Seeking advice on Recurring Findings with Different Causes

Bev D

Heretical Statistician
Leader
Super Moderator
There are two things to keep in mind:

Effects (like stock-outs/shortages) can have multiple causes*. After all, every business process is a system.

1. Each of these causes can singly cause the Problem. Good root case analysis can determine the single cause for any given event. controlling for this root cause can prevetn recurrence of the Problem due to that cause.

2. However, finding and controlling one cause cannot prevetn the Problem from recurring due to another causal factor in the system. A recurrence fo the Problem due to a different cause is not evidence that the first cause wasn't determeind or controlled.

When we have important systems and objectives and goals for those systems, it is essential that we utilize both corrective and preventive measure to continually improve our performance.

:2cents: If I was auditing, I'd be looking for how you track your performance, your corrective actions to sudden shifts in performance and your plan - and execution to that plan - for corrective and preventive actions to continually improve...

* I always think in terms of causal mechanisms not just a single lonely root cuase factor...sometimes it's a sequence of events, conditions and enabling conditions...read "The Apollo Method" by Dan Gano.
 
D

Duke Okes

You may need to do more frequent counts in order to get a better idea on when the problem occurs. Also need to look for trends as to what the count error is related to (e.g., always same items or different items, if latter which ones, ...).
 

Big Jim

Admin
That's what I need. But I don't know where to start. :confused:

One of the most universally used tools for determining root cause is known as 5 why. It is based on the sayings of an Asian philosopher who said, in essence, to get to the bottom of a problem, ask why until you can ask no more. Often, the magic number is five. It may take more or less but for the most part it seems to be true.

So far, you may not have asked the question of the right people.

When a problem repeats, you have learned that what was done before either was not enough or was not effective, and that is already a step toward full resolution. When a problem repeats, there is always additional insight to be gained. Something is different than before, observed by a different person, different circumstances, different customer, different product, different process involved. All of this also should help you to find a common point that can help find the true cause.

When a problem repeats, it often helps to use additional resources to determine what went wrong. Consider asking a few people that may have insight to the issue to participate in a brainstorming session to resolve it.

Remember that the true expert on any topic is the user (operators, machinists, assembler, etc.). It helps to involve such specialists. Always involve the manager involved. It is always inefficient for the quality manager to be responsible for resolving all nonconformances by themselves.

I hope this helps.
 
C

Citizen Kane

Hi !

I think you didn't found the clear root cause yet. If it still appears, it means they are giving "tratment" for the wrong cause.
 
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