on everyone within the organization.
- Where: here it is stated that where the problem occurred whether it is just in a specific department or group or in the organization as a whole.
