Effective problem-solving in any organization requires a thorough understanding of the fundamental problem of the issues. Simply addressing the symptoms may offer temporary alleviation, but it does not provide a long-term solution. Root cause analysis (RCA) is a systematic process used to identify and resolve problems by getting to the root reason. This technique helps organizations develop a lasting solution rather than applying a band-aid fix to the symptoms.
There are several RCA techniques that can be used to identify the root cause of a problem, including:
The Five Whys Method: This technique involves asking a series of why questions to drill down to the root cause. Each question is designed to dig deeper into the situation until the underlying cause is revealed. For example, if a defect is found in a product, the questions might be "Why is there a defect?" "Why did the defect occur?" "Why was the total quality management excellence control process neglected?
