The Root Cause Episode 5: The Evolution of Root Cause Analysis

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So we're diving deep today

into root cause analysis

Yeah

specifically in manufacturing.

Absolutely. It's fascinating.

Yeah.

You know, going beyond just fixing a problem, figuring

out why it happened in the first place.

Right.

Getting to the bottom of it.

Yeah, the evolution of problem solving.

It really highlights how crucial this has been

in manufacturing for a very long time.

Oh, I bet.

You know, I mean, every minute that

a factory's down, that's money lost.

Right.

Quality issues can really hurt

a company's reputation for sure.

And any inefficiencies are just eating away at profits.

So this isn't just like a nice to have, huh?

Absolutely not.

This is about survival in a competitive market.

Yeah, yeah.

Okay, so let's rewind the clock

back to the early 1900's.

picture Henry Ford.

Not just the assembly line genius,

but a problem solving pioneer.

Now that's a side of Ford I

bet most people don't know

right?

Most folks associate him with the

Model T in mass production.

But here's where things get interesting.

That very assembly line he created actually forced

him to become a problem solving ninja.

Think about it

One tiny snag, one part out of place, and boom.

The whole operation could grind to a halt.

Like a giant domino effect.

One wrong move, and the whole line falls apart.

So Ford, being the innovator, he was simplified

and standardized processes to minimize those errors.

And get this.

He did all this way before

quality control was even a thing.

He was ahead of his time, that's for sure.

These ideas really laid the groundwork for

what we consider standard practice today.

Absolutely.

So while Ford was busy standardizing

over in America, across the Pacific,

another manufacturing powerhouse was emerging: Toyota.

And these guys took problem solving to

a whole new level with their continuous

improvement philosophy, also known as kaizen.

Ah, kaizen.

It's like a mantra in the manufacturing world.

Always striving for better, never settling.

Right.

And from this relentless pursuit of improvement

came a tool that sounds deceptively simple.

The Five Why's.

The Five Why's are incredibly powerful.

Imagine peeling back the layers of an

onion, each why revealing another layer of

the problem until you reach the core.

It's about forcing yourself to look beyond

the obvious and uncover the real culprit.

Okay, so for those listening who haven't actually tried

the Five Why's, give us a real world example.

I mean, can we apply this outside of a factory setting?

Absolutely.

Let's say your Internet suddenly goes out.

Super frustrating, right?

So you ask, why is the Internet down?

Maybe the router's acting up.

But you don't stop there.

You dig deeper and ask, why is the router not working?

Could be a power outage.

Why is there a power outage?

You check your phone and boom.

A neighborhood wide outage is reported. See?

Just three whys and you've gone from blaming

your router to understanding the bigger picture.

That's a perfect example. And you know what?

I'm starting to realize how useful the Five

Why's could be for, well, almost any problem.

It's like a mental detective tool.

Exactly.

And it's a fantastic starting point for more complex

problem solving methods like the 8D process, which Ford

Motor Company developed later in the 1980s.

Now from what I've read, 8D is like

the big brother of the Five Why's.

Way more structured, more collaborative.

You could say that manufacturing was

becoming increasingly complex and those simple

why questions just weren't enough anymore.

So Ford Motor Company came up with the 8D

process, which stands for eight disciplines of problem solving.

Basically, a super systematic way to tackle those

tougher problems with a whole team on board.

Okay, so it's all about bringing order

to the chaos of a problem.

Love it.

But a roadmap with eight steps?

I'm already feeling a bit overwhelmed.

Uh huh, I hear you.

It does sound a bit daunting at first, but

trust me, there's a logic to the madness.

Each step builds on the one before it.

Okay, so walk us through those steps.

What's the first crucial move

in this 8D detective story?

The first step, and arguably the

most important, is assembling your team.

You need the right people with the right expertise.

Kind of like gathering your best detectives for a case.

Then you move on to clearly defining the problem.

This is where those observation skills come in.

Gathering all the facts, data and symptoms.

Just like a detective examining the crime scene.

Got.

So it's all about setting the stage

and getting everyone on the same page.

What happens next?

Do we jump into full on Sherlock mode?

