critical thinking

1. Critical Thinking

2. 2
Context: In the recently conducted Employee Engagement
survey at a refinery, the scores from the General Shift were
considerably lower than those given by A,B,C shift employees.
Multiple employees expressed their displeasure with the
current work load. Some said, “We do not get enough time to
wrap up our work”. The same employees rated the company’s
facilities & administration low as well. It was also observed that
many of these employees were working lesser than 8 and a
half shift hours and constantly regularizing their attendance.
Uniquely employees working in A,B or C shift did not complain
about these issues.
Case Study
Actions to be taken:
Look at the time data for few of the
defaulters
Talk in detail with a defaulter

3. Arriving at the problem statement
3
ID Name Entry Time Exit Time Entry Point
10001945 Akshay Jain 08:25 Gate 3
10019234 Rakesh Sharma 09:10 Gate 4
10035621 Lakshman Singh 08:25 Gate 1
10000231 Brahmdev Gupta 09:05 Gate 4
10012345 Sunil Joshi 08:25 Gate 2
10019425 Ajay Rajput 08:25 Gate 1
10000033 Abhishek Sharma 09:20 Gate 4
10653729 Deepak Singh 08:25 Gate 2
10004252 Rahul Vaidya 08:30 Gate 3

4. Arriving at the problem statement
4
Issue: In the XXX Refinery, a majority of
the G shift employees dissatisfied with
their work load
They are not efficient
individuals
They do not get the best
facilities and resources
They do not get enough
time to complete their work
Guess why?:

5. Arriving at the problem statement
5
Issue: In the XXX Refinery, a majority of
the G shift employees dissatisfied with
their work load
They are not efficient
individuals
They do not get the best
facilities and resources
They do not get enough
time to complete their work
Guess why?:

6. Arriving at the problem statement
6
Issue: In the XXX Refinery, a majority of
the G shift employees dissatisfied with
their work load
They are not efficient
individuals
They do not get the best
facilities and resources
They do not get enough
time to complete their work
Guess why?:

7. Arriving at the problem statement
7
Issue: In the XXX Refinery, a majority of
the G shift employees dissatisfied with
their work load
The workload is too high
They leave from work early
They start their shift late
daily
Guess why?:
They do not
get enough
time to
complete their
work

8. Arriving at the problem statement
8
Issue: In the XXX Refinery, a majority of
the G shift employees dissatisfied with
their work load
The workload is too high
They leave from work early
They start their shift late
daily
Guess why?:
They do not
get enough
time to
complete their
work

9. Arriving at the problem statement
9
Issue: In the XXX Refinery, a majority of
the G shift employees dissatisfied with
their work load
The workload is too high
They leave from work early
They start their shift late
daily
Guess why?:
They do not
get enough
time to
complete their
work

10. Arriving at the problem statement
10
Issue: In the XXX Refinery, a majority of
the G shift employees dissatisfied with
their work load
The workload is too high
They leave from work early
They start their shift late
daily
Guess why?:
They do not
get enough
time to
complete their
work

11. Arriving at the problem statement
11
Issue: In the XXX Refinery, a majority of
the G shift employees dissatisfied with
their work load
Most employees go to have
breakfast after entry, before
they punch-in at the plant
They leave from work early
They are getting stuck at the
entry gate 5 due to a daily pile
up
Guess why?:
They do not
get enough
time to
complete their
work
They start
their shift late
daily

12. Let us practice this!
12
Why
They start
their shift
late
almost
daily
Why
They do
not enter
the
premises
on time
Why
They are
getting
delayed
at entry
gate 5
Why
There is a
pile-up at
entry
gate 5
during G
shift
Why
Issue: In the XXX Refinery, a majority of
the G shift employees dissatisfied with
their work load
Real Problem: Choked entry
process during ‘G' shift entry at
gate 5

13. Let us practice this!
13
The
employees
do not get
enough time
to complete
their work
Why
They start
their shift
late
almost
daily
Why
They do
not enter
the
premises
on time
Why
They are
getting
delayed
at entry
gate 5
Why
There is a
pile-up at
entry
gate 5
during G
shift
Why
Issue: In the XXX Refinery, a majority of
the G shift employees dissatisfied with
their work load
Real Problem: Choked entry
process during ‘G' shift entry at
gate 5

