A toolbox, not one tool
A technician carries more than one screwdriver. A tiny screw needs a small one. A big screw needs a big one.
Problem-solving strategies are the same. You have several. A good technician picks the one that fits the problem in front of them.
By the end of this lesson
Note
I can judge which problem-solving strategy suits a support or security problem.
Key words
| Word | What it means |
|---|---|
| Six-step strategy | Define, gather, analyse, plan, implement and review |
| Root cause analysis | Looking for the real reason behind a fault |
| Incident management | The steps a team follows to restore a service |
| Top-down | Start with the whole problem and split it up |
| Bottom-up | Start with small known parts and build up |
| Modularisation | Building a solution from separate parts that each do one job |
| Judgement | A choice you can explain with reasons |
| Network | Computers and devices joined so they can share data |
The cells students fill in are left blank in this preview.
Starter
Have a go
Starter
3 questionsYour answers are marked here and are not kept. A college account keeps every student’s marks.
Problems and strategies depend on each other
The type of problem decides which strategy helps. The strategy you pick also changes what you find out about the problem.
A service that is down needs speed, so use incident management. A fault that keeps returning needs a root cause. A new network needs a plan, so go top-down.
Which strategy suits which problem?
| Problem | Strategy | Why it suits |
|---|---|---|
| Email is down for everyone | Incident management | Restore the service fast, then find the cause |
| The same printer jams every week | Root cause analysis | A quick fix does not stop it returning |
| One laptop will not start | Six-step strategy | A single fault with clear facts to gather |
| A cable in a long chain is faulty | Bottom-up | Test one known part at a time |
| A firm needs a new network | Top-down | Plan the whole, then split into parts |
| A help desk system is growing | Modularisation | Add and change parts without breaking the rest |
The cells students fill in are left blank in this preview.
Check
Have a go
Check
3 questionsYour answers are marked here and are not kept. A college account keeps every student’s marks.