Root cause analysis is a process used by managers to identify the true source of a problem and prevent it from reoccurring. It examines the process behind the problem, rather than blaming employees, and aims to promote collaboration between departments to ensure employee safety.
A root cause analysis is an interrogation and investigative process that business managers use to determine the true source of a problem. Try to go beyond treating the symptoms of the problem and isolate the real cause. The primary goal of a root cause analysis is to prevent the problem from reoccurring in the future.
Companies can become aware of a problem in one of their processes during a series of phases. For example, it could be a flaw in the design of a product that shows up during testing. The problem may not become apparent until the product is in the hands of a customer and the company receives a complaint. If a company becomes aware of the problem once the product is in the hands of the customer, this results in increased costs.
Costs to resolve the issue have increased as the customer may not continue to purchase products from the company due to dissatisfaction. If the problem is not resolved by the company in a way that satisfies the customer, this can lead to negative word-of-mouth publicity. The client may very well tell his family, friends and casual acquaintances about his negative experience. A root cause analysis tries to prevent this type of scenario.
Instead of placing blame on employees, a root cause analysis examines the process behind the problem. For example, if an employee is involved in an accident while performing his or her job duties, company leaders would investigate established work procedures and policies related to the work activity that led to the injury. Managers may also need to review all equipment involved, including procedures for maintaining it. Root cause analysis goes on to ask why the injury occurred and walk back through all the processes involved.
If managers determined that a defective piece of equipment caused injury to the employee, they would start with the equipment defect. The analysis may lead them to the discovery that the faulty equipment should not have been used. Perhaps it hasn’t been determined that the employee is faulty because he hasn’t received the proper training. An analysis may also find that the faulty equipment has not been replaced due to a disagreement between the department of the company which should be responsible for purchasing the correct equipment.
The result of the root cause analysis found that the real cause was an unwillingness to promote collaboration between departments and spend the necessary funds to ensure employee safety. To prevent the problem from happening again, company executives must first ensure that the proper equipment is purchased. Additionally, they should work to create an environment where the two departments see each other as a team and not as adversaries.
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