The Universal Troubleshooting Process (2024)

Troubleshooters.Com^® Presents:

The Universal Troubleshooting Process (UTP)

Systematic Troubleshooting and Debugging

Copyright © 1996-2014 by Steve Litt

CONTENTS

• Troubleshooting: What's in it for me?
• The fastest way to learn (or teach) troubleshooting
• The 10 step Universal Troubleshooting Process
• Troubleshooting Tips and Articles
• Troubleshooting Supplies

Money, influence and reputation. Brand. Happiness and improved social and family life. Organizational success.

These are the benefits accruing to the expert Troubleshooter, or the manager whose people troubleshoot quickly and accurately.

Money

I'm not saying that if you double your troubleshooting productivityyou'll double your salary. That's not how it works unless you're oncommission. Instead, a productive Troubleshooter is seen as a capableand valuable employee, receiving more promotion opportunities, betterraises and avoiding layoffs.

Use Al and Bob as an example. Both make $50,000.00 in year1. Both are quite capable, although Bob is a much more productivetroubleshooter. Al receives a 4% raise per year, while Bob receives a6% raise per year because his troubleshooting success makes him looksmarter and more capable. At year 10, Al's salary is $71,165.59, whileBob gets $84,473.95. That's more than a $13,000.00 premium forexcellent troubleshooting. That's some pretty good money, but it doesn't take into account layoffs and promotions...

Imagine that in year 5 there's a recession. Al gets laidoff and slides back to $50,000.00 on his next job. Being able to solveproblems, Bob is promoted in the leaner and meaner organization, andreceives a 15% raise instead of his usual 6%. Before and after year 5,Al and Bob get their usual raises. In year 10, Al's salaryis $60832.65 while Bob's making $91646.26. Over $30,000 more.Over 50% more. This is the monetary power of troubleshootingproductivity.

The preceding example detailed the monetary reward for a technologist. What if you're a manager?

If your department troubleshoots effectively, they'll solve problemsquickly. You'll be considered a good manager. On the other hand, ifevery technical problem causes your crew to twist in the wind, thatwill be noticed in a different way. The effects of better raises, promotions andlayoffs are math that apply to any employee. Unless your team currentlyconsistently solves technical problems quickly and accurately, it's inyour financial best interest to make sure they learn troubleshooting.

As mentioned, monetary reward for enhanced troubleshooting productivityisn't instant -- it accrues over a career. Most of troubleshootingproductivity's other benefits are instant. Read on...

Influence

I once saw a rather new and low level employee use bottleneck analysisto determine that the main computer's bottleneck was itsprocessor. This computer served about 200 employees. One night wheneveryone was gone he borrowed a faster processor from the hardwarevendor and installed it. The next day everyone raved about thecomputer's speed and how easy it was to work with now that it was fast.Rank and file employees noticed it. Upper management noticed it andpaid for the processor immediately. A couple months later this guy waspromoted to upper management and put in charge of all softwaredevelopment, leapfrogging six people who were ahead of him.

When you use the Universal Troubleshooting Process, you know yoursuperior troubleshooting productivity is due to following a process.But to others, it looks like competence, ability, intelligence, andleadership. Your prowess is noticed. And rewarded.

Reputation

An ex client called me. A programmer had left, and his code had several bugs. Could I come back and fix it?

When I walked in the door, the network director said "Here comes thecavalry!". I was famous as a guy who could fix anything. They thought Iwas a genius, but I was just an average guy who used the UniversalTroubleshooting Process.

Brand

Troubleshooting productivity is a huge portion of your brand. Think of the last time your Internet provider let a problem go on for days or weeks because they sent out incompetents, they didn't listen to your symptom description or your observations, or each successive "technician" was unaware of the results obtained by previous technicians. Were you in the mood to recommend your Internet provider to others?

