RCA – Past, Present, and Future (a three-part series) Part 1

An attendee at a public seminar recently asked if I’d compare and contrast RCA methods.  I can appreciate this question.  I mean seriously – put yourself in the position of someone tasked with identifying an RCA method.  How do you choose?  What would be the basis of your choice?

In the interest of remaining objective, I won’t be recommending any single method over any other.  Obviously, I work for Sologic so I’m inherently biased.  But that doesn’t mean I’m not also objectively interested in the differences between current offerings, as well as their evolution over the decades.  I am interested in our history as an RCA provider in the same way that I’m interested in my own family tree.  And any objectively introspective effort focusing on our origins often leads to profound insights and implications for our future.  The point is this:  His question was based in his own self-interest in choosing the right path, just as my own willingness to answer him objectively was based in my own concerns and interests about who we (Sologic) are and where we are going.  It’s a big question... and here’s part 1 (of 3) of my attempt at an answer.

The Past (Part 1)
To understand RCA, we need a basic understanding of its modern origins.  Of course, introspection has been with humans from the beginning of cognition.  The questions “why?” and “how?” have universally propelled humans forward.  But often, answering these questions is difficult.  The main challenge is complexity – there is just so much information to process.  How to make sense of it all, particularly when survival demands it?  

A primary strategy we developed as a species is to recognize patterns in the complexity, and to then employ a system of rules pertaining to these patterns.  Along with this, we also developed a system of specialization which allows members of a society to focus on a single thing.  I don’t grow wheat, but I eat it.  I don’t make computers, but I use them.  Not everyone teaches root cause analysis, but I do.  Specialization allows for repetition, and repetition leads to more rapid pattern recognition.

 Once we recognize consistent patterns, we develop a system of rules based on those patterns.  For instance:

Example 1:
Pattern Recognition:  Plants grow thicker where we throw manure.
Rule:  If I use fertilizer on my crops, then I’ll grow richer crops

Example 2:
Pattern Recognition:  The alignment of the stars coincides with predictable seasons.
Rule:  If I plant when the stars indicate springtime, then I’ll maximize my growing season, thereby reaping a larger harvest in the fall.  

Example 3:
Pattern Recognition:  People who possess both a natural knack for logic along with an outgoing, friendly personality often have the most success as root cause analysts.
Rule:  If our class focuses on a simple, logical process along with the basics of human interaction, we will produce a higher percentage of competent root cause analysts!

What’s the point, you may be asking?  Pattern recognition and specialization have proven to be key components for human survival and advancement.  

But how does this relate to different RCA methods?

Root cause analysis is a structured, standardized form of problem-solving.  It needs both the structure – to provide support, and the standard – to provide consistency.  Developing both the structure and the standard requires the combination of pattern recognition and rules I described above.  This provided the genesis for the two earliest, and subsequently most prolific, methods of root cause analysis:  The 5 Whys and the Fishbone (Ishikawa) Diagram.

The 5-Whys:
The 5-Whys method is about as simple as its name suggests:  Ask why five times, and you’ll likely arrive at the root cause.  

Wait, can it really be just that simple?  Actually, no – not really.  But it’s a good start.  The 5-Whys is based on the simple rule of conditional logic that follows the pattern “If..., Then...”

For instance, if I knock over my cup of tea, then the tea will spill.  And its opposite is also true:  If I don’t knock over my cup of tea, it will not spill.

• Manpower
• Methods
• Materials
• Machinery

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