Chapter 5
Step 2: Analyze
Step 2FishboneFive WhyForce FieldChecksheet
Step 2: Analyze. Root cause analysis with fishbone diagrams, 5-Why drills, force field analysis, and check sheets. Stop treating symptoms.
With a clear problem statement in hand, Step 2 asks the most important question in process improvement: Why? Why does this problem exist? Not what should we do about it — why does it happen?
Root cause analysis is the discipline that separates effective improvement from band-aid fixes. Teams that skip it waste time and resources solving symptoms. Teams that do it well solve problems that stay solved.
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Get Started FreeKey Takeaways
- •Start broad with the Fishbone Diagram, then drill deep with the 5-Why technique
- •The Fishbone uses 6M categories: Man (People), Machine (Equipment), Method (Process), Material (Inputs), Measurement (Metrics), Mother Nature (Environment)
- •Involve the people closest to the work — they see causes that data and leadership miss
- •Validate suspected root causes with data before moving to solutions
- •A problem with multiple root causes may need multiple improvement cycles