A root cause analysis (RCA) is a means to get to the bottom of a problem or unexpected event. Root cause analyses are important to undertake when your project or product is not what was expected. Root cause analyses aim at improving products or processes – quality – and they must be undertaken in systematic ways in order to be effective. There are several tools involved with RCA; this video takes a look at the 5 Whys and Fishbone Diagram.

Checkout this informative and educational video!

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What is the Analyze Phase?

As the name suggests, the phase involves analyzing the problem to determine the root cause. This allows the Six Sigma project team to tackle the problem at a deeper level and get rid of it permanently. In a manufacturing process, for example, this means investigating what is leading to defects in the products. This is something the customer does not want, which is also known as variation.

Tools for Identifying Possible Causes

The Analyze phase involves identifying all possible causes. Since this is Six Sigma, it means that teams are in luck. There are tools that they can use to take the guesswork out of coming up with potential causes.

Here are the most widely-used tools for doing this:

• Process map – This is a flowchart that shows the process in its current state. This means all the steps, actions, inputs, outputs, and other details are illustrated for a better understanding of the process as is. This allows the team to visualize potential causes by looking at the changes in the process.
• Fishbone diagram – Also known as a cause-and-effect diagram or Ishikawa diagram, a fishbone diagram allows the team to group potential causes into related categories. The problem being experienced is written as the head of the fish. Each bone on the spine represents a category. Then lines are added to each bone, and these are the potential causes.

Tools for Root Cause Analysis

After identifying the potential causes, the team needs to perform a root cause analysis (RCA). The main idea behind RCA is to eliminate the problem at the root so that it does recur. This is important because it means that resources aren’t wasted on dealing with a superficial or wrong cause.

Here are some popular RCA tools:

• Chi-square test: This is a test performed to determine whether there is statistical significance between the expected and observed outcomes. If the difference is statistically significant, it means an independent cause is responsible. Otherwise, it could be because of chance and not worth further investigation.
• Regression analysis: Regression analysis is a series of statistical techniques that help identify variables that lead to a particular result. In this case, it can help tie which potential causes have an impact on the problem being observed. The team can then know which ones to ignore and which ones pay close attention to, as well as how they are related.

Conclusion

After analyzing the problem, improving it is the next step. This is why the Analyze phase is important, as it helps the Six Sigma team identify the exact cause of the problem at the root. This allows the team to eliminate it once and for all to reduce the incidence of defects.

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To ensure that team members are productive – putting their time and resources to good use – during a Kaizen event, they need the right tools. However, doing this is no easy task since Six Sigma has many tools. But this is important, considering that pulling it off will lead to the success of the Kaizen event and significantly increase workplace productivity and business performance.

Here are four tools that are essential to pulling off a Kaizen.

1. 5S

During a Kaizen event, there will be questions regarding quality management that need to be answered. 5S is usually used to answer many of them. This tool has helped many organizations achieve total quality management, on top of helping them reduce costs, increase safety, standardize procedures and deliver products and services on time.

There are five major components or Ss to 5S: Sort, Straighten, Shine, Standardize and Sustain.

2. Value Stream Mapping

To study how the value of a product flows through a process, teams use value stream mapping (VSM). This helps the team visualize and analyze how things like information and materials contribute to the smooth delivery of value to the customer or end-user. This allows them to better identify which activities in a process add value and which ones don’t. Any activities that don’t add value are removed from the process, which significantly reduces or eliminates any waste.

3. Fishbone Diagram

If you know what 5 Whys is, you’d know that this tool leaves a lot to be desired visually. Think of the fishbone diagram as a way to visualize 5 Whys. Kaizen emphasizes that to effectively get rid of problems in the workplace, root cause analysis must be performed. 

In this diagram, the problem is represented by the fish’s head. Each bone leading to the tail is a homogenous group of potential causes or “Why?” questions. These bones can also have sub-bones or subgroups that lead to further potential causes. 

The aim of the fishbone diagram is to see if there are some less obvious causes that are leading to the issues being experienced. It is believed that once these are eliminated, the problem will disappear indefinitely. That way, resources aren’t wasted on the wrong causes.

