Root Cause Analysis
Define the Problem
- What is the negative result?
- What are the specific symptoms?
Collect Data
- How long has the problem existed?
- What is the impact of the problem?
Identify Possible Causal Factors
- What sequence of events leads to the problem?
- What conditions allow the problem to occur?
Identify the Root Cause(s)
- Ask “Why”
- What is the real reason the problem occurred?
Recommend and Implement Solutions
- What can you do to prevent the problem from happening again?
- How will the solution be implemented?
The “5- Whys”
5-Why Process
- Identify the problem
- Identify the cause(s) of the problem by asking “Why did this happen?”
- Note them down in a diagram or table
- For each of the causes you’ve identified , once again ask “why did this happen?” and identify their causes
Insure that you have asked “why” to each problem 5 times, or as many times it takes to identify logical root causes.