14. Let us practice this!
14
The
employees
do not get
enough time
to complete
their work
Why
They start
their shift
late
almost
daily
Why
They do
not enter
the
premises
on time
Why
They are
getting
delayed
at entry
gate 5
Why
There is a
pile-up at
entry
gate 5
during G
shift
Why
Issue: In the XXX Refinery, a majority of
the G shift employees dissatisfied with
their work load
Real Problem: Choked entry
process during ‘G' shift entry at
gate 5

15. 15
This was a real-life problem at one of our plants
LACK OF SYSTEMATIC SECURITY CLEARANCE DURING 'G’
SHIFT ENTRY AT GATE 5
Problem

16. A deeper look into the problem
CATEGORY
TIME
(Secs)
4 -
WHEELERS
Employee driven 30
Driver driven 45
Cont staff 85
2-
WHEELERS
Employees 15
Cont staff w/o tiffin : M/C 25
Cont staff with tiffin : M/C 30
Cont staff w/o tiffin : Scooter 35
Cont staff with tiffin : Scooter 45
CYCLES With tiffin 60
W/o tiffin 50
ON FOOT With tiffin 75
W/o tiffin 39
16
0 0 0
65
0 0 5
90
1 4 17
97
10 28
120
61
78
182
329
42
465
605
465
204
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
0800-0815 0815-0830 0830-0845 0845-0900
Categories of persons entering per 15 Minutes
Employees 4 Wheel Employees 2 Wheel Contract 4 Wheel
Contract 2 Wheel Cyclists On Foot
Our Problem: LACK OF SYSTEMATIC SECURITY CLEARANCE DURING 'G’ SHIFT ENTRY AT GATE 5

17. What process do you usually follow to identify the root cause of a problem?
Option 1: I use some management framework
Option 2: I do it intuitively
17
Question for You

18. 18
Step 2: Identify Root Causes (Ishikawa approach)
Originating with lean manufacturing and the Toyota
Production System, the 5 M framework believes that
problem can occur in the following 5 major areas,
which make the branches of the fishbone:
• Man / mind power (physical or knowledge)
• Machine (equipment, technology)
• Material (includes raw material and information)
• Method (process)
• Measurement / medium (inspection, environment)
However, you can add further parameters to
increase the no. of branches in your
Fishbone Diagram

19. Practicing Fishbone (Ishikawa) Framework
19
Choked entry process
during ‘G' shift entry at
gate 5
Methods Man
Facilities
Environment
Limited Space
Limited
Automation
Number of
Vehicles
Number of
Employees Entering
Non-Prioritized
Vehicles
Attrition
among Guards
Underutilized Guards at
Exit Gate
Skill of
persons
Different
categories
Scrap vehicles
Garbage lifting
vehicles
More cars in a
limited area
Material carrying
vehicles
New guard’s
limited
understanding
of process
Professional
competence
Limited entry
lanes
Lots of paperwork
Manual frisking is
effort intensive
Security risk of
missing details
Our Problem: Choked entry process during ‘G' shift entry at gate 5
Rotation of
persons
Different
duties at material
gates
personnel gates
Series of
security checks
Inconsistent
Security Checks
Manual System Time Spent
Frisking
Subjectivity
Physical Fatigue
Errors
Note-taking
Peak time for
labour entry
Lack of
adequate no.
of guards

20. 20
Let’s Generate Some Options
Variety of Traffic
Overcrowding
Limited Entry Lanes
Lack of enough guards
Under-utilisation of guards at Exit Gate
Complex Process
Re-route entry of employees to other gates
Restrict Entry time for contract staff
Provide free meals inside the plant
Increase the no. of security staff
Reduce the no. of steps in security check
Use of exit lanes for entry
Root Causes Possible Options
1000

21. 21
Step 3: Evaluate Option
Criteria
Description
Weight out of 100
Minimum Desired Score (/10)
1
2
Options Matrix Tool
Other commonly used methods: Decision Tree Trade Off Analysis
Pareto Analysis