4. Pareto Analysis

Pareto Analysis is one of the most effective tools for identifying and solving problems. It is not uncommon for teams to use it during a Kaizen event. This technique, which is also known as the 80/20 rule, seeks to prioritize problems in terms of severity. The problems are usually arranged in order of severity through the use of a Pareto chart. By simply looking at the chart, teams know which problems they need to tackle first.

Conclusion

Of course, there are other tools that are essential to add to everyone’s Kaizen toolbelt, including Kaizen newspapers, SIPOC and Target Process Report. However, now you have a good idea of what tools can contribute to a successful Kaizen event. Making sure a Kaizen goes well is one of the best ways to increase productivity in the entire organization.

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Kaoru Ishikawa: Contribution to The Theory of Process Improvement

Kaoru Ishikawa is known as the Father of Japanese Quality’. He invented major quality tools and concepts including the Fishbone diagram (cause and effect diagram) frequently used in the analysis of industrial processes and CWQC Company-Wide Quality Control.

Ishikawa sponsored the “next operation (process step) as the client” concept to avoid workplace politics.

Early Life and Career

Kaoru Ishikawa was born in the year 1915 and went on to complete his engineering in applied chemistry from the University of Tokyo. Until 1947, he was associated with Nissan after which he started rendering his services as a professor in a university.

He played an instrumental role in the development of the concept of the Quality Circle’. Ishikawa believed that increased internal cooperation and coordination positively affects a customer’s needs and ultimately leads to process efficiency and better quality of products and services.

He expressed the need for the top level management to support the teams which were under their control all the time. He was awarded the Shewhart Medal & the Order of the Sacred Treasure (Japan) for his outstanding technical leadership in the area of modern quality control.

He received the Industrial Standardization Prize for his eminent writings on quality control. The American Society for quality control awarded him with the Nihon Keizai Press Prize and the Grant Award for his education initiatives in the area of quality control.

Kaoru Ishikawa: Contribution to the Theory of Process Improvement

Ishikawa’s major contributions in the area of quality control and process improvement can be traced as under:

1. Fishbone Diagram (Cause & Effect Diagram) – This tool created by Kaoru Ishikawa is known as the Fishbone Diagram owing to its shape. It is one of the seven basic Quality Control tools. The objective of the Six Sigma program is the removal of waste so as to identify the areas for improvement. A fishbone diagram clusters the roadblocks together to identify which factors have the greatest impact. Ishikawa diagram is commonly used in product design and prevention of quality defects to reveal the factors causing the overall effect.

2. Implementation of Quality Circles: A voluntary group of people who meet to identify, analyze, and resolve work-related issues. Improvement in Occupational health and safety, product design, manufacturing processes, and the overall culture of the organization are the objectives of a Quality Circle. In Japan, this concept was first launched in Nippon Wireless and Telegraph Company in the year 1962. The idea of Quality Circles was described by Edward Deming in 1950 and was later expanded by Ishikawa. Basically, Quality Circles are formal groups of people trained by specialists in human factors and skills of problem identification, data gathering, and analysis and generation of solutions.

3. Emphasis on Internal Customer: Ishikawa suggested that over-reliance on specialists would limit the scope of improvement for all the employees. Therefore, an overall participation was required from workers at all the levels of the organization. Every area has the potential for contributing to the overall quality, therefore; all areas should embed statistical techniques in the internal and external audit programmes. The term company-wide does not only include a company’s activities focusing on internal quality control, but also the quality of management, human aspects, after sales service, and sensitive customer care.

Conclusion

The contribution of Kaoru Ishikawa stands tall and unquestioned in the area of quality control and process improvement. The cause and effect diagram is used by global organizations in order to understand the causes behind the quality gaps and the effects of these gaps on the overall functioning of the organization.

Ishikawa propagated the concept of Quality Circles’ and Internal Customers’ thereby emphasizing the strategic importance of the employees of an organization. He stressed the equal participation of all employees rather than relying only on the specialists.

This leads to the overall development of employees with respect to the processes in the organization. Further training can even lead to the formation of voluntary groups called Quality Circles which under the supervision of an expert can identify and solve various quality problems in an organization.