Your Internet provider gets away with poor troubleshooting because in most communities, it's the only game in town, or one of two equally bad games. You, your department, and your company probably don't have that crutch. Companies continually angering their customers go broke. Departments continuously failing to solve technical problems get outsourced. And individuals who continually and repeatedly can't troubleshoot join the unemployment line.

Brand is key in the value of any company, department, or individual. Corporations spend millions building their brand. Effective troubleshooting is low hanging fruit.

Happiness

All those with an easy job, raise your hands...

What -- nobody raised their hands? You say your job is stressful? Long hours, tight deadlines and high expectations?

As a technologist, if you consistently follow the Universal Troubleshooting Process, you'll bereplacing deep thought with easy diagnostic tests. That means much lessstress.

With process oriented troubleshooting, you'll be much less likely toconduct wandering or circular searches for a root cause, and much more likely toefficiently zero in on the root cause. That means faster work, andperhaps more importantly, more consistent and predictable times tosolution. This predictability reduces stress.

And then there's this simple fact: You're happier when you do a good job. When someone points to you and says "Here comes the cavalry", it feels great.

Bottom line, as a technologist, you're happier on the job and happier when you go home.

But what if you're a manager? Would your work life be easier if yourteam solved technical problems quickly and in a predictable manner?Would it make you happy if you could give your boss a reasonable rangefor the time to solution of a high profile problem? The manager with acrew using process oriented troubleshooting is a happy manager.

Improved Social and Family Life

The stress reduction previously mentioned carries through to your lifeoutside work. How nice it is to walk into your house and greet yourfamily knowing things are OK at work, and that you don't have to thinkabout work, even in the back of your mind. You can pay full attentionto your childrens' problems or your wife's idea for the next party.

Let's say you're single. Would your social life be better if you couldgo to a party knowing everything's OK at work? Would this make you abetter conversationalist? Would you be less likely to drink excessively in an effort to "forget yourproblems"? Wouldyou be more likely to attract a mate if you were happy and secure inyour work?

Organizational Success

Today, an employee's well being is linked to that of his orher employer. With global competition, if a company isn't the best theycan be, the company dies, and the employees are unemployed. Yourorganization's success might not make you happy, but yourorganization's failure will surely make you miserable. Enhancedtroubleshooting productivity on your part and that of your co-workersis one key to organizational success.

Besides, if you're anything like I was when I was an employee, I took pride in working for a successful company.

Troubleshooters.Com has products to help everyone quickly learneffective troubleshooting. There's no reason you can't know what youneed to know within a week or less. The learning process depends onyour situation:

• You're a technologist
• You're an automotive tech or factory maintenance person
• You're a manager needing to learn
• You're a manager whose team needs to learn
• You're a trainer

You're a technologist

1. Read Twenty Eight Tales of Troubleshooting.
2. Then, if you want the ultimate expertise, read Troubleshooting Techniques of the Successful Technologist.

Twenty Eight Tales of Troubleshootingis an easy read taking only a few days, yet it gives you most of theinformation you need to become a Troubleshooting Ninja. It's acollection of short stories, each one illustrating one or more aspectsof the Universal Troubleshooting Process. Its use of analogy makes abeliever of the reader. You'll be inspired to dive right in using theUniversal Troubleshooting Process, and your success will further yourinspiration.

The self-motivated technologist wanting the ultimate in knowledge of troubleshooting process will go on to read Troubleshooting Techniques of the Successful Technologist. I put most of my knowledge in that book, so upon reading it you'll know almost everything about troubleshooting that I know.

Another good resource for the technologist is The Manager's Guide to Technical Troubleshooting. It's almost as easy a read as Twenty Eight Tales of Troubleshooting, without using short stories, so if you don't like short stories and fiction in your technical reading, substitute The Manager's Guide to Technical Troubleshooting for Twenty Eight Tales.This book is also an excellent resource if you're trying to convinceyour boss to provide troubleshooting training for the department.