Not quite yet.

The third discipline is about taking quick

action to contain the problem, prevent it

from spreading or causing more damage.

Think of it as putting up those

yellow caution tapes around the crime scene.

Makes sense.

Yeah.

So it's damage control before diving

into the why behind it all.

Exactly.

And that brings us to the heart of the 8D process.

Root cause analysis.

This is where you pull out all the stops.

Brainstorming, using tools like the five

whys, analyzing data, and really digging

deep to uncover the root cause.

It's like putting those detective skills to the

test, examining the clues and connecting the dots.

Absolutely.

And once you've identified the root cause, the next

step is figuring out how to fix it.

This involves developing a corrective action

plan, essentially coming up with a

strategy to neutralize the culprit.

So we've gone from defining the problem to understanding

the why, and now we're ready to take action.

What comes next?

Well, it's time to implement those corrective

actions, making sure they actually work and

the problem is truly solved.

This is like apprehending the culprit and making

sure they're off the streets for good.

But the case isn't closed just yet. Right?

What about preventing the problem from happening again?

You're one step ahead of me.

The seventh discipline is all about prevention.

This is where you put measures in place to make

sure the problem doesn't rear its ugly head again.

Think of it as installing a state of the

art security system to prevent future break ins.

Love the analogy.

So we've solved the mystery, caught the

bad guy, and put safeguards in place.

What's the final step?

The last but certainly not least, discipline

is all about recognizing your team's success.

After all, cracking a tough

case deserves a celebration, right?

Absolutely.

It's about acknowledging all that hard work

and fostering that sense of teamwork.

Exactly.

And celebrating success also reinforces that

continuous improvement mindset, encouraging everyone to

keep those problems solving skills sharp.

Okay, so we've got Ford standardization,

Toyota's Five Why's, and now Ford Motor

Company's super systematic 8D process.

It's fascinating to see how this idea of

root cause analysis has evolved over time.

But I have to ask, with

all the amazing technology available today

Are these older methods still relevant?

That's a great question, and

the answer might surprise you.

These so called old school methods

are more relevant than ever.

They've actually paved the way for

the incredibly sophisticated problem solving technology

used in factories today.

Things like real time data analysis,

automation, and those Manufacturing Execution Systems or

MES, that you hear so much about.

Okay, so it's like these

classic methods have gone digital.

Tell me more about how these

MES systems are changing the game.

Well, imagine having a detective with access to a real

time feed of everything happening at the crime scene.

That's essentially what an MES

system does for a factory.

They're constantly collecting and crunching data from

every corner of the production floor, giving

manufacturers an incredible level of visibility.

So it's like having a bird's

eye view of the entire operation 24/ 7.

Exactly.

And that level of visibility allows

manufacturers to spot problems much earlier,

sometimes even before they actually occur.

Wait, so they can predict the future?

That sounds a bit like science fiction.

Not quite predicting the future,

but getting pretty close.

These systems can analyze historical data and

real time trends to identify patterns that

might indicate a problem brewing.

It's like noticing that the same suspect

keeps hanging around the jewelry store.

A red flag that something might be up.

That's amazing.

So it's all about being proactive

and preventing problems rather than reacting

after they've already caused chaos.

Exactly.

And that's where the link to those

classic root cause analysis methods comes in.

Remember how we talked about the importance

of identifying the why behind a problem?

Well, MES systems can be a powerful tool for this too.

Okay, I'm intrigued how they do that.

By providing detailed data on every single step

of the production process, an MES system can

pinpoint exactly where a problem originated.

It's like having a super detailed record of

everything that happened leading up to the crime,

making it much easier to identify the culprit.

So it's like having a digital trail of breadcrumbs

leading right to the source of the problem.

Exactly.

And this level of detail is

essential for truly understanding and solving

those complex manufacturing problems.

It goes beyond just fixing the symptom

and allows you to address the root

cause, preventing it from happening again.

So it sounds like these MES systems are really

taking root cause analysis to the next level.

Absolutely.

the TME® MES System

Yes

What's so special about that one?

It's a great example of how these systems

are being tailored specifically for root cause analysis.