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Here are several effective tools to monitor your work process and help locate the root cause of a problem:

Brainstorming and Fishbone Diagrams: These two are separate tools, but even more powerful when used in succession. 

• Brainstorming: Here you would bring in your team or those you’ve chosen for this task, inform them of the issue at hand, and designate someone who will write down possible reasons and solutions that are brought up. Everyone involved is given the opportunity and participates. 
• Fishbone Diagrams: This is also referred to as a cause and effect diagram, and it is a great way to identify the root causes of an issue and sort them out into categories. After your brainstorming session, you can put the possible solutions in with the appropriate category on the diagram. You will be able to sort out and keep only the strong possibilities.

The 5 Whys: Another simple tool that is powerful in its results. Just keep asking why; don’t worry, the answer will change as you keep progressing. Eventually, you will have the answer in front of you. This uses our own capabilities as a resource. It is genius in its concept and so simple to use.

Process Flow Charts: This is a visual of your entire work process. It lets you visualize the steps of your work process and what it consists of. You can even see what would change the outcome and at what point. The Process Flow Chart allows you to understand how a process works, which helps everyone stay on the same page when discussing a possible restructuring of a work process.

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Prevention is the key! Company culture is very important, if everyone is involved at every point in the process. Mistakes or defects in the final product can be avoided. So everyone is equally important, everyone is on the same page for the same goal, which is to get the best possible product at its highest quality out to the customer.

Important Tools in Total Quality Management (TQM)

Fishbone Diagram: This is a Cause and Effect diagram. It is a great way to visually see where the problem is originating, and will help to identity the root cause and sort them out into specific categories along with solutions.

Histogram: This tool merely lets you know the frequency that certain data is happening in a bar graph form. This works with the process that you are trying to improve. This is a great statistical tool.

Process Flow Charts: As you can see (no pun), visualizing is the trick when quality control is the goal. The process must flow effortlessly and the end result must have a high standard of quality. Defects are the enemy, so do not let them into your camp — be on the lookout. Process flow charts do exactly what it says — lets you visualize the entire process by looking at the chart. 

An easy way to start a flowchart would be by using post-it notes, and with your team walk through the entire process and at each step, stop and write down the activity, in the exact order that it is done. You can post them on a large board after you are finished and review. This will make the process come to life as you are reading them, and identify opportunities for improvements.

For more information on our Six Sigma training courses or services, please visit 6sigma.com. 

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The reason that conducting a root cause analysis is so important is that it is the only way you can identify exactly what is the root cause of the problem. This will result in the best possible solution that will be both effective and efficient.

The Best RCA Tools to Play the Blame Game

1. The 5 Whys: This Lean Six Sigma tool is so easy that kids already play it. Just keep asking why until a meaningful conclusion has been established. Many times it could take as long as it has taken to answer one of your kid’s most challenging questions.
2. Flowcharts: Everyone can visually see what is being impacted with flowcharts; these make things clear to kids as well. Make sure you keep the flowcharts simple.
3. Fishbone Diagram: This is also known as the cause and effect diagram. Used in conjunction with the 5 Whys when the 5 Whys are too general. The Fishbone diagram will put causes into specific categories, indicating how that cause impacts the outcome.
4. Brainstorming: This will bring the entire family together so everyone can have their say or input. Everyone’s input counts and is added, so this is a great Lean Six Sigma tool for family participation. The result in the brainstorming session should identify the root cause of the problem (why the garage always gets messy) and try to come up with possible solutions.
5. Affinity Diagram: This can be used with the information gathered from the brainstorming session, by organizing and possibly consolidating that information to further relate to the issue at hand.

This is yet another creative way to use the magic of Six Sigma and Lean Six Sigma tools in our daily lives to deal with common, everyday organization issues.

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So we are going to go down a few of these Lean Six Sigma tools and terms and what they are used for. Remember these are just some examples; how these tools can be used is only limited by your creativity.

