Cause and Effect AnalysisGetting to the Root Cause of Problems and Understanding their Impacts

Why Are We Using This Technique?ASSUMPTION: You Have a ProblemJumping straight to defining solutions often leads to failure. You may have a problem now because the current solution addresses the wrong problem.Understanding your problem completely means you can define a complete solution, versus a partial one which could lead to long-term failure.Defining a solution to a problem without conducting a cause/effect analysis is like shooting an arrow without aiming. You are ensuring that the solution you define will really hit the mark.

How Does It Work?Your GoalsUse the Ishikawa (aka: fishbone, herringbone, cause and effect, fishikawa) diagram to drive a discussion about the issues you faceIdentify the root (the real, most elemental) cause of your problem.Discover bottlenecks or inefficiencies in your process.Youre going to use the fishbone diagramming technique developed by Kaoru Ishikawa to get to the root of your problem.(Breaking a big problem down into granular causes)

Identify The ProblemState the problem as you understand it now.Express it in three words or less. This is the EffectProblem StatementEffect

Identify The Factors InvolvedIdentify the big things that might be involved in causing the problem.Problem StatementEffectCausesEnvironmentStaffTiming[Factor][Factor]

Brainstorm Potential CausesDrop each cause into a category. Create new categories and adjust old ones as needed. Include primary and secondary causes. The group should agree on the diagram as it evolves.Problem StatementEffectCausesEnvironmentStaffTiming[Factor][Factor]Recession?Merger?Layoffs?Inadequate Skillsets

Identify THE Critical Cause(s)Identify one (if possible) cause to focus on. Use the 5 whys technique to ensure you are focusing on the right level of granularity (i.e. - identifying the root cause).Projects Grinding to a HaltEffectCausesEnvironmentStaffTiming[Factor][Factor]Recession?Merger?Layoffs?Inadequate SkillsetsInadequate SkillsetsInadequate Technical SkillsDated Technology + Layoffs Senior StaffNo FundingCorporate PerformanceWhy?Why?Why?Why?Production CostsWhy?

Review & Discuss Next StepsNow that you know what the real problem is, how will you solve it?Projects Grinding to a HaltEffectCausesEnvironmentStaffTiming[Factor][Factor]Recession?Merger?Layoffs?Inadequate SkillsetsInadequate SkillsetsInadequate Technical SkillsDated Technology + Layoffs Senior StaffNo FundingCorporate PerformanceWhy?Why?Why?Why?Production CostsWhy?

If you are having trouble nailing down the problem, try using the CATWOE technique ( http://bit.ly/1b7QWgS )*When identifying the major categories (factors) or causes, think:WhoWhatWhenWhere

One example could be:TaskPeopleSiteEquipment

Heres another example:PeopleMethodsMachinesMaterialsMethodsEnvironment*Causes can be all over the map but thats what you are creating here. Build out a map of the causes that the group comes up with. Make it as granular as time allows.*Once youve found a single cause to focus on, use the 5 whys technique (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/5_Whys) to try to identify the root cause. This will be both the real cause of your problem and hopefully one you could conceivably solve.**