Knowledge Base · Seeing Problems
What is root cause analysis?
Root cause analysis is a methodical way of getting underneath a problem to its true causes, rather than fixing whatever showed up on the surface. You dig into a specific problem, usually with people close to the work, until you find a cause whose removal prevents the problem happening again. The 5 Whys is the book's most used method for doing it.
The glossary defines root cause analysis (RCA) as a methodical search for why a problem or incident really happened, aimed at its underlying causes rather than at patching whatever symptom showed up first. Its stated use is after a problem has occurred: understand why it happened and prevent it happening again.
Chapter 3 puts RCA to work once a culture lets people speak up. Leaders give the team a structured way to analyse problems, so effort goes into the cause and not into blame or quick patches. The author's favourite RCA tool, and the one he uses most often, is the 5 Whys: ask why repeatedly to peel back layers of symptoms.
- Pick one specific problem, not a general frustration.
- Bring in the people closest to the work.
- Trace the chain of causes with the 5 Whys, or map possible causes on a fishbone diagram for a complex problem.
- Fix the underlying cause, not the first sign of trouble.
The payoff the book points to is prevention. A cause fixed at root level stops a whole run of future problems, not just today's one.
Open Root Cause Analysis in ClarionEX (free in Lite)
Related questions
- How do I run a 5 Whys analysis?
- What is a fishbone (Ishikawa) diagram, and when do I use one?
- What's the difference between a symptom and a root cause?
Source: Continuous Improvement in the Workplace, Ch. 3 (Learning to See) and the CI glossary in the book's Appendix.