Process improvement vs problem solving: which statement is correct?

• A. Process improvement focuses on making existing processes more efficient and effective; problem solving addresses a specific issue.
• B. Process improvement always involves a complete rewrite of the system.
• C. Problem solving is unrelated to performance gaps.
• D. Process improvement targets only product features.

Answer: (A)

Process improvement focuses on enhancing how work flows across existing processes to make them more efficient and effective, taking a holistic, ongoing view of the system. Problem solving, by contrast, targets a specific issue, diagnosing its root cause and implementing a fix to close a performance gap. The statement is correct because it cleanly separates the broader, continuous effort to optimize processes from the targeted effort to resolve a particular problem.

The other ideas don’t fit: a complete rewrite is not a required or universal part of process improvement; problem solving is inherently about addressing performance gaps, not avoiding them; and process improvement isn’t limited to product features but involves improving the underlying processes and operations.