Tools and Terms of Lean Six Sigma

1. Cause and Effect Diagram: this tool is a great tool for visually seeing the relationships between multiple causes and the effects they produce.
2. Fishbone Diagram: this diagram resembles a fish and can be used as a cause and effect diagram. The spine represents the effect and the branches can represent various causes.
3. The 5 Whys: this is an excellent tool where you keep asking why as you get deeper until you get to the root cause of the problem. This way you can implement the proper countermeasures to fix the issue.
4. Kaizen: an honorary lean tool that was adopted into Lean Six Sigma. It is a Japanese word meaning “change for the better” and it is used for continuous small improvements, involving all staff members.
5. Value Stream Analysis: this is an analytical tool that monitors all activities done and is depicted visually in a Value Stream Map. Here you can see what activities don’t add value and which ones are necessary, meaning they add value to the product or service.
6. Root Cause: this is the ultimate cause of the problem/issue.
7. PDCA Cycle (Plan-Do-Check-Act): this is a 4-step plan used to solve issues in quality control. It is also known as the Deming Cycle, Shewhart Cycle or Deming Wheel.

This is just a partial list. Interested in learning more about these tools and terms? Why not enroll in one of our Six Sigma training classes? For more information on our courses or services, please visit 6sigma.com.

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Why Is Root Cause Analysis so Important?

Root cause analysis can single-handedly eliminate an issue; and by eliminating the issue your business will run more efficiently. You’ll be able to give more focus to your customer base, because the issue that was causing issues for your business is gone.

A Simple Basic Step-by-Step Root Cause Analysis (RCA)

• Define the Problem: Be specific and as detailed as possible.
• Understand the Problem: Use actual data having to do with the problem. Make sure you have a clear understanding of the problem; this will ensure the correct root cause will be found and eliminated.
• Immediate Action: The most obvious issue is usually located close to the “effect.”
• Corrective Action: Identify the most likely underlying causes of the problem, and prioritize action taken from that point.
• Confirm the Solution: After you’ve done all the preliminaries and have implemented the solution, make sure you confirm the success of the solution.

This would ensure that the new rules and methods would be established, thus avoiding the same problem from recurring.

So, What Tools Are Needed in Conducting a Root Cause Analysis?

Fishbone (Ishikawa) Diagram: This can help identify causes of the issue

Pareto Chart: This is a bar graph that visually shows significance of the elements involved.

Scatter Diagram: This graphs numerical data to help look for a common link.

5 Whys: This is by far the most creative and a very simple tool to use. You state your problem and start asking why until you get to the root cause. The simplicity is what makes this a genius tool.

We offer root cause analysis training in several cities. It is the most comprehensive course to date. Among many topics, you will learn:

• The Problem-Solving Process Flowchart (8D Roadmap)
• Flowcharts
• Problem vs. Opportunities
• Cause & Effect Mapping Methods
• Using Facts, Evidence, and Assumptions

For more information about our root cause analysis coursework, please visit 6sigma.com.

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Every Lean Six Sigma tool is used to improve not only business processes, but eliminate waste so that the end result is a satisfied, happy customer. This is why businesses exist — to produce a great product or service. Let’s look at some of the tools used within Six Sigma.

The 5 Whys: Suppose there is a problem. Just keep asking why until you have answered the core of the question, which you get you to the cause of the problem.

Fishbone Diagram: This can also be called a cause and effect diagram used in brainstorming. Brainstorming, we all know, is a creative free-flowing way to get solutions, yet the fishbone diagram is a structured tool.

DMAIC: This is the most genius template in Lean Six Sigma for improving existing business processes.
-Define: The goal of the new product or service, set realistic and measurable goals, why it is needed.
-Measure: You must know that factors that are critically important, this should include any parameters, including risks, also accessing the production process and product capability.
-Analysis: Here you develop design alternatives, work with different combinations and outcomes, and select the best components that would work.
-Design: Basically a detailed prototype is developed. After this is done, a more detailed version is developed, where errors may make it necessary to modify the current version.
-Verify: Here is the final step where the newly designed product is taken to the real world test to see if it will work perfectly. Many production runs might be necessary to see if the quality is the absolute highest it can be.