You're an automotive tech or factory maintenance person

Do exactly the same as outlined in the section on technologists. In addition, you might find the book Troubleshooting: Tools Tips and Techniques handy because it's written for someone in a shop environment. Be aware, however, that Troubleshooting: Tools Tips and Techniques defines troubleshooting as four tools rather than ten steps.

You're a manager needing to learn

Read The Manager's Guide to Technical Troubleshooting.

The Manager's Guide to Technical Troubleshootinggives you all necessary troubleshooting info to perform yourmanagement function. If part of your job description involves taking ona technologist role, see also the technologist section.

Whether or not you perform technologist function, you might benefit from Twenty Eight Tales of Troubleshooting.It's an easy read, and its use of analogies help you make apowerful case for a department or organization wide use of theUniversal Troubleshooting Process, whether talking with your boss,co-workers or those who work for you.

You're a manager whose team needs to learn

Present the Troubleshooters.Com Universal Troubleshooting Process Courseware.

You can have your trainers present this course, in which case thecourseware cost isbetween $40.00and $60.00 per attendee/handout, dependingon quantity, or you can have me(Steve Litt) teach the course onsite. Once again, you might want toread Twenty Eight Tales of Troubleshooting, whose use of analogies help you powerfully state your case.

The courseware is cost effective for 8 or more people. If you have veryfew people to train, and those people are motivated, consider havingthem self-learn using the techniques outlined in the technologists section.

You're a trainer

Let's talk, you and I, trainer to trainer. Some folks say "those whocan, do; those who can't, teach." You and I know it's quite theopposite. Doing usually isn't rocket science, teaching requires veryspecial skills.

First, we need to understand the material. That's easy.

Then we need to present the material in a memorable and understandable way. That's more difficult.

Then we have to obtain buy-in from the attendees. That can be outrageously difficult.

Theoretically, you could order the courseware, read the self-explanatory Instructor Notes along with the courseware, and then teach the class. I'd recommend you take it to the next level...

1. Read Twenty Eight Tales of Troubleshooting.
2. Then read Troubleshooting Techniques of the Successful Technologist.
3. Then read the Courseware and its Instructor Notes.
4. Then teach the Course.

Twenty Eight Tales of Troubleshootingis a lightning-quick read from which you can quickly learn UniversalTroubleshooting Process essentials. More importantly, its analogy basedarguments help you build a case for attendee buy-in.

Knowing considerably more than your students is essential. Reading Troubleshooting Techniques of the Successful Technologistgives you that knowledge. It's a dry, difficult read, but after readingit you'll be able to answer any on-topic student question.

Summary

No matter what role you play, Troubleshooters.Com has products to help you learn and teach effective troubleshooting.

1. Prepare
2. Make damage control plan
3. Get a complete and accurate symptom description
4. Reproduce the symptom
5. Do the appropriate corrective maintenance
6. Narrow it down to the root cause
7. Repair or replace the defective component
8. Test
9. Take pride in your solution
10. Prevent future occurrence of this problem

• Foundations of Troubleshooting
  • Thought Patterns of the Troubleshooting Ninja
• Logic for Troubleshooting
  • Tools and Solutions
  • Superstition, Positive Thinking and Luck
  • The Many Faces of Troubleshooting and Problem Solving
  • Litt's Process Hypothesis
  • Speculation, Guesswork and Prayer
  • Generic Problem Solving With the Universal Troubleshooting Process
• Universal Troubleshooting Process
  • Troubleshooting tips
  • Common troubleshooting myths
  • Gavin Gray
  • Team Troubleshooting
  • When the Going Gets Tough
  • Natural Born Troubleshooters
  • Do the Easy Ones First
  • Courseware FAQ
• Industry Specific Information
  • Recruiters and Consulting Firms
  • Training Firms
• Handy Troubleshooting Tactics
  • Corrective Maintenance
  • Bottleneck Analysis
  • Exploiting Perceived Similarities
  • Simplify Everything
  • Distinctions and Commonalities
  • Damage Control
  • Preventive Maintenance
  • Shotgunning
• The Attitude
  • The Attitude
  • Take Pride
  • When the Going Gets Tough
  • Troubleshooting, Luck and Superstition
  • Team Troubleshooting
  • Natural Born Troubleshooters
  • Take Pride
• Intermittents
  • About intermittents
  • Intermittents
  • My favorite Intermittent Stories
  • NASA's Intermittent
• Toolsmanship
  • Toolsmanship
  • Choosing the Right Tool

