Root cause analysis is a quality improvement approach which is used to find, comprehend and get rid of any and all root causes of issues or incidents. Basically, it is a problem solving system.
Just like several other approaches to quality improvement, the RCA is not magic! It is the use (in several different manners and combinations) of a series of very popular simple techniques to produce a documented, quantified and systematic approach to identifying, comprehending and resolving of all underlying reasons for under accomplished quality in companies.
So, simply stated, root cause analysis is a very thorough investigation into what caused a certain identified problem. Why did it happen? Root cause analyses also carry out investigation on how a particular thing could have gone bad and this will assist in identifying the contributing elements and temporary failures. There are 2 major facts to remember from the onset; root cause analysis pays attention on the cause, the main idea is to make use of the information in developing a remedial action plan.
The simple answer is YES! A lot of people do not know how to carry out root cause analysis. RCA is still being treated like it is a random activity. Many companies fail to get their employees a RCA training which entails great investigation techniques thus, they propagate the blame culture. They basically do not think of root cause analysis as a process that is controlled.
Asides the 5 whys of the root cause analysis, there are several other tools that can be made use of in resolving problems. Some of these tools are brainstorming, design of experiment, Pareto charts, flowcharts, fishbone diagrams and many others. A lot of tools are being used together to accomplish the most fruitful outcome. For instance, the 5 whys or brainstorming can be used to conjecture what might have gone wrong, and then arrange the outcome in a fishbone diagram which will point you to the particular locations where the evidence needed to objectively determine whatever the root cause of the issue really is, can be found. Companies need to stop assigning the job of root cause analysis to individuals without providing them the required tools and RCA training.
Lastly, people have to comprehend what the probable result of this procedure is. Of course, it is great when people say that they are going to carry out a root cause analysis but the question is; do they have an idea of what they are expected to do when they find out the cause?
Attending a RCA training will enable you to know;
I you are interested in increasing the root cause analysis capability within your organisation our Training in Root Cause Analysis might be of interest to you. Please feel free to contact us for a quote.
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