Opportunity Creation
Finding Root Causes
"If you are unable to understand the cause of a problem
it is impossible to solve it"
- Naoto Kan -
The easiest way to understand root cause analysis is to think about common problems. If we are sick, we will go to a doctor and ask them to find the root cause of our sickness. If our car stops working, we will ask a mechanic to find the root cause of the problem. If our business is underperforming (or overperforming) in a certain area, we will try to find out why.
At work, many of us want to fix things that are broken right away. The problem is, however, that fixing the problem right away is often fixing the effect and not the cause. Think about riding a bicycle and your chain falls off. The solution might very well be that you put on your chain again and continue the ride, but it is highly likely that it will fall off again as you have not fixed the root cause. The root cause is that there is too much space between the crankshaft and the rear axle. Fixing that will prevent the chain to fall off again. In this case, you have fixed cause and effect.
Finding and fixing the cause underlying the issue is a mindset. It requires you to pause, reflect and think before moving into action. It also requires the stamina to withhold the pressure from the environment to deliver short-term results. Fixing the root cause will save time and money on the long run, but it requires investing time on the short run. It is slowing down to speed up.
WHAT IS ROOTCAUSE ANALYSIS?
Root cause analysis (RCA) is a systematic process for identifying root causes of problems or events and an approach for responding to them. RCA is based on the basic idea that effective dealing with issues or challenges requires more than merely “putting out fires” for problems that develop but finding a way to prevent them.
The main benefit of RCA is that it finds the fundamental errors in the process, enabling teams to enact right measures to fix the problems and stop them from recurring ahead. Hence, there is lesser rework and fewer defects in the fulfilment of work.
THE GOALS OF RCA
- Discover the root cause of a problem or event.
- Fully understand how to fix or learn from any underlying issues within the root cause.
- Apply what we learn from this analysis to 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. We can use RCA to also modify core process and system issues in a way that prevents future problems. Instead of just treating the symptoms of a football player’s concussion, for example, root cause analysis might suggest wearing a helmet to reduce the risk of future concussions.
Core principles:
- Focus on correcting and remedying root causes rather than just symptoms
- Do not ignore the importance of treating symptoms for short term relief
- Realize there can be, and often are, multiple root causes
- Focus on HOW and WHY something happened, not WHO was responsible
- Be methodical and find concrete cause-effect evidence to back up root cause claims
- Provide enough information to inform a corrective course of action
- Consider how a root cause can be prevented (or replicated) in the future
As the above principles illustrate when we analyze deep issues and causes, it is important to take a comprehensive and holistic approach. In addition to discovering the root cause, we should strive to provide context and information that will result in an action or a decision.
TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES
There are many tools and techniques to support with creating an RCA. We will explain one of them, the 5xWhy method, merely to show the importance and impact of an RCA.
The primary goal of the 5xWhy method is to find the exact reason that causes a given problem by asking a sequence of “Why” questions.
Example 1 – Someone telling you being fined for running through red light
Your initial response (= solution) could be to tell this person never to do that again as it is dangerous. Let alone the financial issue of being fined.
Performing a 5xWhy analysis might lead to another solution
.
What happened? – I ran through a red light
- Why? – I was late for work
- Why? – I woke up to late
- Why? – My phone was out of battery
- Why? – The battery is bad
- Why? – It is an old phone
What is the solution? – Buy a new phone or replace the battery
Example 2 – A client who refuses to pay for leaflets you printed for them
What might be your immediate response? Maybe send an assertive reminder or even sue the customer.
By performing a 5xWhy analysis, it might very well be that your solution is going to be much different.
What happened? – Customer X refuses to pay for leaflets we printed for them
- Why? – The delivery was late, so the leaflets could not be used
- Why? – The job took longer than expected
- Why? – We ran out of printer ink
- Why? – The ink was all used on a large, last-minute order
- Why? – There was not enough ink in stock, and no possibility to order new supplies in time
What is the solution? – Find an ink supplier who can deliver on short notice, so that you can continue to minimize inventory, reduce waste, and respond to customer demand. And yes, do not forget to fix the issue with customer.
TO CONCLUDE
The key to learn this behavior is to hold back on your initial desire to jump to action. To solve the issue, you will indeed fix the immediate effect – put on your chain again – but also fix the cause –enlarge the space between the crankshaft and the rear axle. For this to happen, you need to push on your personal pause button, reflect and think before moving into action, slowing down to speed up.