Using Root Cause Analysis tool for process improvement
When we try improving something, we start working towards what we infer as a problem. But most of the time it turns out to be a symptom & not the actual problem. Root cause analysis (RCA) is all about analyzing the problem & getting to its cause. Later, preventive measures are discovered that could help avoid recurrence. With primary objective to identify & eliminate the root cause, RCA can save time & money in the long run, driving process improvement. There are several RCA tools & selecting the right one ensures effective & efficient analysis. Below are some commonly used tools;
A group of people working collectively to spot a solution is better than people coming up with solutions individually. Brainstorming does the work of bringing together a group of people, giving them equal opportunity to participate & discuss an issue in a facilitated environment. A specific person is assigned the task of writing down the thoughts of the participants. Deductions are made at the end of discussion.
“The 5 whys” is another technique which involves question asking to explore the cause & effect relationship underlying the problem. The investigator, essentially keeps asking “why” until a conclusion is reached. A minimum of 5 questions are asked but additional questions are sometimes required if the cause is yet to be found.
Flowcharts are prepared to put information about a process in a graphical manner, which facilitates spotting the impacted point. Decision points are also highlighted to get clarity about the areas of improvement.
Fishbone diagram also known as cause & effect diagram, groups various causes into categories & uses arrows in the image to indicate how the causes flow towards the nonconformity. The categories may include processes, measurements, environment, people, etc. Questions such as what, when, where, why, how are asked until the cause is identified for each category.
With the outputs from brainstorming session, an affinity diagram can be used to generate, consolidate information related to the issue. The outputs are grouped according to their similarity to identify the major causes. Later a discussion is stimulated about the problem, which opens possibilities for improvement.
Lean Six Sigma training is delivered by highly qualified trainers with extensive Quality Management experience where you will learn to apply RCA tool for process improvement.