Even if any business has the best conditions, it is inevitable to encounter problems and setbacks. In these cases, finding instant solutions to problems leads to recurrence and greater consequences. Root cause analysis allows businesses to identify the source of problems, implement corrective actions and develop strategies to prevent the recurrence of similar events. Therefore, it is an important method to increase efficiency and proactively approach problems. Importance of Root Cause Analysis Root cause analysis is one of the methods used to solve problems in Lean manufacturing processes. RCA aims to identify the challenges a business faces to improve its processes and achieve its goals. It helps to develop permanent solutions by focusing on the root causes, not the superficial symptoms of problems. Therefore, uncovering the root causes of a problem is an important step in developing more effective strategies. Conducting root cause analyses and implementing the necessary solutions creates an opportunity to prevent similar problems from happening again. Thus, efficiency in processes increases and the business gains more profitability in the long term. For example, instead of simply repairing continuous malfunctions in a production line, identifying the cause of the malfunction and eliminating these causes provides a more reliable and uninterrupted operation. Therefore, applying Root Cause Analysis is the key to getting to the root of problems and creating real solutions. Basic Principles of Root Cause Analysis Some basic principles guide an effective root cause analysis process: Focus on finding and eliminating the source of the problem, not just the superficial symptoms. Recognise the importance of solving superficial problems for a short-term solution. Recognise that a problem may have more than one root cause. Focus on why and how the problem is occurring, not on individuals. Establish cause and effect relationships to support the identified root causes. Develop a corrective action plan. Think about how you can prevent root causes from recurring in the future. Tools and Techniques Used in Root Cause Analysis The RCA method is a method applied to find and solve problems that cause waste and inefficiency in a process. There are a wide variety of tools and techniques for applying this method. The aim of all of them is to solve problems at their source. Some of the commonly used RCA techniques are as follows: 5 Whys 5 Whys Analysis requires asking ‘why’ five times to get to the root causes of a problem. It is one of the first favoured approaches to problem solving because it is quite simple to implement. When a problem arises, you need to ask why it happened. After you get the answer, ask ‘why’ four more times. By the fifth time you will have a complete explanation of the problem. Fishbone Diagram It is also known as a fishbone diagram, cause and effect diagram or Ishikawa diagram. It is a visual technique for analysing the potential causes of a problem by categorising them. The diagram is similar to the skeleton of a fish. The head of the fish represents the problem, while the bones contain the main cause categories. Pareto Chart A Pareto chart is a visual tool used to prioritise the root causes of a problem according to their frequency or impact. It is a combination of a bar chart and a line chart, with the bars representing the causes and their frequency or impact, and the line representing the cumulative percentage of those impacts. The causes are ranked in descending order from most important to least important, with the most important ones on the left-hand side. Based on the 80/20 rule, the Pareto diagram shows that 80 per cent of the effects are caused by 20 per cent of the causes. This allows you to focus your improvement efforts on the critical few causes that make up the bulk of the problem. Fault Tree Analysis A fault tree is an analysis tool that sorts events in a logical order and helps you identify the main cause that triggered the problem or situation. Usually this is accomplished using visual diagrams that help identify the initial failure leading to the root cause. Benefits of Root Cause Analysis It enables to find the source of problems and solve them. Prevents similar problems in the future. Reveals inefficiencies. Reduces costs. Enables a proactive culture. Strengthens co-operation between departments.
