2.1.1. Definition

Problem Scoping means understanding the problem you want to solve and defining its boundaries clearly.

Problem Scoping is the first step in the AI Project Cycle, and it focuses on identifying and understanding the specific problem your AI solution aims to address. This involves recognizing the nuances of the problem and the limitations or constraints that come with it. By defining these boundaries, teams can tailor their AI projects more effectively to meet actual needs and expectations.

Imagine trying to create a new app to help with traffic issues in a busy city. If you merely say your problem is 'traffic', you're too broad. Problem Scoping helps clarify whether you're focusing on rush hour congestion, delivery vehicle routing, or perhaps optimizing traffic lights. This clarity directs the development process and ensures the app solves a specific issue.

Steps in Problem Scoping: • Understand the Problem: What exactly are you trying to solve? Example: Traffic congestion, customer complaints, product recommendations. • Define the Goal: What do you want the AI system to do? Classify, predict, recommend? • Identify Stakeholders: Who will benefit from the solution? (e.g., customers, employees, society) • Create a Problem Statement: A brief, clear sentence summarizing the issue and the intended AI solution.

Problem Scoping involves a series of steps that lead to a comprehensive understanding of what needs to be addressed:

1. Understand the Problem: Identify the core issue. For instance, if complaints arise from long wait times at a restaurant, your focus is on that behavior rather than unrelated issues.
2. Define the Goal: Specify what you need the AI to accomplish, such as predicting wait times or suggesting off-peak hours to customers.
3. Identify Stakeholders: List who would benefit from your project, such as the restaurant staff, customers, or even the management.
4. Create a Problem Statement: Condense everything into a clear sentence that outlines the problem and hints at the AI's role in solving it.

Let's say you're designing a tool to help people choose what to wear based on the weather. You'd first understand the problem of poor outfit choices on rainy days. Your goal might be to predict appropriate clothing suggestions. Next, stakeholders include users who want to stay comfortable and retailers interested in fashion sales. Finally, a problem statement could be: 'Many individuals find it challenging to choose suitable outfits in unpredictable weather, leading to discomfort and dissatisfaction.'

Tools Used: • SWOT Analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) • 4Ws Canvas (What, Why, Where, Who)

In Problem Scoping, various tools assist teams in comprehensively analyzing the project environment:

1. SWOT Analysis: This tool helps evaluate the project's internal strengths and weaknesses while also considering external opportunities and threats. For example, a team might discover that while they have strong technical capabilities (strength), they may lack enough data (weakness) to train their AI effectively.
2. 4Ws Canvas: It's a simple tool structured around four key questions: What are we solving? Why is this important? Where will it be applied? Who will benefit? This canvas aids team discussions and decisions, ensuring all areas of relevance are covered.

Consider a startup looking to launch a new ride-sharing app. Using a SWOT analysis, they recognize their technology as a strength, fierce competition as a threat, potential market gaps for safety features as an opportunity, and limited funding as a weakness. Meanwhile, the 4Ws Canvas helps them articulate: What? (A safe ride option), Why? (to address safety concerns), Where? (urban centers with high demand), Who? (commuters and late-night workers).

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