No matter what your position title is, solving problems is likely part of your job description. From project managers to IT team leads to administrative agents at government organizations, we all have to address issues that threaten to derail our objectives.
One of the best ways to achieve success is to have a process in place to identify and respond to potential risks. Many business owners and managers choose problem statements as an effective option. These tools highlight existing problems, offer context, and are designed to generate discussion for solutions.
Here, we’ll explain what problem statement templates do and discuss when to use them. Plus, we’ll show you what to look for when choosing one and share 10 free problem statement templates to use in and Word. 👀
What is a Problem Statement Template?
A problem statement is a project management tool that describes an existing issue that needs to be solved. It explains the current status, lays out a desired solution, and analyzes the scope of the process required to reach the end goal.
It’s a process tool that encourages creativity when developing potential solutions to issues, rather than highlighting a specific solution.
A problem statement template makes it easier to compile the necessary information and present it to relevant team members. That way everyone on the project knows the goal and can play a part in creating a road map to solve the problem. 💡
Here are four key elements of a problem statement:
- Current status: Briefly explain the current problem as succinctly as possible and outline a statement of work blueprint
- Ideal goal: What would the situation look like without the existing problem? Describe what your end goal is in finding a viable solution
- The reason it matters: Analyze how the problem affects different team members and the company goals. Also, determine the consequences of not addressing the problem
- Proposal: A problem statement doesn’t have to list solutions. Instead, focus on providing context for research so the team can develop answers creatively
What Makes a Good Problem Statement Template?
Not all problem statement templates are created equal. You want to choose one that briefly explains the problem, highlights the end goal, and offers room for creative discussion.
A good problem statement template will:
- Start with a goal: Give your team an objective to aim for. Highlight multiple outcomes and provide context for what an ideal solution will be using an effective problem statement template
- Explain the specific problem and current state: A good problem-solving template will highlight how the issue prevents you from reaching the stated objective
- Identify knowledge gaps: You can’t find a solution if you don’t have all the relevant data. Use the template to describe what information you’re missing and what data you need to come up with possible solutions
- Avoid proposing a specific solution: The goal here is to generate ideas and creative discussion. There’s more than one solution to a problem, so instead of laying out one solution, offer a framework for coming up with answers and ideas
10 Problem Statement Templates to Use in 2024
Problem statements take time to draft, especially if you’re using them repeatedly as part of your workflows. To cut down on time creating these useful documents, turn to problem statement templates.
These handy tools make it easy to outline the problem and turn it into actionable insights while getting input from your team.
Ready to start improving your processes? We’ve gathered 10 of the best problem statement templates to streamline how you respond and adapt to issues. From incident reports and remediation plans to addressing customer problems, you’ll find what you need to address issues that matter at your company.
Here are the best problem statement templates to use whether you work in IT for the government, run a small product agency, or head human resources at a midsize firm. 🛠️
1. Customer Problem Statement Template
Use ’s Customer Problem Statement Template to identify common customer issues to develop products and services that better address you customer’s perspective and needs. Fill in the customer profile section to keep track of different audience needs.
Next, break down what that type of customer wants, and what roadblocks prevent them from their goals during the customer journey. Be sure to give context on why those pain points are present—as well as a proposed solution.
Create new pages for each problem and share each one with the relevant team members. Generate tasks to break down the teamwork based on department, and use the different views to keep the team on schedule and monitor results across problem statements. ✅
2. Root Cause Analysis Template
Before you can lay out a road map to success, you need to anticipate the root cause of a problem. Create a concise problem statement and improve your decision-making process by using the Root Cause Analysis Template from .
This problem statement template breaks the bigger problem down into a list of issues, making them easier to assign to various team members. It’s an effective tool for predicting issues and laying the groundwork to prevent them from derailing a project.
Use the nine custom fields to draft problem statement examples and tasks for the team to tackle. Add priority to the most pressing issues, and hop into the Needs Action view to see what’s in progress and to track issues that still need to be addressed.
3. After Action Report Template
Whether you’re midway through a long project or one has just wrapped, you need to assess the process and make adjustments for the future. The After Action Report Template from is useful in determining what went well, deciding what needs improvement, and generating new workflows to streamline the process.
This simple one-page template highlights project participants, the basics of the project, the project scope, and results based on project data.
Incorporate this template into your workflows as part of a review step. The template is an excellent tool when preparing for employee reviews since it lists the actions they took and documents the overall team workflow. Use this tool to evaluate how well your workflows performed and if anything broke down during the process.
The After Action Report Template also helps you celebrate team success. While it’s easy to focus on what went wrong, this template highlights things that went well and team members that performed.
