Understanding business problems

Part overview

In Part 1, you’ll build a strong foundation in understanding real-world business challenges and begin applying core consulting techniques. Through a series of modules, you will explore how organisations define problems, drill into root causes, and frame strategic insights using tried-and-tested frameworks.

You’ll also begin experimenting with AI tools responsibly—completing guided exercises, watching expert videos, and reflecting on how to integrate prompt engineering into your consulting process.

Learning objectives

By the end of this part, you should be able to:

• Explain what constitutes a “business problem” and how it manifests in organisational contexts
• Apply the “5 Whys” method to dissect issues and uncover underlying causes
• Conduct Root Cause Analysis (RCA) to move beyond surface symptoms
• Use SWOT analysis to map strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats
• Integrate multiple frameworks to approach a complex scenario and propose structured insights
• Reflect critically on how AI and prompt engineering can support (but not replace) your analytical thinking

Part deliverables

This part, you will submit or complete:

• A short case scenario exercise applying 5 Whys, RCA, and SWOT to a business challenge
• Your individual reflection on how frameworks and AI tools influenced your thinking
• A knowledge-check quiz to test your understanding of key concepts
• (Optional) An AI-literacy quiz module to validate your confidence in prompt engineering