Potential Problem Analysis: Kepner-Tregoe Method Explained
This paper examines Potential Problem Analysis (PPA), a systematic technique developed by Charles H. Kepner and Benjamin B. Tregoe as one of five stages in their problem-solving and decision-making framework. The paper traces the concept's origins to Kepner and Tregoe's 1965 research, defines PPA as a method for identifying what could go wrong in a plan and creating contingency measures, and outlines its four key steps: identifying potential problems, protecting the plan, planning contingent actions, and modifying the action plan. A practical example using a new chemical facility illustrates how the technique is applied in a real organizational context to improve safety and operational effectiveness.
- Introduction to Potential Problem Analysis: Introduces PPA and its purpose in problem-solving
- Development of Potential Problem Analysis: Traces origins to Kepner and Tregoe's 1965 research
- Overview of the Concept: Defines PPA and explains its dual analytical purpose
- Steps in Potential Problem Analysis: Details the four procedural steps of PPA
- Example of Potential Problem Analysis: Applies PPA to a chemical facility safety scenario
- Conclusion: Summarizes PPA's value for organizational decision-making
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What makes this paper effective
- The paper moves logically from historical origin to conceptual definition to procedural steps to applied example, giving readers a complete picture of the technique.
- The chemical facility example grounds abstract steps in a concrete, relatable scenario, making the four-step process easy to follow and apply.
- Brief, clearly labeled subsections within the steps segment break the procedural content into digestible units without losing analytical continuity.
Key academic technique demonstrated
The paper demonstrates disciplined concept exposition: it introduces a term, traces its intellectual origins, defines it formally with a cited source, unpacks its internal logic (the two core questions), and then maps that logic onto a sequential procedural framework. This pattern — origin → definition → mechanism → application — is a reliable structure for any explanatory academic paper focused on a management or analytical technique.
Structure breakdown
The paper opens with a contextual introduction that situates PPA within the Kepner-Tregoe framework. A historical development section traces its scholarly origins. The overview section provides a formal definition and explains the concept's dual purpose (problem prevention and opportunity detection). Four clearly headed subsections walk through the procedural steps. A worked example applies all four steps to a chemical facility scenario, and a brief conclusion synthesizes the technique's value and organizational relevance.
Introduction to Potential Problem Analysis
Potential problem analysis, also referred to as opportunity analysis, is one of the stages in the Kepner-Tregoe approach to the problem-solving process. This concept was introduced to help analyze the consequences of a decision in order to identify what could potentially go wrong and to create initiatives that could address problems or issues once they actually emerge. Generally, the potential problem analysis technique is designed to offer a comprehensive evaluation of a created idea or action so as to predict any probability of something going wrong. This concept and its associated procedures therefore help an individual anticipate problems before they take place and develop the necessary measures to prevent probable problems from occurring or to lessen their effect.
Development of Potential Problem Analysis
Potential problem analysis — or potential opportunity analysis — was developed and introduced by Charles H. Kepner and Benjamin B. Tregoe as part of their work to identify a suitable approach for problem-solving. Their work culminated in the publication of a book containing the problem-solving approach they had created, which included the concept of potential problem analysis (Low & Heil, n.d.). This concept is one of the five stages of the problem-solving process provided in the Kepner-Tregoe approach to problem-solving and decision making.
The development and introduction of this concept came at a time when effective problem-solving and decision-making approaches had attracted considerable attention in the business world. Woods & Davies (2007) state that technologists and scientists have always been involved in efforts to predict what is likely to go wrong when dealing with a specific project (p. 25). Potential problem analysis is a systematic approach to predicting problems and planning contingencies to prevent their occurrence and minimize their effect. This systematic approach was developed following extensive research by Kepner and Tregoe in 1965 aimed at improving problem solving and decision making.
References
Dew, J. R. (n.d.). Planning skills. Consumer quality management — Module eight.
Low, J. T., & Heil, K. (n.d.). Problem-solving styles. Retrieved May 16, 2015, from www.referenceforbusiness.com/encyclopedia/Per-Pro/Problem-Solving-Styles.html
"Potential Problem Analysis." (n.d.). Health information technology. Retrieved from Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality website: http://healthit.ahrq.gov/health-it-tools-and-resources/workflow-assessment-health-it-toolkit/all-workflow-tools/potential-problem-analysis
Woods, M. F., & Davies, G. B. (2007, May). Potential problem analysis: A systematic approach to problem prediction and contingency planning — an aid to the smooth exploitation of research. R&D Management, 4(1), 25–32.
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