Root cause analysis (RCA), rightly applied, can turn problems, defects, or complaints into opportunities for continuous, permanent improvement. This anecdotal article is based on first-hand experience of applying RCA to dozens of business problems. It explains the technique of RCA in an easy-to-understand manner with simple examples. This is followed by easy tests to help you find out if you have really gotten to a root cause and eliminated it. Real examples of business results from RCA are shared. A detailed list of critical success factors, including those from mistakes made, will appear as Part 2 of this article.
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A root cause analysis fable
Dev had recently joined a large company in a senior management position. On his first day on the new job, the human resources manager welcomed Dev and showed him his new office. It was a nicely fitted, well-equipped berth with large glass windows. Dev liked the space and felt that it would give him the perfect environment to do his job well.
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Comments
Problems with problem solving
The problem is that until the right team was present, the 5 why's did not work. In fact the cleaning department worked hard to make the boss happy to no avail. Even Toyota had the right people present when using this "simple" tool.
RCA
Hi Arun,
I like your approach of keeping it simple, short, and sweet! May be, part 2 of the article will cover advanced analytical techniques to uncover the true root cause(s).
Cheers!
Guru
(Gurbachan Chadha)
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