Root Cause Analysis
INTRODUCTION
 Root cause analysis is a relatively new methodology that is continually evolving. Like most Quality Improvement approaches it is not magic; “there is no silver bullet”. It is the application in a different way of a series of well known, common sense techniques which used in a different combination can produce a systematic, quantified and documented approach to the identification, understanding and resolution of underlying causes of under achieved quality in organisations.
Below is a definition, which encapsulates the main points of this technique:
“An objective, thorough and disciplined methodology employed to determine the most probable underlying causes of problems and undesired events within an organisation with the aim of formulating and agreeing corrective actions to at least mitigate if not eliminate those causes and so produce significant long term performance improvement.”
Business Benefits
To enable delegates to:
- Understand and implement the “Root Cause Analysis methodology"
- Understand and practically employ the basic techniques associated with Root Cause Analysis (RCA)
- Identify where RCA can be used for best effect
- Coordinate and motivate the RCA team to provide real, tangible solutions to what appears to be intractable quality problems.
- Train others in the RCA methodology
- Provides the opportunity to make real major financial saving through QM&T's pre and post course supported assignment scheme.
- Be QM&T validated and certificated Root Cause Analysis practitioner.
Reason for RCA:
- A Part of policy and goals of the organisation
- Providing long term improvement
- A powerful vehicle for training people
- Analysing for root cause is a mind-set, it takes more time at first but is a ‘high return investment’ for eliminating fire fighting
- A regulatory requirement. For example Healthcare providers, are obliged to comply with Private and Voluntary Healthcare Regulations. Specifically Regulation 28 requires the notification of any serious events (this can ranging from death of a patient to allegation of misconduct). Regualtion 28 will necessiates the completion of a Root Cause Analysis investiagation.
Who Should Attend?
- Quality, Engineers, Software, Food & Drug, etc. professionals who wish to apply the RCA model and methodology to problem solving together with obtaining a clear knowledge of RCA associated techniques and its application to continuous quality improvement.
- Organisations wishing to move away from fire fighting to a problem elimination approach.
- Organisations wishing to comply with the requirements of Clinical Negligence Schemes (CNST) and Risk Pool Schemes (RPST).
Course Structure
The RCA course is broken down into the natural RCA four-phase processes:
- Phase I: Problem identification
- Phase II: Problem description
- Phase III: Cause analysis
- Phase IV: Solution development
Together with presenting practice examples of RCA techniques and case studies
Morning
- Phase I: Problem identification: Understanding the strategies for fact gathering will include looking at customer complaints, interrogating the accounts including credit records, interviews, workshops etc. The objective is to gather as much information as possible on problems or quality deficiencies. Selection is carried out in the next phase.
- Phase II: Problem description: The criteria for including problems in the analysis needs to be fully understood. These will include the use of flowcharts, critical incident, spider charts, purpose and application matrices and problem understanding checklists.
- Phase III: Cause analysis: Cause analysis tools that may be used are histograms, pareto charts, scatter charts, relations diagrams and affinity diagrams. Some but not all of these would be used according to their suitability in particular circumstances. Following this the cause and effect stage has been reached and the effects and therefore potential root causes can be identified, Tools for this are cause and effect charts, matrix diagrams and the “five whys” or the “why, why” chart.
- Phase IV: Solution development: Potential solutions need to be developed and presented for the decision makers and the comparative benefits and cost effectiveness of all prevention options shown.
Afternoon
- Practical Case Studies associated with RCA.
- Exercises associated with re-enforcing the morning s RCA theory.
Course dates and cost
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