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Root-Cause Analysis: Business Problem-Solving Essay
Pages:3 (961 words)
Sources:3
Subject:Business
Topic:Root Cause Analysis
Document Type:Essay
Document:#87878338
Business Problem-Solving: Root-Cause Analysis
The Root Cause Approach
Root cause analysis is a popular problem-solving technique that seeks to bring out, and respond to, the deeper causes of a problem as opposed to only those that are visible on the surface (Okes, 2009). It allows one to look deeper into a problem so as to determine what the underlying causes are, and fix these before the problem escalates to an even bigger one (Okes, 2009). In so doing, one deals with the problem once and for all. Once the root causes are addressed, the chances of recurrence are very slim.
The Questioning to the Void Technique
The questioning to the void technique, commonly referred to as the 5 why's technique, is one of the three approaches of root cause analysis. It basically entails asking the question 'why' five times so as to understand the exact nature of a problem (Anderson, 2009). It is believed that by repeating the question 'why' several times, one is able to peel away the surface causes of a problem, and ultimately identify the root cause. Once the root cause has been identified, then an appropriate counter-measure that effectively addresses the root cause can be determined.
Illustration
We could take the case of a printing shop, which was supposed to have a client's leaflets printed and delivered but failed to do so in time; as a result, the client refuses to pay for the same:
The Problem -- the client has refused to pay for leaflets delivered
i. Why? The leaflets were delivered late, and were, therefore, not used for their intended purpose
ii. Why? The printing job took longer than the staff had anticipated iii. Why? Printer ink ran out in the course of printing
iv. Why? A lot of ink had been used up on a big order that was executed right before the order in question
v. Why? There was not enough ink in stock, and the staff could not order the same quickly enough
Root Cause: delayed delivery of ink, leading to slowed-down or stalled processes, and making it difficult to complete orders in time
Counter Measure: find an ink supplier who can make deliveries on very short notice
Based on this illustration, we can deduce several advantages of the questioning-to-the-void technique, and by extension, real cause analysis. First, it is easy to use and apply, especially if the assessor has a feel of what the causes of the problem are likely to be (Okes, 2009). Moreover, it is highly flexible and readily fits into a number of other common business processes -- for instance, the 5 why's technique is used i) for quality improvement in the analysis…
Sample Source(s) Used
References
Anderson, S. (2009). Root Cause Analysis: Addressing Some Limitations of the 5 Why's. Quality Digest. Retrieved 17 February 2015 from http://www.qualitydigest.com/inside/fda-compliance-news/root-cause-analysis-addressing-some-limitations-5-why's.html#
Dew, J.R. (2002). Using Root Cause Analysis to Make the Patient Care System Safe. The University of Alabama. Retrieved 18 February 2015 from http://bama.ua.edu/~st497/UsingRootCauseAnalysis%20.htm
Okes, D. (2009). Root-Cause Analysis: The Core of Problem-Solving and Corrective Action. Milwaukee, WI: ASQ Press.
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