In the past, I have written about using the Lean trio of SDCA, PDCA, EDCA with an umbrella of CAP-Do or in Non-Lean terms; Standard Work, Continuous Improvement, Design Thinking (Exploration), and Reflection. In the book, Cracked it!: How to solve big problems and sell solutions like top strategy consultants, the authors lay out their 4s Framework in much the same manner with a flowchart to guide you through the use of it. Their dive into each discipline is excellent. Enjoy the read. The part of the framework that they took the time with that most problem-solving books don’t is the Sell Stage. Of course, I am partial to that area but even though I am, when doing it for myself, I often just think people get it. Everyone wants to grow revenue or save time and money? I also like that though it is convenient to put documentation at the end and part of this stage, I took a little deeper meaning from it. The part of sustaining, and even improving again often rests on the idea of how we deliver/sell the results.

1. Can you state
the problem?
Do you
have a
solution?
Can you
build an
issue tree?
Build a Hypothesis
Pyramid
Prototype & test
potential solutions
Perform analysesPerform analyses
Build Issue Tree
Dvvefine Problem
(TOSCA Checklist)
Empathize
Design Storyline
Produce and Deliver Recommendation Report
Yes
Yes Yes Yes
Yes Yes
Yes
No
NoNo
No No No
Design Thinking
Path
Issue-Driven
Path
Hypothesis-
Driven Path
State
Ideate: Generate
Concepts
Structure
Solve
Sell
IterateifneededIterateifneededIterateifneeded
Have you
found a
solution?
Have you
found a
solution?
Solution
confirmed
?
Adapted from the book; Cracked it!: How to solve big problems and sell
solutions like top strategy consultants by Bernard Garrette, Corey Phelps, 2018
4S Framework: State, Structure, Solve, Sell