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A Simple Solution, for A Complex Problem!

A lady bought some bathing soaps from a shop. When she opened one of the packets, she found that it was empty. There was no soap in there; it was just an empty wrapper! She lodged a complaint against the manufacturer and got her claim.

That being settled, there was a task before the management of the soap factory. How had this happened? How could they ensure that the incident did not occur again? They had suffered enough bad publicity besides having to pay the compensation to the lady.

After a detailed investigation, it was discovered, that during the process of wrapping, it so happened that inevitably, one or two wrappers did get through, having no bar of soap in them! There was no way to make out the difference between a full wrapper and an empty one.

The process of handling each one separately for this purpose seemed to be very cumbersome. So, the technical head was given the job of devising a method to overcome the problem. The man prepared……a detailed report and proposed the setting up of a computer based system that would weigh and scan each bar, for the empty packs would not get detected by a normal x-ray machine. He proposed an expenditure of a large amount to put this system into place.

The management heard him out and passed the order to release the funds and to buy the machinery that he had proposed. An uneducated worker said, Excuse me Sir, for my impertinence, but I have a solution that shall cost a fraction of what you are planning to go in for.

The management hesitated initially. But eventually they heard him out and agreed to try out his proposal. The next day, the worker brought a strong industrial fan. He put it at an angle near the conveyor belt on which the packed soap bars were coming through and switched it on. The few empty wrappers that came through got blown off by the fan! The rest of them went past easily.

Dear Readers, please suggest a Moral for the Story!!

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33 Responses to A Simple Solution, for A Complex Problem!

  1. Siti Faridah October 15, 2017 at 4:34 AM #

    SOLUTION

    SImple
    Objective
    Leads
    U (you)
    To
    Incredible
    Organisation
    Networking.

  2. Reality Momoh September 25, 2017 at 1:31 PM #

    Wisdom from ABOVE is superior in ALL areas. And God chooses where, when and how best it will e implemented. God’s deposit of wisdom can be on any man; literate or otherwise.

  3. Akuzamus MG September 24, 2017 at 11:26 PM #

    Education without experience is still schooling.

  4. Syed A K November 25, 2012 at 5:16 AM #

    Our belowed Prophet Muhammad SAW was a Ummi Nabi (not educated to read or write) but his knowledge and teachings….incomparable !!!.

  5. khalid November 17, 2012 at 1:08 AM #

    simple one can give simple but useful ,and cost-less ideas

  6. khalid November 17, 2012 at 1:06 AM #

    Each mind has an idea

  7. plug adapter November 16, 2012 at 9:52 AM #

    Thanks for this response here.

  8. plug adapter November 16, 2012 at 9:50 AM #

    Started to disappointing here

  9. R G Daway November 8, 2012 at 7:34 PM #

    Can the retailer sell an Empty wrapper??
    or take it if it reaches a Super store> is it possible for the super store employee to stack it with other Soaps?? and last one but not the least>>can a customer pick up an empty wrapper and does not know its an empty case at both a retail counter and in super store??
    The real story belongs to a very popular brand of tooth paste manufacturing unit…where by national sales managers team had two days of brainstorming to improve its sales, and on third morning the security guard could dared to ask one of the brain stormer, exactly whats going on in the meeting and reluctantly the officer told him… though its not your subject, but we are on so and so project, instantly the guard replies Sir its very simple… just increase the size of the hole in tooth paste tube and usage will be more and that will give us more sale… In one voice the idea was accepted and the guard was promoted and inducted in the company’s Sales team.

  10. Rafiq Ahmed November 8, 2012 at 1:55 PM #

    Difference between “Education” and “Experience”

    • Ali - Admin November 8, 2012 at 3:44 PM #

      good.

  11. Sami November 7, 2012 at 7:43 AM #

    Don’t under-estimate other’s thoughts. Simple people depend on their costless experience and proved to be effective.

  12. sharif123 November 6, 2012 at 11:36 PM #

    Thinking out of box

  13. Iqbal November 6, 2012 at 9:17 PM #

    Simple and effective

  14. Maiyaki November 6, 2012 at 4:51 PM #

    Education stands by itself and intelligence too by itself. Knowledge has no particular abode. Decision taking in organizations should include representations from all cadres.

    • Ali - Admin November 8, 2012 at 3:44 PM #

      philosophical yet practical.
      Are you a manager Maiyaki?

  15. Yakubu Sarki November 6, 2012 at 2:30 PM #

    That one is educated is different from being intelligent yet the two put together wouldn’t give wisdom.

  16. sk ashif November 6, 2012 at 1:54 PM #

    excellent!

  17. Iftikhar Ahmad November 6, 2012 at 1:36 PM #

    Its all common sense and can easily be found in commoners. Specialists have a habit of finding solution within the domain of their expertise only and lack will to leave it coz it gives them profit.

    • Ali - Admin November 8, 2012 at 3:45 PM #

      hahaha. Good point Iftikhar.

  18. walid November 6, 2012 at 1:05 PM #

    This story reflects the beauty of including different category of people in collective decisions.
    Great ideas do not always come from high ranked people. Low grade people surprise you with their simple solutions to big problems.
    I personally experienced a lot of brilliant ideas that came from people at the bottom of the hierarchy of the companies I managed. They were highly commanded and handsomely compensated.

    • Khan November 6, 2012 at 2:11 PM #

      Excellent! Appreciate your thoughts Mr. Walid. Keep it up.

  19. Fatma Kaddah November 6, 2012 at 1:05 PM #

    One should not weight persons according to their job descriptions but it should be according to their thinkings

  20. iqbal Chaudhry November 6, 2012 at 1:03 PM #

    It is important to listen t all levels in organization

    • Ali - Admin November 8, 2012 at 3:46 PM #

      yup

  21. Fatma Kaddah November 6, 2012 at 1:02 PM #

    A moral could be suggested out of this story, it gives me a likening of a human soul that is already full of morals and ethics, it will not be deviated away whatever the external forces were trying to deviate it. This is contrast to an empty soul that surely will be out of the way even when exposed to the littlest and non deserving temptations.

  22. Syed Ali November 6, 2012 at 12:52 PM #

    Don’t under estimate any one because of his designation

    • Ali - Admin November 8, 2012 at 3:46 PM #

      Rightly said.

  23. Shareen November 6, 2012 at 11:52 AM #

    I heard the same story around 4 years back from my manager, he mentioned give a cost effective solution, same time need to create ‘Wow’ factor in the management.

  24. PRAKASH H,S, November 6, 2012 at 11:50 AM #

    SIMPLE SOLUTION&INNOVATIVE THINKING

  25. yusuf November 6, 2012 at 11:38 AM #

    Success in simplicity

  26. Saadat June 9, 2010 at 5:33 PM #

    Very intelligent worker not like my bosses.

    • Ali - Admin November 8, 2012 at 3:46 PM #

      lol