Free Problem Statement Template
Start from a filled-in example, then write your own on the blank worksheet. It takes you from the ideal state to the current state, the scope (where it happens and where it does not) and the impact, and ends in one sentence with a number and a baseline, and no cause, no solution and no blame.
What is in the pack
- Filled-in example first: damaged-on-arrival complaints at an online store, from 1.2% to 4.8% of orders
- Blank problem statement worksheet: ideal state, current state, since when, is / is not, impact, evidence, unknowns
- Six problem statements, before and after, with what was wrong with each
- An 8-point checklist with a score, to test any problem statement
- The worksheet as a Word document, plus a printable PDF
Problem statement example: damaged-on-arrival complaints
Illustrative example, not customer data. This is page 1 of the template; page 2 is the same worksheet, blank.
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Ideal state | Items arrive undamaged: damaged-on-arrival complaints at or under 1.5% of orders (1.2% over the past year) |
| Current state | Damaged-on-arrival complaints are 4.8% of orders: 486 complaints on 10,125 orders in the week of 18 May |
| Since when | Three weeks: since the week of 4 May |
| Where it happens (is) | Orders shipped from our warehouse; 394 of the 486 complaints (81%) are on orders over 2 kg |
| Where it does not (is not) | Orders shipped by marketplace sellers: no change |
| Impact | About $15,100 in replacements and reshipping in the week of 18 May; damage is the top topic in 1- and 2-star reviews |
| Problem statement | Damaged-on-arrival complaints rose from 1.2% to 4.8% of orders shipped from our warehouse in the three weeks since the week of 4 May, mostly on orders over 2 kg, costing about $15,100 a week in replacements. |
How to write a problem statement in 5 steps
- 1Describe the ideal state: what should happen, with the usual number.
- 2Describe the current state with data: what happens now, how often, and since when.
- 3Set the scope with is / is not: where it happens, and where you would expect it but it does not happen.
- 4Add the impact on customers and the business.
- 5Write one or two sentences, then check them: a number and a baseline, no cause, no solution, no blame.
Problem statement examples: before and after
| Before | What is wrong with it | After |
|---|---|---|
| Customers are unhappy with delivery. | Vague: no number, no scope, no baseline | Delivery complaints rose from 2.1% to 3.6% of orders in October, mostly on next-day orders to rural postcodes. |
| We need a new CRM because tickets get lost. | Contains a solution | 14% of support tickets in Q3 got no first reply within 48 hours (target: under 2%), across all channels. |
| The night shift is careless with returns. | Blames people; no data | Refunds take 9 days on average (target: 3) for returns received after 18:00; returns received in the day take 3. |
| Our app rating dropped because of the new update. | Assumes the cause | The app rating fell from 4.5 to 3.9 in the two weeks after version 6.2; 1-star reviews that mention logging in rose from 12 to 140 a week. |
| Hotel guests complain about the Wi-Fi. | No size, no scope | Wi-Fi comes up in 24% of business travellers’ reviews last quarter (74 of 312), mostly about rooms on floors 5 and 6. |
| Call volume is too high. | Not specific: which calls, compared with what? | Repeat calls (same customer, same issue, within 7 days) are 38% of all calls in November, up from 22% a year ago. |
Checklist: is it a good problem statement?
- It describes the gap between what should happen and what happens
- It has a number and a baseline
- It says where and since when, and where it does not happen
- It names the impact on customers or the business
- It has no cause in it (no "because")
- It has no solution in it (no "we need a new...")
- It blames no person or team
- Someone outside the team would understand it
Where the problem statement goes next
Frequently asked questions
Is the problem statement template free?
Yes. The printable PDF downloads without an email. The Excel pack and the Word worksheet are sent to your email for free.
What is a problem statement?
A short description of the gap between what should happen and what actually happens, with numbers, scope and impact. It deliberately leaves out the cause and the solution, so the team investigates before it fixes.
What are the 5 Ws of a problem statement?
Who is affected, what is wrong, where it happens, when it started, and why it matters (the impact). Many teams add how much, so the statement has a number. Why it happens belongs in the root cause analysis, not in the statement.
How long should a problem statement be?
One or two sentences. If it needs a paragraph, it usually contains a cause or a solution, or it describes more than one problem.
What is the difference between a problem statement and a root cause?
The problem statement describes the symptom: what is wrong, where, since when and how much. The root cause explains why it happens. Writing the statement first keeps the team from fixing the first cause someone suggests.
Where are problem statements used?
In step D2 of an 8D report, the Define step of DMAIC, the Plan step of PDCA, an A3 report and a corrective action plan. The same worksheet works for all of them.
Where do the numbers for a problem statement come from?
Ticket tags, order data, reviews and survey comments. Pivony groups all of your tickets, reviews and survey comments by topic and shows how each topic trends, so you can write "rose from 1.2% to 4.8%" instead of "customers are unhappy".
Need the numbers behind your problem statement?
Pivony groups all of your tickets, reviews and survey comments by topic and shows how each one trends over time.
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