Know the problem before you commit to the solution.
The Problem Lab helps organizations decide which problem to solve before they commit resources.
University of Waterloo experts frame and design every analysis, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) accelerates the evidence work, so you get a decision-ready answer quickly and with auditable confidence.
We work with private companies, public agencies and other organizations facing decisions that are costly to get wrong.
Expert-led, AI-enabled problem analysis
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has changed how quickly evidence can be gathered and processed. We use it to do more, faster: screening literature and documents, summarizing and pre-coding interviews, profiling data and proposing candidate explanations to test.
Our experts author the analysis. They work out what the real problem is, question working assumptions, decide which evidence matters and design the inquiry, including the historical research and failure analysis that, in our experience, practice often skips. People make every judgment: what the evidence shows, how confident to be and what it means for your decision.
Every brief includes a transparent AI-use record showing how AI was used and who verified it.
What we do
Our work is focused on one fundamental question: Are you solving the right problem?
We conduct rigorous, evidence-based problem analysis to help organizations understand what is really happening, why it is happening and what opportunities may exist for meaningful change.
Our methodology is driven by evidence, logic and advanced analysis. We look beyond visible symptoms to define the problem and its root causes.
| Concept | What it is | Question it answers |
|---|---|---|
| SYMPTOM | The visible effect that prompts action. | What are we seeing? |
| Beneath the surface: where the Problem Lab focuses | ||
| PROBLEM | The underlying condition that needs to change, framed for your context. | What should we actually solve? |
| ROOT CAUSE | The direct and indirect factors that produce and sustain the problem. | Why is it happening? |
The result is a decision-ready brief: which problem to solve, which explanations hold up, what evidence is missing and what to test before you commit.
Research services
The Problem Analysis Brief (PAB)
Our flagship service is the Problem Analysis Brief: an expert-led, AI-enabled analysis of a problem you must act on.
Before you commit resources, it shows which problem to solve, which explanations hold up and what evidence is missing.
When to commission a PAB
- Before a major investment, procurement or policy change that is hard to reverse
- When a problem persists despite previous fixes
- When stakeholders disagree about what the problem is
- When you need an independent check on proposed solutions from vendors, consultants or internal teams
What you receive:
Your decision question answered on page one.
Rival explanations, including your own working assumptions, are weighed against the evidence.
What drives the problem, its history and why past fixes fell short.
What the findings mean for the options you are considering. You decide.
Focused tests, each with an owner and a decision trigger, to resolve what remains uncertain.
How ready the evidence is to support your decision, rated on several dimensions.
Concise and decision-ready: 6–10 pages, plus an evidence appendix and a transparent AI-use record. You also receive regular progress briefings during the work and a debrief at delivery.
An illustrative sample PAB is available on request.
Decisions a PAB can inform
Illustrative examples of a Problem Analysis Brief include:
Manufacturer:
The company plans a new planning system to fix late deliveries. A PAB tests whether the system, suppliers or order changes drive the delays before anyone signs.
IT service provider:
A new cybersecurity tool performs well, but sales fall short. A PAB tests which obstacles are holding sales back.
Government agency:
An agency plans to hire staff to clear a backlog. A PAB tests whether capacity, demand peaks or rework drives it, and which test to run first.
Working together: what we guarantee and what we ask
We guarantee a rigorous process, not a predetermined conclusion.
The analysis follows the evidence. It may reach areas neither of us expected or challenge current practice. That is the value of an independent view, and you make the final judgment.
To make this work, we ask for:
- A senior executive sponsor. For higher-stakes engagements, a senior executive with authority over the decision joins your team, so findings reach the people who can act on them.
- Regular progress briefings. Both teams attend, on a schedule agreed at the start, so nothing in the final brief comes as a surprise.
- Timely access to the agreed data and people.
- Factual review before release. You correct matters of fact; the findings remain independent.
After the brief, we can provide follow-on validation and analytical support and, where appropriate, refer you to partners who can help develop and test solutions.
Training and workshops
Organizations can also engage the Problem Lab to build internal problem-analysis capabilities.