Here Are Some Other Troubleshooting Tips:

Quality Control

The quality of the solution depends on the quality put into the steps.Getting a complete and accurate symptom description, and reproducingthesymptom, assures that you fix the symptom the customer wanted you tofix.A good damage control plan ensures that you won't make anything worse.Correct general maintenance shows the customer you care about quality,and often greatly reduces costs. A correct narrowing process willreducecosts, prevent further damage, and ensure that the root cause, ratherthana peripheral symptom, is fixed. Proper repair or replacement of thedefectivecomponent prevents further damage.

Testing is like inspection in the factory. The few defects thatescapethe quality controls of the earlier steps are caught here, by showingthatthe symptom description you recorded and reproduced has beeneliminated,and that no further problems have been created. Taking pride is aperiodicmaintenance item that ensures the quality of you as a troubleshooteranda human being. Preventing further occurrence is the utmost in customerservice. The quality of the solution depends on the quality of thesteps.

Bottleneck Analysis

Use Bottleneck Analysis when the symptom can be described as "it's too (slow, fast,etc.)". Bottleneck is a special kind of Divide and Conquer (see step6). One cool and easy bottleneck analysis test is to slow downa section of the system. If that section is the bottleneck, the systemas a whole will slow down significantly. If not, it won't. The entire March1998 Troubleshooting Professional Magazine is devoted to bottleneckanalysis.

Don't skip steps

The Divide and Conquer process can be thought of as continually forcingthe problem into ever smaller boxes, until it's trapped. Some of theworsttroubleshooting debacles I've seen involved the problem escaping thebox.In other words, the troubleshooter thought he had proved it was in onearea, when it was really in another. When that happens, tests becomeinconclusiveand the troubleshooter starts to doubt himself. Whole days can bewasted.Take every precaution to avoid this -- don't skip steps.

The following troubleshooting supplies are available here:

• UTP Wall Hanger
• UTP Completion Form
• Thought Patterns of the Troubleshooting Ninja Presentation

UTP Wall Hanger

This wall hanger lists the 10 steps of the Universal TroubleshootingProcess, as well as some divide and conquer tips including thequadruple tradeoff. It also shows the Troubleshooter's Mantra andTroubleshooter's Philosophy, and URLs for Universal TroubleshootingProcess resources.

This is a PDF you can download, and print paper copies for anyone inyour company and/or friends and associates, assuming you do not makechanges to its content or appearance. You may NOT redistribute theelectronic version. Instead, give others the URL.

View or print it from here.

UTP Completion Form

This two page form provides a place for the Troubleshooter to writecompletion data for each of the 10 steps of the UniversalTroubleshooting Process. This is valuable for any Troubleshooter, andis especially vital for the Troubleshooter who has just completed theUniversal Troubleshooting Process course. It is best printed as asingle two-sided sheet, but it can also be printed on two sheets andstapled. Printing on two sheets gives more writing room for those withextended/special data to record.

This is a PDF you can download, and print paper copies foranyone in your company and/or friends and associates, assuming you donot make changes to its content or appearance. You may NOT redistributethe electronic version. Instead, give others the URL.

View or print it from here.

Thought Patterns of the Troubleshooting Ninja Presentation

This is a presentation, first given by Steve Litt at Barcamp Orlando on4/14/2012, details the fundamental thought patterns producingexceptional troubleshooting and debugging productivity.

View or print it from here.