Chapter 2.3 - Identifying what to act on
Five whys
The "Five whys" method is a simple yet powerful tool used for root cause analysis. It involves asking the question "why" five times (or as many times as needed) to drill down into the underlying cause of a problem. By repeatedly asking "why," you can move past the symptoms of the issue and uncover the fundamental cause. This technique helps to identify the root cause of a problem, rather than just addressing the immediate symptoms, leading to more effective and long-lasting solutions.
For example, if a car's tire is wearing out quickly, the first "why" might reveal that the tire pressure is too high. The second "why" might uncover that the tire pressure gauge was not calibrated correctly. The third "why" might show that the calibration schedule was not followed. The fourth "why" might indicate that the team was understaffed and missed the maintenance check. Finally, the fifth "why" might reveal that there was a lack of proper staffing and scheduling. By identifying the root cause, the team can take corrective actions to prevent the issue from recurring, such as ensuring proper staffing and adherence to maintenance schedules.
Gemba Kaizen
Gemba is a Japanese term meaning "the real place" or "the place where work happens." It originates from the Gemba Kaizen philosophy, which emphasizes continuous improvement by closely observing and understanding the actual work environment. In a business context, Gemba refers to the location where value is created, such as a factory floor, an office, or any place where work is performed. The concept encourages managers and leaders to go to the Gemba to gain firsthand insights and identify opportunities for improvement.
Pareto Analysis
Pareto Analysis, also known as the 80/20 rule, is a decision-making technique used to identify the most significant factors contributing to a problem. The principle behind Pareto Analysis is that roughly 80% of the effects come from 20% of the causes. This method helps prioritize efforts by focusing on the few causes that have the greatest impact.
To perform Pareto Analysis, you first collect data on the frequency or impact of different causes of a problem. Then, you organize this data in descending order of significance and create a Pareto chart, which is a bar graph that shows the relative importance of each cause. By visualizing the data, you can easily identify the "vital few" causes that should be addressed first to achieve the most significant improvements. This approach helps teams allocate resources more effectively and tackle the most impactful issues.
