How do you go about getting the relevant information necessary to understand a problem in order to be able to decide on a possible solution?

This is very broad question and quite challenging to provide specific answer. The broad outline to solve such a problem could as follows:

Understand the problem and define broad parameters within which the problem lies.

Now start gathering information from people around, past record and available documentation in file- it could be human problem and mechanical problem

In case of human problem, try to identify the issues carefully with support from your colleagues

If is a mechanical problem, leave it to the expert or work with support from expert

Now, you are one step ahead and try find out the root causes of problem and address accordingly  

well, it might been better to come with the five stages of a problem solving  process, which what I usually do whenever I am in such situations. and these are: Identifying relevant information, collecting and recording information, representing  the information, deciding  criteria of effectiveness, and construction courses of action. However, seeking help from colleagues and working as team with the five stages is more efficient.

seeks the advice of people who are more experience than me in other to help me in solving the problem at hand.

- Information gathering details and discussed with stakeholders and competence has been to clarify the problem and begin to solve them

Dear Bhatti,It’s my urgent need For a foreign partner that made me to contact you for this transaction.I am Shakir Syed working with Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank here in Abu Dhabi (U.A.E) I write to contact you over a very important business transaction which will be of our interest and benefit to our both families.In 2007,one Mr. Weimin  Bhatti, whose surname is same as yours and has your country in his file as his place of origin made a fixed deposit for 36 months, valued at $26,700,000.00 with my bank. I was his account officer before I rose to the position of Manager- Retail Consumer Operations . The maturity date for this deposit contract was 27th of September 2010.Sadly Mr.Weimin was among the death victims in the September 2009 earthquake in Indonesia that left over 1,200 people dead while he was there on business trip.Since the last quarter of 2010 until today, the management of my bank have been finding means to reach him so as ascertain if he will roll over the Deposit or have the contract sum withdrawn. When I discovered that this will happen, I have tried to think up a procedure to preserve this fund and use the proceeds for business.Some directors here have been trying to find out from me the information about this account and the owner, but I have kept it closed because, I know that if they become aware that Mr Weimin is late, they will corner the funds for themselves. Therefore, am seeking your co-operation to present you as the one to benefit from his fund at his death since you have the same name, so that my bank head quarters will pay the funds to you. I have done enough inside bank arrangement and you only have to put in your details into the information network in the bank computers and reflect you as his next of kin.If you concur with this proposal, I intend for you to retain 50% of the funds while 50% shall be for me. Kindly forward your response to me immediately through email below: Mr. Shakir SyedAbu Dhabi Commercial Bank , UAE.

• recognising and defining the problem 
• finding possible solutions
• choosing the best solution
• implementing the solution.

sometimes its a nightmare to get what you want out of internet (considering this as source). What i have learnt is you need to be a lot selective in your words while searching

by see all pic. and listen carefully to all to get best solution

Investigate the problem from the start till the end and find the best possible solution on it.