As a Quality Engineer & Six Sigma Black Belt, I have learned a lot of tools useful in improving processes & problem-solving area. The most important concept with multiple application across different business processes is definitely establishing right "Cause & Effect Relationship" among various events. A good majority of the time, I have seen that people confuse between an event and a process.
Simply stated, an event is a single occurrence whereas a process is collection of such events linked to each other in time and space. In a root-cause analysis or problem-solving investigation, our job is to establish the right cause & effect relationship among various events which ultimately result in a problem, defect, or poor performance. Always remember that a whole process is almost never a cause of any problem. A particular event (or in some cases, a collection of events inside that process) are usually the cause of the problem.
Consider the following example:
A car slipped on a patch of ice while taking a turn. The driver lost control and the car hit a tree. Thankfully no-one was hurt in the accident.
The effect is very clear here, i.e. the accident. But what was the cause? Is it driver losing control, speed of the car, or patch of ice? The patch of ice resulted in the slipping of car. Where did the patch of ice come from? A nearby broken water resulted in the water leakage. How did ice formed? Sub-zero temperatures in the wee hours of morning resulted in the transformation of ice to water.
This is where the real investigation comes in. You need to focus on the details, collect data, and establish C&E relationship among the events resulting in the problem or failure.
Tools for C&E:
The best tool to master this concept is Apollo RCA. Check this link for details on their books & training material.
Another tool, I have found to be of great use for this purpose is Inter-Relationship Diagram. though it looks a bit complex, but is actually very easy to perform with a team of people.
Hope this post was helpful to you.
Simply stated, an event is a single occurrence whereas a process is collection of such events linked to each other in time and space. In a root-cause analysis or problem-solving investigation, our job is to establish the right cause & effect relationship among various events which ultimately result in a problem, defect, or poor performance. Always remember that a whole process is almost never a cause of any problem. A particular event (or in some cases, a collection of events inside that process) are usually the cause of the problem.
Consider the following example:
A car slipped on a patch of ice while taking a turn. The driver lost control and the car hit a tree. Thankfully no-one was hurt in the accident.
The effect is very clear here, i.e. the accident. But what was the cause? Is it driver losing control, speed of the car, or patch of ice? The patch of ice resulted in the slipping of car. Where did the patch of ice come from? A nearby broken water resulted in the water leakage. How did ice formed? Sub-zero temperatures in the wee hours of morning resulted in the transformation of ice to water.
This is where the real investigation comes in. You need to focus on the details, collect data, and establish C&E relationship among the events resulting in the problem or failure.
Tools for C&E:
The best tool to master this concept is Apollo RCA. Check this link for details on their books & training material.
Another tool, I have found to be of great use for this purpose is Inter-Relationship Diagram. though it looks a bit complex, but is actually very easy to perform with a team of people.
Hope this post was helpful to you.
Abhinav Rastogi
Said
I love the cause and effect funda!! Especially since I heard the merovingian talk about it in the matrix reloaded.. :)
Kanishk | कनिष्क
Said
really ..i don't remember where it was featured in Matrix Reloaded...will check out the movie...own the DVD ;)