Root Cause Analysis

Assignment Content

1. Root Cause Analysis

   Now that you have completed a Gemba Walk and have gathered information about the organization and identified opportunities to eliminate inefficiencies, reduce waste, improve a product, or streamline a process, it is time to take a closer look at these problems and get to the root cause of why they are happening.

   Additional Resources

   For more information about how to use 5 Whys or a Fishbone diagram to conduct a root cause analysis, check out the following links:

   • 5 Whys: Getting to the Root of a Problem Quickly
   • Cause and Effect Analysis: Identifying the Likely Causes of Problems

2. Assignment Instructions

   Create either a 5 Whys or a Fishbone diagram for each of the two short-term opportunities and the one long-term opportunity you identified during your Gemba Walk. Work through each step of the 5 Whys or Fishbone processes to find the root cause(s) of each problem.