RCA Solutions

We are going to conclude our Root Cause Analysis Process by working through the three remaining elements of the process

• Effective Solutions
• Corrective Actions
• Future Issues and Follow up

Effective Solutions

It is not the root causes we are searching for now, it is effective solutions that should meet the following criteria:

• Prevents Recurrence
• Is within your control
• Meets your Goals and Objectives
• Must provide reasonable value
• Does not create additional problems

Solutions must be offered for each identified cause listed on the Cause and Effect Chart.

• Focus on one cause at a time
• Ask what can be done to change, control, or prevent this one cause from happening
• Don’t judge ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ at this stage
• Be creative
• Remember that solutions control specific causes
• Evaluate possible solutions using the five criteria listed above

The following may be helpful when working through the process of satisfying the criteria:

• Solutions should be specific actions
• Look for systematic solutions
• The solution may be ‘do nothing’
• Be creative
• Improve your thinking
• Tapping available resources

Solution Killers

Be wary of negative influences both inside your team and also from outside forces. There will always be people who will gladly supply a list of what I have termed ‘Solution Killers’.

This is an example of some of the statements that may be directed in your direction but remember you and your well-trained team have worked the process and come up with the best and preferred solution. Don’t allow other negative-minded resources to deflate your optimism.

• It will never work here
• We’re too busy to do that
• No one will buy it!
• We already tried that once
• That’s not our policy
• It isn’t in the budget
• Good thought, but impractical
• Top management will never go for it
• Wrong!
• No one else is doing it that way
• Good idea, we’ll get back to you
• I’ve always done it that way

Corrective Actions

Corrective action is an aspect of quality management that aims to rectify a task, process, product, or even a person’s behavior when any of the identified factors produce errors or have deviated from an intended plan. They can be thought of as improvements for an organization to eliminate undesirable effects and validate the identified root causes. The objective of corrective action is to remove the root cause and prevent a problem from ever happening again. The corrective action should correspond to the root cause identified earlier in order to eliminate the real root cause and prevent the recurrence of the problem.

Sometimes the equipment repair is as simple as turning a switch or adjusting a valve but often it involves replacing a major component or occasionally the entire machine. In an attempt to fix the issue, the troubleshooter will test, analyze and retest the equipment. It’s vitally important that the cause of the problem is eliminated rather than just fixing the component that’s affected. Failing to deal with the actual cause such as adjusting another component to compensate for the problem will always lead to further complications and future breakdowns.

Corrective Action Verification

The purpose is to prove that the issue no longer exists and the verification must be thorough. When there are both quick and long procedures available, the longer method is preferable even if it may take more time. This helps to ensure the problem is rectified and not mask another issue, which will repeat the breakdown. During the verification process, these observations should be made:

• Check all gauges, readings, and physical operations that relate to the repaired item
• Perform manufacturer’s recommended process to verify the component’s integrity, the system, or the entire piece of machinery
• Using approved procedures, establish normal operating conditions, and check the equipment while running

By thoroughly verifying the equipment’s proper operation, the operator and the troubleshooter are relatively assured that the problem has been correctly resolved. To help ensure the problem doesn’t reoccur, a follow-up procedure must be done.

Prevent Future issues

Future issues can be prevented by simply following up. The necessary actions may include:

• Altering the preventive maintenance schedule or procedure
• Recommending procedure modifications for more dependable performance
• Conducting operator/maintainer awareness training
• Changing suppliers of components or services
• Completing proper and detailed documentation of the problem and repair in the equipment logbook to assist while troubleshooting similar problems in the future

Although the system test, retest, and preventive measures may not seem as important as isolating the problem, fixing it, and getting the machine back in operation, the time spent is vital to long-term productive performance.

As you will now appreciate, Root Cause Analysis is a serious but invaluable tool when it comes to Failure Analysis. It may seem to be a heavy task to get off the ground, implement and work with but it will produce an overwhelming treasure chest of invaluable solutions that will directly impact any organization’s operational efficiency and bottom line profits.

There are a further three Statistical Tools, which can perform a vital function when it comes to Failure Analysis and these we will discuss in the final chapters. 

For more information email us at info@strobe-al.co.za or visit www.strobe-al.co.za