Root cause analysis (RCA) is one of the most important elements of problem-solving in quality management.
That’s because if you’re not aiming at the right target, you’ll never be able to eliminate the real problem that’s hurting quality.
Fortunately for manufacturers, there is a wide range of root cause analysis tools available today, which vary with the situation. These RCA tools include:
Pareto Chart
5 Whys
Fishbone Diagram
Scatter Plot Diagram
Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA)
RCA assumes that it is much more effective to systematically prevent and solve for underlying issues rather than just treating ad hoc symptoms and putting out fires.
There are several goals involved in the root cause analysis process. The first goal of root cause analysis is to discover the root cause of a problem or event. The second goal is to fully understand how to fix, compensate, or learn from any underlying issues within the root cause.
The third goal is to apply what we learn from this analysis to systematically prevent future issues or to repeat successes. Analysis is only as good as what we do with that analysis, so the third goal of RCA is important.
Core principles also rate highly in root cause analysis because these principles guide effective root cause analysis. These core principles help the analysis quality as well as aid the analyst to gain trust from clients, patients and from stakeholders.
One of the most important core principles of RCA is to focus on correcting and remedying root causes rather than just symptoms. It’s critical that analysts don’t ignore the importance of treating symptoms for short-term relief.
Additionally, it’s essential to understand that there can be multiple root causes. Be methodical and find concrete cause-effect evidence to back up root cause claims.
The focus needs to be on how and why something happened, not who was responsible.
Of course, the end game of root cause analysis is to figure out how a root cause can be prevented – or replicated – in the future.
Root Cause Analysis aids in determining and identifying defect and main causes of defect. By identifying root cause, companies can find out permanent solution to it so that possibility of its future re-occurrence can be reduced or eliminated.
Root Cause Analysis also helps in developing a logical approach to solving problems. After identifying the main cause of defect, organizations can try to figure out and find out major problem-solving approaches with help of information that is already present.
Similarly, once a defect is determined, organizations can identify what all changes are required for software quality improvement. This means identifying current needs as well as future needs for improvement of organization and system.
Additionally, RCA helps in establishing repeatable and appropriate step-by-step processes in which one process might confirm result of another process.
More specifically, Root Cause Analysis is often involved in the analysis of activities such as:
Analyze Quality Control
Analyzing failure in maintenance
Analyze process of system
Analyze different system-based processes
Analyze risk and change management
Root Cause Analysis Training Courses by Tonex
Tonex offers more than 30 courses in Root Cause Analysis. Many of the courses focus on the fundamentals of Root Cause Analysis tailored to specific user groups, such as:
The courses cover a wide range of topics including how RCA can be helpful in such areas as:
Major accidents
Everyday incidents
Minor near-misses
Human errors
Maintenance problems
Medical mistakes
Productivity issues
Manufacturing mistakes
Environmental releases
Risk analysis, risk mapping
Participants also learn how RCA can be beneficial for:
Identifying the burdens and the root causes of problems in order to coming up with permanent solutions
Enabling to establish a rational methodology to problem-solving, by utilizing the available data
Exploring the current and future needs for organizational improvement
Developing repeatable, step-by-step protocols, in which one process verifies the results of another.
The various RCA approaches are also covered. Attendees learn about:
–The “5-Whys” Analysis
–Barrier Analysis
–Change Analysis
–Causal Factor Tree Analysis
–Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA)
–Fishbone Diagram or Ishikawa Diagram
–Pareto Analysis
–Fault Tree Analysis
Why Choose Tonex?
Tonex has been conducting Root Cause Analysis training throughout the world since 1993. The world class instructors at Tonex have trained engineers, managers and technicians on how to effectively solve problems using a variety of Root Cause Analysis tools and techniques.
We have clients from organizations, agencies and companies large and small. Many of our customers are repeat clients. One reason is that at Tonex we tailor courses to your group’s specific needs.
Want to know more?
For more information, questions, comments, contact us.