Problem Formulation

Situation Analysis (SA):

• Timing

• Trend

• Impact

- Determining what is known

- Which tasks should be performed

- What order tasks should be completed

Knowns:

• Product designed to monitor energy consumption in real-time and provide insights to users for energy optimization

Unknowns:

• Specific technical challenges that will arise during real-time data collection/transmission

• Feedback of end-users with user interface and AI-generated insights

• Potential issues regarding data privacy, security and its regulations

Tasks should be performed (In order)

1. Define subproblems and root cause

2. Stakeholder engagement

3. Problem Prioritization

4. Corrective Action Planning for Problems

5. Development of Solutions

6. Technical Troubleshooting and Debugging

7. Data Transmission Protocol Verifications

8. Implementing Corrective Actions

9. Testing and Validation

10. Beta-Testing & User Feedback Collection

11. Documentation and Reporting

12. Prevention Measures for Newly Realized Issues

13. Iteration and Improvement

Problem Analysis(PA):

• Identity

• Location

• Timing

• Magnitude

- Determine cause of problem or subproblem

Problem for customers is being able to keep track of their ever-increasing energy expenditure as new energy-consuming products currently arise and are available for homeowners to purchase i.e.. dehumidifiers, portable air conditioners, humidifiers, air purifiers, etc.

As millions of homeowners everywhere struggle to pay off utility bills, they need a product to better manage their energy costs and protect their livelihood. 

WHAT?

Observations:

• Competing products successfully collects and transmits energy consumption data

• Group of users interested in understanding and reducing their energy usage

NOT Observed:

• Major technical failures or data inaccuracies within initial product testing

• Detailed user feedback and behavior post product launch

Constraints:

• Technical Limitations

• Budget Constraints

• Compliance with data privacy and safety regulations

NOT Constraints:

• Lack of interest from potential users

• Subscriptions for 3rd Party Sources

What is Important?

• Accurate real-time energy monitoring

• Useful AI insights and recommendations

• Presentation of end-user's data history and analysis

• Data security

What is NOT Important?

• General cosmetics to user interface

• Color of energy monitoring device

Goals/Objectives?

• Provide users with real-time, accurate energy consumption data

• Implement AI generated insights to save end-user money and optimize their energy usage

• Create secure framework for end-user's data

WHEN?

When did the problem occur?

• Electricity bills are heavily affected in households where products may be running constantly and are difficult to monitor

When did the problem NOT occur?

• When electricity was more affordable and less IoT devices consumed electricity

When must the solution be implemented?

• Technical issues need to be resolved before product launch

When is the solution NOT needed?

• If end-user does not have many electrical devices to keep track of and monitor

When did changes occur?

• Updates to data privacy and safety regulations as well as AI advancements

When did changes NOT occur?

• General breaker design and methods in monitoring its energy

When were instruments calibrated?

• Sensors during the manufacturing process

When were instruments NOT calibrated?

• Calibration will not be done by the end-user

WHO?

Who can provide more information?

• Product engineers/developers

• Specialists in power engineering field

• Faculty advisors

• Entrepreneurs

• End-user feedback

Who can NOT provide information?

• Unrelated industry experts

• Users who have not interacted with product

Who is the customer?

• Individuals and households looking to monitor and optimize their energy consumption

Who is NOT the customer?

• Certain commercial or industrial consumers

  • e.g., Supermarkets may not have enough options in optimizing their energy to purchase product

Who performed (each) task?

• Product design and development by engineering team

• Future user testing and feedback collection by beta testers

Who did NOT perform (each) task?

• Users not interacting with product

• Potential marketing teams/advertisements for product does not interact with product itself

Who is the source of information?

• End-user data and feedback

• Technical documentation and logs of engineering team

Who is NOT the source of information?

• Competitors' confidential data

• Unrelated industry reports 

WHERE?

Where did the problem occur?

• Households that cannot properly manage their energy consumption 

Where did the problem NOT occur?

• Companies/Industrial facilities that require majority of hardware that consumes energy to be running at all times

Where are input sources located?

• Energy consumption data collected from breakers

Where are input sources NOT located?

• Data not collected from unrelated devices or sources that is not the breaker itself

Where is equipment located?

• Product hardware installed in end-user's home

Where is equipment NOT located?

• Product typically does not exist in commercial or industrial settings

Where are products shipped?

• Products shipped to customers' addresses

Where are products not shipped?

• Product not shipped to overseas markets where not yet available

Where is customer located?

• Customers located in regions where product is currently marketed and sold for where shipping costs are manageable and technicians are in the area

Where is customer NOT located?

• Customers are not located in regions where product is not yet available

WHY?

Why is problem important?

• Accurate data is crucial for providing meaningful energy consumption insights

• Ease of use and effectiveness will put our product over competitors.

Why is problem NOT important?

• Households can opt to just pay the extra energy consumption rather than get a product to save money

• Customers may be lazy in installing and using product

Why does solution work?

• Solution offers better product to help end-users save money effectively as well as remind households to be more frugal in consuming energy

Why does solution NOT work?

• Customers with less electrical devices can opt to be actively more frugal in their energy consumption

HOW?

How is the problem related to other problems?

• Technical problems are linked throughout the entire system architecture and can have many causes

How is the problem NOT related to other problems?

• Energy consumption is a very broad problem without many relatives that are not different type of utility bills

• Technical problems with the product itself may be a bottleneck and not affect other components of the system when fixed

How can a task be performed?

• Installing device and calibrating it properly to end-user's home

How can a task NOT be performed

• Product is too expensive for end-user 

• Too many faulty parts stopping product from working

How did the problem develop?

• Problem developed as more energy-consuming devices were created for household customers

How did the problem NOT develop?

• Potential customers forgetting how to save on electricity expenditure

Decision Analysis (DA):

- Determine actions needed to correct subproblem and/or cause of current subproblem

Potential Subproblem: Technical issues

• Consult faculty advisor or superiors with specialty knowledge in technical issues that are of higher severity

Potential Problem Analysis (PPA):

- Determine actions needed to prevent any recurrences of subproblem and/or development of new problems

• Consult and gather beta-testers to use product pre-launch and rigorously check product for defects and possible vulnerabilities