Root cause analysis
Root cause analysis (RCA)is the process of identifying the source of problems. The idea behind it is that an effective management strategy will not only solve problems but also prevent them in the future. How familiar are you with the process? Take this quiz to find out.
1. Root cause analysis is:
A. A way to determine who gets fired
B. A blame game and not worthy of time
C. Is only successful if management is not involved
D. Is only successful if everyone is involved
E. Is a step in ensuring that problems don’t reoccur
2. In RCA, a fish diagram _____.
A. Is used to order lunch for the team
B. Is a means to examine and diagram the inputs to the analysis
C. Is used by the Navy and Coast Guard only
D. Is only used for fire related incidents
E. Is used for particularly stinky situations
3. RCA brainstorming sessions _____.
A. Must be open and without judgement
B. Must be attended by management
C. Help determine who will be fired
D. Should be recorded for management
4. An RCA team should consist of:
A. Management only
B. Anyone that can contribute to the process with knowledge
C. The people impacted by the problem
D. Only people below management level
E. As many people as possible
5. RCA _____.
A. Should be used for every scenario
B. Should only be used if there is downtime
C. Is a once and done process
D. May need multiple iterations to be successful
E. Only works without management buy in
6. When performing RCA, it is important to _____.
A. Take the first problem as the cause
B. Drill down using the 5 why’s
C. Make sure to involve as few people as possible
D. Make sure not to involve the suspected person at fault
E. Involve customers whenever possible
7. When performing an RCA assessment, _____.
A. Understand that there may be multiple actions to fix the root cause
B. Understand that “blame a person” could potentially be the only outcome
C. Make sure to only involve 3 people
D. Should only be performed by outside resources
E. Should never involve outside resources
8. The “root cause” _____.
A. Is generally the most expensive one
B. Is the one the underlying cause that needs to be addressed
C. Is always a person
D. Is used as a means to terminate employees
E. Is always solved on the first day
9. RCA can be used for:
A. Downtime
B. Maintenance procedures
C. Quality control exercises
D. Accidents
E. All of the above
10. The first step to RCA is _____.
A. Finding all of the problems
B. Identifying the problem
C. Creating a queue of problems
D. Must start with corrective procedures
E. Should be a single person activity
