Root cause analysis is a generic term used commonly to refer to structured problem solving within organisations. REASON Root Cause Analysis is most accurately described as a business-process-oriented root cause analysis system.
Root cause analysis of an operations problem, from a REASON perspective, can best be described and defined as the lack of an adequate business process. Because control of operations within organisations is obtained through application of policies and procedures, effective root cause analysis must directly associate the root causes that permit and generate problems with the policies and procedures through which control can be accomplished.
REASON Root Cause Analysis equates risk of loss with the lack of operations control. Results of REASON Root Cause Analyses directly link root causes to specific systemic business process solutions.
Business processes are the designed ways within an organisation through which everything gets done: formally or informally, effectively or ineffectively, safely or unsafely, efficiently or inefficiently. Business processes are the only means by which an organisation can manage and focus its activities in the direction of quality and efficiency.
When any unwanted event occurs, root cause analysis will discover that there were business processes missing, or ill-suited, or unsupported that either generated or allowed the event to occur. Reason root cause analysis also clearly identifies the business systems that the executive can feel assured are working well and do minimise the opportunity for adverse outcomes to occur.
Root cause analysis solution pathways in the final analysis, regardless of what change is to be made within the organisation in order to deal with an operations problem, whether it is a human performance issue, or a facility issue, or an operations issue, are always to identify and remedy the business process that governs the activity, so that a change can be made that will not only correct the problem at hand, but also establish a systemic organisational control to avoid recurrence.
Root cause analysis, without this business process perspective to unify the process, can become a confusing collection of labels. Accordingly, there are human factors-styled root cause analyses, barrier root cause analyses, change, cause-and-effect, energy flow, and fault root cause analyses; in fact, without the unifying structure of a business process to link the different kinds of causes into some logical ordered system, there can be as many types of root cause analysis as there are categories of causes. The Reason root cause analysis methodology is a constantly applied methodology that can be used accross the whole business, creating a common problem solving language.
This helps to explain why there are so many seeming similar but differently labeled root cause analysis approaches. REASON combines the benefits of all of these fragmented approaches into one seamless process that helps you discover, identify and analyse all systemic sources of your operations problems and gain oversight and assurance around the business systems that are working well to mitigate your risks.
The unique ability to look for solutions within a single analysis process that encompass all of the different categories of causes present within a business process is what sets REASON Root Cause Analysis apart. Understanding the particular function and intent of each factor within a specific business process provides enhanced capabilities in root cause analysis solution discovery, trending, and decision support.
Notice:The contents of this website are protected by Australian (C) 2002 - 2006 Copyright REASON4 Consulting (Systemic-Resilient-Precision Pty Ltd) and/or U.S Copyright (C) 1979 - 2006 Decision Systems, Inc. All Rights Reserved, including excerpts from papers and presentations depicting the REASON® and RAID™ process from other sources.