Our training and workshops introduce teams to the principles and practice of problem analysis and help them develop the skills to:
- Identify, define, and frame important problems
- Distinguish problems from symptoms
- Investigate causes and effects
- Analyze complex problems systematically
- Evaluate previous attempts at solutions
- Challenge assumptions and avoid premature solutions
- Use evidence-based insights to inform innovations
- Apply problem-analysis methods to real organizational challenges
Sessions can be customized for corporate teams, organizations, students (including co-op students) and other groups. They can also be delivered as a workshop, team session or other tailored engagement.
Step 1:
Identify the problem
Agree on the decision question, scope and briefing schedule with your sponsor.
Step 2:
Investigate evidence
Experts design the inquiry, including history and past solution attempts. AI accelerates evidence gathering, and we verify every AI output used in a finding.
Step 3:
Analyze causes and context
Examine direct and indirect causes and test rival explanations against the evidence.
Step 4:
Challenge assumptions
University of Waterloo faculty experts challenge the framing and the leading explanation before release.
Step 5:
Generate insights
Deliver your PAB: a clear answer, options against the evidence, a Decision-Readiness Profile and the tests to run next.
Step 6:
Support solution development
Continued analytical support or referrals to partners who can help develop solutions.
Collaborative throughout: regular progress briefings with your team at every stage.
Why work with the Problem Lab?
- Independent: we follow the evidence, not a preferred solution.
- Waterloo expertise: faculty experts and trained Problem Analysis Associates matched to your problem.
- Expert-led, AI-enabled: experts frame the problem and design the inquiry; AI speeds the work; people make every call.
- Built around your decision: framed for your context, objectives and constraints.
- Transparent: every material finding traced to its evidence, and AI use is disclosed in every brief.
Who we work with
We have worked with both private companies and public agencies on a range of complex problems. Our work can support organizations that are:
- Exploring a new opportunity
- Facing a persistent or complex challenge
- Considering a major change or innovation
- Unsure whether they have identified the right problem
- Looking to understand why previous approaches have not worked
- Preparing to invest in a new solution
- Seeking an independent analysis before moving forward
- Looking to strengthen their internal problem-solving capabilities
"Taking a wider view allows us to bring tangible value to collaborative legal innovation projects. Waterloo's Problem Lab, its co-op leadership, and its students are valued partners in our success."
-Sanjay Khanna, Director and Futurist of Whitespace Legal Collab
Questions? Connect with us!
Frequently asked questions
Problem analysis is the systematic investigation of a problem to understand its nature, context, causes, effects and history before attempting to develop a solution.
The goal is to ensure that an organization is addressing the right problem, rather than simply responding to its most visible symptoms.
Why is problem analysis important?
Organizations can spend significant resources developing solutions to problems that have been incorrectly defined or insufficiently understood.
A rigorous problem analysis provides the evidence and understanding needed to make better decisions about what should be addressed and how.
How long does a problem analysis take?
The timeline depends on the complexity and scope of the problem, the research required and the objectives of the engagement.
We work with each organization to establish an appropriate scope and timeline
Can the Problem Lab help develop the solution?
The Problem Lab's primary role is to ensure that the problem is properly understood and analyzed.
Following the analysis, we can provide continued analytical support and, where appropriate, refer organizations to partners who may be able to help generate and test solutions.
How does the Problem Lab use AI?
AI accelerates the evidence work within an inquiry our experts design: screening sources, summarizing interviews, profiling data and proposing candidate explanations. Named team members verify every AI output used in a finding and make every judgment. Each PAB discloses how AI was used.
What does a PAB cost?
Fees reflect scope, complexity, risk and research required. We confirm the fee in a proposal after an initial conversation.
How does the Problem Lab's research process work?
The research process is tailored to the problem and organization. Generally, it follows the six steps shown in our approach above.
We work collaboratively with clients throughout the process and incorporate feedback as our understanding develops.
What is the final deliverable?
A Problem Analysis Brief: a 6–10 page, decision-ready analysis with an evidence appendix and a transparent AI-use record. You also receive progress briefings during the work and a debrief at delivery. Depending on the engagement, we can add presentations or follow-on support.
Can you train our team instead of conducting the research for us?
Yes. The Problem Lab offers workshops and training designed to help organizations develop their own problem-analysis capabilities.
Who can work with the Problem Lab?
We work with private companies, public agencies and other organizations facing problems where a rigorous, independent analysis could provide value.
Will the analysis confirm our preferred solution?
We guarantee a rigorous process, not a predetermined conclusion. The findings may confirm or challenge your current plans; you make the final decision.