Nicole is trying to solve a problem that has resulted in defective products. She has understood that the problem is due to a technical failure and has realized that it has to be corrected immediately to avoid further loss. The next step in Nicole's decision-making process after collecting all the details regarding the problem is to

A) choose a preferred course of action.
B) evaluate the implemented solution.
C) implement the decision.
D) define the problem.
E) generate and evaluate alternative solutions.

After collecting details about the problem, Nicole needs to generate possible solutions and evaluate them before choosing a preferred course of action. Therefore, the best choice is to generate and evaluate alternative solutions (Option E). Once this step is completed, she can choose the most suitable solution and implement it (Option C). The implementation can then be evaluated (Option B) to determine its effectiveness in solving the problem. Defining the problem (Option D) should have been completed before gathering details about it.