22. 22
Lets try the Options Matrix Tool to our Problem at Gate 5
Criteria
Description
Weight out of 100
Minimum Desired Score (/10)
1
2
3
4
5
6
? ? ?
Re-route entry of employees to other gates
Restrict Entry time for contract staff
Provide free meals inside the plant
Increase the no. of security staff
Reduce the no. of steps in security check
Assuming these are the options you are considering. On what parameters will you prioritise them?
Use of exit lanes for entry

23. 23
A possible Option Matrix
Criteria Final
Score
Description Cost
Ease of
Implementation
Security
Weight out of 100 30 30 40
Minimum Desired Score (/10) 7 7 10
1 9 8 10 9.1
2 7 7 10 8.2
3 5 5 10 7
4 7 9 10 8.8
5 10 10 8 9.2
6 10 9 10 9.7
Re-route entry of employees to other gates
Restrict Entry time for contract staff
Provide free meals inside the plant
Increase the no. of security staff
Reduce the no. of steps in security check
Use of exit lanes for entry

24. Step 4: Implement and Evaluate
24
Detail the
Solution
Mitigate Risks
& Resistance
Run Pilot,
Measure
Results and
Modify
Run at Scale,
Monitor &
Report

25. What was actually done for our problem?
25
WHAT:
• Even dispersion of vehicular traffic into four lanes.
• Better security checks by staggering of mix volume of personnel & vehicles on double the area.
• Faster security clearance.
• Effective use of security guards at exit gates.
• Better traffic management.
• Reduction of one contract guard.
HOW:
• Use of half portion of ‘EXIT’ Gate’ for entry of employee driven four wheelers & all two wheelers.
• Provisioning of two lanes for on foot personnel in place of one lane.
• Provisioning of two lanes for cyclists in place of one lane.
• Driver driven employees four wheelers & contractor four wheelers entry in two lanes through ‘IN’ gate
• Separate tiffin checking guard for cyclists at the starting point of ‘cyclists lanes’.
• Separate tiffin checking guard for ‘on foot personnel’ at the starting point of on ‘foot lanes’.
• Removal of traffic guard by use of ‘traffic guidance boards’.

26. What were the Risks and Resistance planned for?
26
Counter Measures
Probable Resistance
Sr. No. Action Plan
01 Preparation of boards indicating type of lane for different categories of personnel / vehicles
02 Training of contract guards about changed entry system.
03 Briefing scrap vendors to bring their vehicles on issuance of sale order.
• Communication of changed entry pattern to users.
• Change over from long established entry system to a new system.
• Adaptability of security personnel to shuffle contract guards from one lane to another as per changed work-
load.

27. 27
6 7 7
10
12 11
0
2
5
0
2
0
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
E4W EDW C4W E2WL C2M+T C2M-T C2S+T C2S-T Cy+T Cy-T F+T F-T
30/20
45/35
85/60
15/13
25/18
30/23
45/30 35/29
60/40
50/25
75/35
39/25
Entry
Time
(Seconds)
Lane
Criss-
Cross
(Numbers)
ABBREVIATIONS
E : Employees
C : Contractor
D : Driver
T : Tiffin
W : Wheeler
M : Motor-Cycle
S : Scooter
Cy : Cycle
F : Foot
+ : With
- : Without
Here are the results of the Pilot Conducted?
• The time taken to process employees entering on foot and cycle with tiffin was reduced
to more half. Without tiffin, saw 33% decrease.
• All other categories saw significant decrease in processing time.

28. 28
Final Question for You
The case discussed was an award winning
intervention applied at one of RIL plants.
Can you guess the location?

29. 29
Critical Thinking Tips for Leaders
Manage ambiguity
you need to get
comfortable with
operating in an
environment where
change is constant and
rapid decisions are
required.
Be aware of your
biases
Awareness of your biases
can help you avoid error
in judgement and help
you remain objective
Question
Assumptions
Do not assume. Look to
find the what and
the why behind every
proposition
Adopt different
perspectives
Look at scenarios from
different lenses.
Leverage diversity in
your team for different
insights
See potential
see opportunities where
others see obstacles. Be
creative in your problem
solving approach.

30. Thank You
30