Solving the Right Problem

One of the hardest things to do it solve the right problem at the right time. 

When investigating a problem you may end up looking at a wide variety of possible solutions.  Some of these solutions are quick fixes while others require a fair amount of effort to implement.  The question is, which one do you propose?

For a crisis, the quick fix is usually the right choice.  Things need to be resolved quickly and the best solution may not be able to solve the problem fast enough.  As a result the quick fix is usually chosen for Production emergencies and rushed through into Production.  Quick fixes are not meant to be permanent solutions, but in many cases they end up being permanent for a variety of reasons.

In less crisis oriented situations, however, the best solution may actually be the resolution of a deeper, more convoluted problem that is actually the root cause of the issue.  Unfortunately, resolving the root cause of a problem may actually be a problem in and of itself.  There may be significant effort and money that needs to be spent in order to resolve the issue in the manner that it should.  Sometimes the problem is so fundamental to the application that it almost appears that you have to re-write the application to make it work as desired.  If this is the case, is this what you should propose?

As with many things in life, it comes down to a business case:  is the cost of implementing the solution less than the cost of living with the quick fix?  If this were strictly a matter of dollars and cents then the answer would be know right away.  Unfortunately the cost of living with the problem is not easily quantifiable.  How do you measure consumer lack of confidence in terms of cost?  How do you measure consumer satisfaction in terms of cost?  in many cases only the business area affected can even hope to determine the cost.  It is our job to present the facts as we know them, the costs as we know them, and let the business decide the ultimate cost.