Root Cause Analysis (RCA) is a method of problem solving used for identifying the root causes of faults or problems. It is widely used in IT operations, manufacturing, telecommunications, industrial process control, accident analysis (e.g., in aviation, rail transport, or nuclear plants), medicine (for medical diagnosis), healthcare industry (e.g., for epidemiology), etc.
Root Cause Analysis (RCA) is the formal search for an individual or group of interacting true causes of a problem. The trick is to use the right tool to identify the root cause of a problem and not just the symptoms of a problem. It is common to find more than just one root cause…
Recently, technical discussions at a recent company revealed that there were four different meanings for the term “uptime”. In addition, at another global manufacturer, four plants in the same country utilized different definitions of OEE. Often, the data sources used, as well as the variable definitions and computational procedures are different. Also, plants tend to develop their…
I have been quizzed by some readers, “What do currencies in general – and the challenges facing the Euro and its member countries in particular – have to do with Operational Excellence?” For that matter, what do discussions that involve “geo-politics” have to do with Operational Excellence? Both are very fair questions.
I hear people talking about “WIP” and I have to say that I have no Idea what they are talking about. Also, I hear this “WIP thing” used when they want to reduce the time it takes to do parts in a manufacturing plant. What are they talking about, and how can this help me speed up…
The nation of Greece is bankrupt. Let’s just say it plainly and simply. Let’s not use “poli-speak” words aimed at soothing the sting or trying to maintain someone’s self-esteem such as; “insolvent”, or “challenged”, or “bust”. And let’s be even more plain, any manner of restructuring of debt, other than “arm’s length” transaction, is the admission of…
The directive was clear, “You have a week to find a way to defuse our ‘process bombs.” This was the challenge put out by the new Vice President at a Fortune 200 company upon inheriting a business process fraught with delays and errors. It is amazing what a sense of urgency and an aggressive deadline will…
