Upcoming Cause Mapping Public Workshops

March 4-5, 2008
Atlanta, GA

Solutions

Cause Mapping®: Effective Root Cause Analysis

Step 3: Solutions


This step involves three different parts:
  1. Propose possible solutions
  2. Evaluate the best solutions
  3. Implement the solution (action item) selected

Propose possible solutions. Once the Cause Map has sufficient detail with supporting evidence, possible solutions can emerge. The key here is to focus on individual causes instead of the overall problem, since it is actually easier for people to provide ideas to control just one particular cause. If people focus on the overall problem, they often will come up with a solution that prevents some causes but not others and, hence, does not solve the overall problem completely. To illustrate this further, consider the previous steps. The causes, as defined in Step 2, must be proven to have impacted the organization’s overall goals, as defined in Step 1. Logic has it then that controlling any one of the causes has some effect on reducing the impact to the overall goals. There are no limits to the number of possible solutions. Some causes may have only one, others many.

Developing possible solutions has benefits beyond just fixing a problem. Employees, when given the chance, can unleash an amazing amount of under-utilized creativity. This turns a typical accusatory relationship on its end and, ultimately, makes a happier employee. In a typical crisis, a company manager asks subordinates what happened, then tells them how to fix it. What if they asked, “What would you do?” The Cause Map gives employees a stage to answer that.

Evaluate the Best Solutions. Now comes determining which possible solutions will actually be effective. This is the essence of the evaluation step. At this stage, we have many ideas, but which ones are we actually going to implement?

There are many possible ways to solve a problem, but we must find the best solutions. Some possible solutions might seem like great ideas until we consider the budget, time frame, resources, market, operating conditions, compliance requirements, regulations and other factors. Certain combinations of solutions can also be more effective than other combinations.

Note, as far as implementing solutions, more isn’t necessarily better. One solution may be more effective than three; a less expensive solution may be more effective than a costly one; the complex may not be better than the simple, creating unanticipated negative consequences or side effects.

Turning a possible solution into a best solution often hinges on the organization’s overall goals, as defined in Step 1. The people who are involved with, who own and understand the business and technology of the particular issue often select the best solutions.

Implement the Selected Solution. Each selected individual solution, or action item, requires an owner and a deadline for implementation. An owner of the “overall action plan” also can ensure that all of the action items were completed. Status may have to be monitored and updated periodically to ensure that progress is being made.

There must also be some way to measure the solutions’ effectiveness, which can depend on the situation. Sometimes, effectiveness can be measured within two hours, sometimes only after several years. It simply depends on the nature of the issue. This all must be measured against the organization’s overall goals—the yardstick, so to speak, of the Cause Mapping process. You measure a solution’s effectiveness by how much closer it brought the organization to those overall goals.

An organization should have a defined process for implementation, just like any other important work process for the business. If there is no defined process ensuring that the action items were both implemented and effective, breakdowns can occur. And if the solutions are not implemented or effective, then there is no improvement and no benefit to the entire investigation.

The organization’s performance measures ultimately reveal whether the investigations were thorough and effective. If incidents are not decreasing and performance improving, then we did not achieve the desired results.

Root Cause Analysis

 
March 4-5, 2008
Atlanta, GA

 
March 18-19, 2008
Anaheim, CA

 
April 9-10, 2008
San Antonio, TX

 
May 14-15, 2008
San Francisco, CA

 
June 11-12, 2008
Mt. Olive, NJ

 
June 25-26, 2008
Houston, TX