Fix It Once: Building Solutions That Stay Fixed

Designing For Scale: Strengthen Systems and Processes 

Build the Roadmap & Prioritize

Article 8 · By Colleen Liebson · June 15, 2026

Every COO has experienced it. A problem gets fixed, a new process is rolled

out, and everyone agrees on the solution. For a few weeks, things improve.

Then the issue resurfaces. The same complaint appears, the same bottleneck

slows the work, or the same workaround finds its way back into the process. Someone

inevitably asks, “I thought we fixed that.”

The reality is that many organizations don’t struggle because they fail to solve problems.

They struggle because the solutions they implement aren’t designed to hold up under real

operating conditions.

When you build a solid process, clarify ownership, and establish accountability, you create

something self-sustaining. Well-designed leading indicators help teams identify issues

early, while lagging indicators confirm whether improvements are producing the intended

results. Together, they create a system that catches problems before they become crises.

That’s what sustainable scaling looks like.

Recurring problems are silent growth killers. They consume time, frustrate employees,

create unnecessary work, and keep leadership focused on yesterday’s issues instead of

tomorrow’s opportunities. Left unchecked, they quietly erode capacity and slow

momentum.

The temporary fix loops back on itself; the sustainable path moves forward to a fix that actually holds.

Stop the Patchwork

When teams are under pressure, it’s natural to patch problems to keep work moving. But

short-term workarounds have a way of becoming permanent. Over time, they clog

workflows, increase variability, and hide deeper issues within the organization.

A temporary fix may buy time today, but it often creates larger problems tomorrow. What

begins as a reasonable exception can quickly become part of the process itself.

Find the Root Cause

Every recurring issue has a story. In many cases, the recurring issue isn’t actually the

problem — it’s a symptom of something deeper in the system. The missed deadline,

customer complaint, rework, or backlog is often the visible result of unclear ownership,

inconsistent processes, poor handoffs, conflicting priorities, or technology that no longer

supports the way the business operates.

Instead of treating symptoms, leaders must ensure their teams are equipped and expected

to dig deeper. Whether the issue stems from a broken handoff, unclear decision rights,

inconsistent inputs, or a system gap that forces manual rework, lasting improvement only

happens when the true cause is identified and addressed.

Many recurring problems exist at cross-functional seams where accountability becomes

unclear. By ensuring root cause analysis occurs at the appropriate level, with clear

ownership and collaboration across functions, organizations create solutions that are far

more likely to stick.

Build the Fix into the Process

A great solution should not depend on heroics. The fix should be built directly into the

workflow so it happens consistently and automatically. This may mean updating a system rule, redefining a handoff, adding a required field, clarifying ownership, or tightening a

decision path.

The objective is to design the problem out of the process rather than relying on reminders,

memory, or individual effort to keep it from returning.

This is where many organizations fall short. They implement a solution and immediately

move on to the next challenge without verifying whether the fix is working over time.

PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act) provides a practical framework for ensuring improvements

remain effective long after implementation.

• Plan the solution thoughtfully based on the root cause.

• Do - Implement the solution clearly within the process.

• Check regularly to confirm it is producing the desired outcome.

• Act on what you learn by refining and reinforcing the solution as conditions change.

The goal is not perfection. The goal is continuous learning and continuous improvement.

Plan, Do, Check, Act — a simple loop that keeps a fix working long after rollout.

Assign Clear Ownership

Even the smartest fix will erode without someone responsible for maintaining it.

Ownership does not mean one person is responsible for doing all the work. It means

someone is responsible for ensuring the solution continues to function as intended,

performance is monitored, and adjustments are made when conditions change.

Clear ownership keeps the PDCA cycle alive, prevents issues from quietly resurfacing, and

ensures improvements survive turnover, organizational change, and shifting priorities.

Lock in Momentum

When organizations eliminate a recurring problem for good, the benefits extend far

beyond efficiency. Teams spend less time revisiting old issues and more time focusing on

customers, innovation, growth, and execution. Leaders regain capacity to think

strategically instead of repeatedly solving the same problems. Employees experience less

frustration and greater confidence in the systems that support their work.

Each lasting improvement creates additional capacity, and over time that capacity

compounds into stronger performance and greater organizational resilience.

Fixing problems once — and making the fix stick — isn’t simply good operational

discipline. It’s one of the most effective ways to build an organization that can scale

without carrying yesterday’s problems into tomorrow.

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