Root Cause Analysis Expert

The main point of any management system is continuous improvement.   Practically this means that we identify issues that are causing significant business cost, loss or risk and then we set about solving the issue by identifying the root cause, and then putting in place a corrective action.

Root Cause Analysis
If you are running a management system, you will without a doubt have a corrective action system that identifies issues and records them to ensure investigation to closure.   But in the middle of all the form filling and meetings to agree actions, how effective are you and your organisation at root cause analysis?

ISO 9001 tells us that ‘Corrective actions shall be appropriate to the effects of the non-conformities encountered.’ In other words, you need to step back and take a look at the impact of the issue on your organisation in terms of cost, loss and risk.

Only Look at the Big Hitters
The first step is, in the words of the dearly beloved Pareto, sorting the significant few from the trivial many.    When you have done this and decided on a way of prioritising what the ‘big hitters’ really are, its time to get to work with some root cause analysis.

5 Whys
After clearly defining the problem you have, 5 why analysis is one of the simplest and best ways to understand a problem and all the root causes.   All you need to do is keep on asking why an issue happened until the root cause, or causes, have been identified.

For example…
During an audit it was noted that the supplier for a key material was not on the approved supplier list.   The material had been ordered but, thankfully not used, as it was the wrong specification.   But why did this happen?

1. The specification not checked before ordering… Why?
2. The procedure was not followed… Why?
3. The procedure is not clear… Why?
4. Responsibilities not well defined in purchasing… Why?
5. People are not well trained in the procedure… Why?
6. No induction training in purchasing…

By focussing on the main issues within your corrective action system and using a simple tool such as 5 Why, you can have a highly effective corrective action system to drive improvement into your organisation.