Taking Six Sigma courses does improve your thinking because it keeps you organized and helps prioritize so that no stone is left unturned. We all tend to think in a free flowing manner, and that is when we get in trouble because we leave out valuable information. The best quality of Lean Six Sigma tools and the Six Sigma methodology is that it is applicable in just about every aspect of business and lives.

Start the New Year with a bang! We’re currently offering Six Sigma training classes in Orlando, Dallas, San Francisco, and several other cities across the country in January 2018. Check out our courses and services at 6sigma.com.

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As with all the data in Six Sigma, the first step is to state the problem or issue clearly and concisely. Make sure you state the problem as a problem and not like a solution. Keep in mind that you don’t yet know what solution will work to rid your problem.

Depending on your industry the categories could vary. With your team, agree and pick some categories that you could find the causes for the issue at hand. For example, categories in the service industry could be policy/rules/procedures or equipment/supplies, or perhaps environmental issues.

Make This a Time to Create Solutions as a Team

Then, along with your team, put your heads together and come up with possible causes of the problem. The best tool for finding the deep issue is 5 Whys tool. Keep asking, “Why does this happen” over and over until you can’t get any deeper. Along the way, you will probably make other discoveries in sub-categories, which will help you prevent future similar problems.

Inspire each of your team members to get involved in brainstorming since this is a perfect opportunity to encourage team morale. Too often, supervisors or team leaders look to place the blame on their team, and not to make them part of the solution.

Make sure each team member has a chance to give their opinion as to what they feel are the top three root causes. Record them on the fishbone diagram, and with the backup data vote on the top culprit.

*This is just an example of how you can use a fishbone diagram. It is abbreviated, but it should give you an idea of the mindset you need to have.

Want to dive deeper into fishbone diagrams and how they work? Learn more information today on our Six Sigma training courses and services.

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Top 7 Six Sigma Quality Tools –

1.     Control Chart – One of Your Essential Control Tools

Quality improvement involves a lot of testing and documentation. As such, a control chart is a highly effective method by which to monitor and maintain statistical control. Control charts will help you remain aware of your measurements and limits, as well as pin down the causes of variation.

2.     Cause and Effect Diagram

Also known as Fishbone or Ishikawa Diagrams, CEDs give your employees the freedom to interrogate problems for their possible causes. Every fishbone branching off the spine of the diagram represents a different category, allowing you to question multiple lines of inquiry at once.

3.     Histograms – For Graphical Data Display

One of Six Sigma’s most commonly used tools, histograms display and make sense of data. You should use them to show probability distribution in graph form. Histograms are also useful for indicating the frequency with which factors affecting quality or process improvement appear. Histograms, like Pareto diagrams, represent data vertically and horizontally.

4.     Check Sheet – Asks the 5 Whys

Another frequently used quality tool, you should use check sheets for data collection. Check sheets collect and collate data in real time, when and where your data is located. You can spot problems and highlight trends with ease, as check sheets make analysis simpler. Taking the form of a physical document or as a computer program, check sheets allow you to collect both quantitative and qualitative data. Check sheets become tally sheets when dealing with quantitative data. Check sheets involve collating all relevant project or process information. Questions of Who, What, When, Where, and Why are used to measure probability distribution and quantify variation.

5.     Stratification

Six Sigma practitioners use stratification to classify data systematically. Stratification arranges information according to suitable categories, which you should devise for yourself, such as process, time, place, frequency, etc. Stratification is sometimes known as a flowchart and provides a visual template for how processes work. They can also identify your process customers.

6.     Scatter Diagram – Critical Quality Tools

A critical quality tool in Six Sigma, scatter diagrams allow you to show how two factors are related. Like cause and effect diagrams, scatter diagrams can display both causation and correlation, as well as the degree to which both appear. You can also test potential cause and effect relationships between multiple variables.

7.     Pareto Chart

Known as ABC analysis, Pareto charts are a classic of quality improvement work. Pareto charts are one of Six Sigma’s most highly utilized tools and used by companies all over the world. Pareto charts enable you to prioritize your most critical problems and the factors contributing to them. If a factor affects your business in a negative way, Pareto charts can help distinguish between the vital few and your trivial many are useful for identifying the most significant issues to tackle first.

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