You can emphasize areas where employees avoided budget issues, overcame resource management issues, and adjusted their workflows to keep the project on track. 🌻
4. Report Work Incident Template
One of the biggest project management challenges is managing safety and correctly recording workplace incidents. With ’s Report Work Incident Template, you can gather incident reports and compile mitigation procedures in one easy-to-access space.
In the task card, collect information about a specific incident, and choose from 13 custom fields—including basics like the date of the incident, parties involved, and location. If the local authorities were involved, you can add information on officer contact information and police report filing details.
In addition to recording the pertinent information, you can suggest a corrective action to improve the processes and prevent a repeat incident.
This template also features seven different view types, so you can get the information you need at a glance. For example, the Incident Report Summary view is excellent for getting a quick overview of what occurred.
The Progress Board and Reports views keep you on top of solutions and how things are getting worked out.
5. Incident Response Report Template
With the Incident Response Report Template from , it’s easier than ever to identify threats, draft steps to address the risk, and develop insights from the incident response process. The template includes a simple step-by-step approach to creating an incident report, including sections for risks, next steps, containment, eradication, recovery, and lessons learned.
With this template, report existing incidents, track proposed solutions, and gather intel so that you can adjust your procedures to better address future incidents. Plus, with its five custom fields, you can easily track supporting documents and keep an audit trail of who created, approved, or reviewed an incident report.
The documentation is also invaluable when responding to legal issues. 👩🏿⚖️
6. IT Incident Report Template
Whether you work in product management or lead an IT team, you know how important it is to stay on top of risks. With ’s IT Incident Report Template, you can easily track bugs and software issues that affect the performance of your IT system.
The 14 custom fields offer a high degree of personalization. That means that you can truly leverage this template to meet your specific company needs.
When using this template, get insight into the IT threat by filling out the basics of the problem, including affected software systems, platforms, and build versions. Next, highlight the severity of each incident and explain the reasons for the incident as well as the impact.
Finally, lay out a path for solutions, and use the data gathered to inform your incident management process.
7. Fault Tree Analysis Template
Fault Tree Analysis (FTA) is a powerful tool for understanding the causes of potential problems and eliminating them. FTA helps you visualize the relationships between causes and effects, so that you can identify the root cause of any problem in your system.
’s Fault Tree Analysis Template is designed to help you quickly and easily identify, analyze, and eliminate risk factors from your organization or project. With this template, you can:
- Visualize events as trees to spot how they’re connected
- Analyze data to uncover the root cause of problems
- Eliminate risk factors that could lead to adverse outcomes
With ’s Fault Tree Analysis Template, you can save time analyzing problems and get back to what matters—working on solutions!
8. Word Problem Solving Template by Template.net
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This Word Problem Solving Template is perfect for organizing and addressing challenges in a clear and structured way. Compatible with MS Word, Google Docs, and Apple Pages, it provides a streamlined format to outline the problem, explore potential solutions, and evaluate risks.
Use this template to collaborate with your team as you break down complex issues and explore innovative solutions. It encourages a methodical approach to problem-solving, ensuring each team member’s perspective is considered as you work together toward the best outcome. 🚀
9. Word Problem Statement Template by Sample.net
Problem statements are a great way to generate new ideas, support a creative-thinking process, and get buy-in from various team members in different departments.
This Problem Statement Template from Sample.Net is compatible with MS Word, Google Docs, and Powerpoint. It features a one-page layout explaining the existing problem, a description of the issue, risks, and ideas for solutions.
Use this template to design thinking processes and creatively brainstorm solutions with your team. Each person can share their specific point of view as you work together to develop solutions to the issue and hand. 🏆
10. Google Docs Research Problem Solving Template by Template.net
This simple Research Problem Statement Template makes it easy to draft a quick breakdown of an existing issue and offers support for coming up with solutions. It’s available as a Google Doc, Apple Pages, or MS Word file.
Save time formatting and use this template to quickly fill out the sections for the description, risks, and solution for your problem statement examples.
The template features branding customization in such a way that you can add a company logo and contact information if you’re sharing this document with an outside agency that’s supporting your resolution process. Change the color scheme and font style to match other company documentation and to meet branding standards.
Solve Problems Fast and Effectively With Problem Solving Templates
With these problem statement templates, you’re well on your way to being a more effective leader and employee. From reporting incidents and tracking IT issues to generating discussions on how to solve common customer problems, these templates are sure to make your work life easier.
Try today to create a problem statement that propels your business forward and builds the basis for better products and services. Browse hundreds of free templates to improve your project management style, assist with incident reporting and track performance on all of your objectives. ✨
Everything you need to stay organized and get work done.
