Chapter 2

Problem-solving Methodologies: Root Cause

Analysis, Brainstorming, and the SCAMPER
Technique
§ A problem is a situation, condition, or issue that remains unresolved
and makes it difficult to accomplish a desired objective.
§ A problem is perceived when an individual, group, or organization
becomes aware of a significant difference between what is desired
and what actually is.
§ Trying to find a solution to a problem is known as problem solving.
§ Root Cause Analysis, Brainstorming, and the SCAMPER technique
are problem-solving tools that help organizations identify and address
issues by understanding the root causes, generating ideas, and
stimulating creativity.
§ Brainstorming facilitates the free flow of ideas, while Root Cause
Analysis delves into the underlying reasons behind a problem. The
SCAMPER technique provides a structured approach to generate new
ideas by considering specific questions and prompts.
§ If we’re sick, we’ll go to a doctor and ask them to find the root cause of our sickness. If our car
stops working, we’ll ask a mechanic to find the root cause of the problem. If our business is
underperforming (or overperforming) in a certain area, we’ll try to find out why.
§ Root cause analysis (RCA) is a process for identifying the root causes of problems and a systematic
approach to responding to them. Root cause analysis is based on the idea that effective
management should find a way to prevent problems before they occur and affect the work of an
entire organization.
§ Root cause analysis is one of the most crucial problem-solving elements in quality management.
Root cause analysis is an important part of Six Sigma methodology, as it is a key component of the
analysis phase of DMAIC – define, measure, analyze, improve, and control.
§ There are six major tools of root cause analysis, which are used through the process of identifying
the root causes of a problem.
1. Pareto Chart
2. The 5 Whys
3. Scatter Plot Diagram
4. Fishbone Diagram
5. Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA)
6. Fault Tree Analysis
• A Pareto chart is a bar chart
sorted in descending order from
the highest frequency to the
lowest frequency from left to right.
• The height of the bars reflects the
frequency or the impact of the
problems.
• The Pareto chart assists the
quality improvement team in
focusing on areas of improvement
with the greatest impact.
• The Pareto chart is used in Six
Sigma to find out the problems,
and their solutions, and root cause
analysis is an important part of
that process.
§ The 5 Whys method uses a series of
questions to understand the layers of a
problem.
§ The idea is that each time you ask why,
the answer you give becomes the
fundamental of the next why until you
find the sources of the problem.
§ The 5 Whys is a simple tool used for
problems where you don’t need any
advanced data.
§ This method is used to deeply analyze
the results of a Pareto chart used in Six
Sigma.
§ A scatter diagram is a two-dimensional
graphical representation of a set of data.
§ The scatter diagram graphs pair numerical
data with one variable on each axis to look
for their relationship.
§ Scatter plots are widely used as a tool for
analyzing problems in Six Sigma.
§ Scatter plots show how the variables relate
to each other.
§ This relationship is called correlation, and
there are three types of correlation: positive,
negative, and no correlation.
§ In Six Sigma, a scatter plot will visually
display the correlation between a problem
and a cause, whether there is a positive,
negative, or no correlation.
§ This helps quality teams to evaluate which
hypothetical cause has the greatest impact on
a problem and which should be solved first.
§ A fishbone diagram, also
called a cause-and-effect or
Ishikawa diagram, sorts
possible causes into various
categories that originate
from the initial problem.
§ Moreover, a fishbone
diagram may have
additional multiple sub-
causes derived from each
identified category.
§ The fishbone diagram is the
most used cause-and-effect
analysis tool in Six Sigma.
§ The cause-and-effect
analysis is one of the key
tasks in any Six Sigma
project.
§ Failure mode and effects
analysis (FMEA) is a method
used to explore potential
defects or failures during
the process and product
design.
§ In Six Sigma, FMEA gives
project teams a tool to
predict the most likely
failures that may impact the
customers.
§ The Failure Mode and
Effects Analysis is
implemented during the
analysis phase of the Six
Sigma DMAIC cycle, and it
helps to estimate the
significance of the impact of
possible process failures.
§ Fault tree analysis (FTA) is a
graphical tool and one of the more
useful tools in Lean Six Sigma
problem investigations.
§ FTA explores the causes of system-
level failures. Fault tree analysis
prioritizes the risks in a way that
allows the highest risks to be
resolved first.
§ It uses Boolean logic to combine a
series of lower-level events, and it is
basically a top-down approach to
identify the component level
failures (basic events) that cause the
system level failure (top events) to
occur.
§ Fault tree analysis helps the team
focus on the most important input
variables to the key output
variables in a given process.
§ FTA is a top-down approach to
identifying the component-level
failures that cause the system-level
failure to occur.
1. Define problem-solving methodologies? Explain the concept of Root
Cause Analysis (RCA) and its significance in problem solving.
2. What are the major tools of root cause analysis? Explain them briefly.