Root Cause Analysis, Part 3: Critical Success Factors

Turning defects into opportunities

In part one of this article, I explained the technique of root cause analysis (RCA) in an easy-to-understand manner with simple examples. In part two, we looked at some critical success factors to get maximum results from your RCA. In part three, the conclusion to this article, we’ll take a look at the remaining critical success factors. These are based on lessons learned from experience and from mistakes made. As RCA and other quality techniques are relatively more common in manufacturing, several of the examples in this article are drawn from service industries to offer a broader perspective. The article is equally relevant in manufacturing and service businesses as well as government and not-for-profit organizations.

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RCA part 3 CSF's

Nice reminder of 'Why-Why' Arun. Ishikawa's "Guide to QC" 1968 has on page 24 the Process Classification C&E - worth revisiting for students of RCA. The original source of "5-Why's" came from the Industrial Engineering Handbook 1956 What When Who Where and How and asking Why against each being the infamous 5 Why's. Bob Kettering ex VP of R&D of General Motors said that "A problem well stated is 50% solved" which like you Arun is a critical success factor to solving problems. Dr Howard B Aaron (deceased) of Dearborn said to our Australian clients with much hilarity "that if the only tool you have is a hammer, then every problem looks like a nail" and it seems we simplify the use of improvement tools and not make them simple (Einstein I think). Michael W McLean Managing Director McLean Management Consultants Pty Ltd Embedding Strategic Change (Established.1988) PO Box 917 North Ryde BC 1670 NSW Australia M: +61 419 225 996 P: +61 2 9706 8566 F: +61 2 9706 8366 E:michael@mclean-mc.com.

Michael W McLean Managing Director McLean Management Consultants Pty Ltd Embedding Strategic Change (Established.1988) PO Box 917 North Ryde BC 1670 NSW Australia M: +61 419 225 996 P: +61 2 9706 8566 F: +61 2 9706 8366 E:michael@mclean-mc.com.