6 steps beyond the 5 Whys - AMMJ

Conduct the Root Cause Analysis
During the RCA, the facilitator should
be inclusive, ask all the questions
that need to be asked, and pursue
all causal pathways to their logical
conclusions
Your goal is to conduct the RCA as soon as possible after the incident or
accident occurs – so that the information is still fresh in people’s minds
and remains untainted.
Appoint a time and place for the investigation to occur, as soon as the
required group can be convened. Then, once the group meets, set basic
ground rules around respecting others’ opinions and encouraging an
open dialogue.
The first task in an RCA is to define the problem. Add context to the
problem by including information about when and where it happened,
and clearly articulate the significance of the problem. This will
determine the time and resources allocated to resolving it – and is an
important beginning. At the end of the day it will also constitute your
business case that you present to management for endorsement of your
recommendations.
Then, create your cause and effect chart. Collect information from all
the people in the room and organise it logically according to the process
that you are using.
With the help of the entire group, you will gain a clear picture of the
problem at hand. At the same time, you will see what is unknown – and
thus what requires further investigation.