Okay.

It goes way beyond just basic data collection.

Imagine a scenario where a batch

of products fails a quality check.

Okay. Yeah.

TME® can instantly trace those faulty products back

to the exact machines and materials, even operators.

Oh, wow.

So it's like a detective that could retrace every step.

Exactly.

And then it takes it even further.

Generates reports, suggests potential root causes

based on all that data.

It can even flag similar incidents from the

past to help you identify recurring patterns.

So it's like taking Five Why's and 8D and giving them

a boost with all this data

and AI

that's mind blowing.

Yeah.

But all of this raises a question for me.

If we can predict and prevent these problems

before they even happen, what happens to the

need for, you know, the old ways?

Right.

Will Five Why's and 8D become obsolete in the future?

It's a really interesting question.

Yeah.

It makes you wonder if these technologies are going

to completely change how we approach problem solving.

Maybe it's not about replacing

those old methods entirely.

Yeah.

But finding ways to integrate them

with all these powerful new tools.

I think it's a great point.

It's not about picking one or the other

Exactly.

It's about finding the balance between human

expertise and this amazing new technology.

So we've gone from, like, Henry

Ford's really simple approach, you know,

just wanting to make things consistent.

Right.

All the way to AI that can, like,

almost predict the future on the factory floor.

It's pretty incredible.

It's mind blowing how much things have changed.

But I'm also curious, like, where do we go from here?

What does the future hold for root cause analysis?

Well, that's the big question, isn't it?

Yeah.

But what I'm really excited about is,

you know, we've talked about AI analyzing

all this data, spotting patterns.

Right.

But what if it goes beyond just

identifying, like, what the problem is?

Okay.

What if it can help us understand

WHY at a whole new level?

Okay, now you've got me really intrigued.

Like, give me an example.

What could AI uncover that we humans might miss?

Okay, so imagine an AI system that's been

keeping track of not just machine performance data,

but also things like employee schedules.

Okay.

Weather patterns, even tiny shifts in the supply chain.

Oh, wow.

It might find a link that we would never think of.

Like, let's say, how humidity spikes on certain

days are connected to a specific defect, even

though they seem totally unrelated to us.

Oh, wow.

So The AI isn't just like faster at

finding a needle in a haystack, it's finding

needles in haystacks we didn't even know existed.

Exactly.

That's incredible, but also kind of scary.

What if we become too reliant on these systems?

Like, what if we forget

how to solve problems ourselves?

That's a valid concern, and it's definitely

something we need to be careful of.

But I see it more as a way to

enhance our own abilities, not replace them entirely.

Think of AI as a powerful tool that can help

us see things from new perspectives, make connections we might

have missed, and become even better problem solvers.

That's a really interesting idea. It's exciting.

But it also makes me wonder about, like,

what are the unintended consequences of that?

Do we lose the ability to adapt to unexpected problems?

Do we become complacent?

Those are great questions, and to be honest,

we don't have all the answers yet.

But that's what makes this such a fascinating field.

It's not just about the technology, it's about us.

The human implications, the ethical questions.

We have to constantly adapt and learn.

Wow.

And this is just the beginning.

As technology continues to advance, we can expect

even more sophisticated tools and techniques to emerge,

making problem solving even more efficient and effective.

It's incredible to think about how far we've come.

We've gone from Henry Ford simplifying processes

to sophisticated systems that can practically predict

the future of a factory.

It's all about shifting your mindset.

Approaching problems with that same curiosity

and determination to uncover the why.

So for all of you listening, the next

time you're faced with a challenge

Ask yourself those whys.

Even if it feels a bit silly at first,

you might be surprised by what you uncover.

And who knows, maybe you'll even invent

the next big problem solving tool.

It's been an incredible journey exploring the world

of root cause analysis from those early assembly

lines to the high tech factories of today.

But one thing remains constant, that human drive to

understand the why behind things and make them better.

Absolutely.

So to all our listeners out there, keep

those minds curious, keep those questions coming, and

keep pushing the boundaries of problem solving.

You never know what amazing

solutions you might discover.

And until next time, keep on diving deep.