Learn the skills and tools used in root cause analysis to identify and solve problems with this free online course.

Many approaches to identifying the fundamental issue at the root of a problem have evolved. One of the most important and efficient problem-solving approaches in many organisations is root cause analysis (RCA). RCA is a process for identifying the underlying causes of problems and developing a systematic response to them. In this course, your instructor, Robert Chapman, will walk you through the process he employs when conducting a root cause analysis, which always guarantees success in any organisation. We begin by exploring the fundamentals of root cause analysis, its importance and how it can benefit any organisation. Moving on, we'll introduce you to the steps involved in delivering a practical root cause analysis, such as 'defining the problem', 'collecting data', 'identifying possible causes' and many more. 

The following section delves deeper into the phases of effectively delivering a root cause analysis. You'll learn how to come up with a statement that defines a specific problem of a given situation and how this problem affects customers' needs. Documenting a situation's characteristics and specifications will assist you in answering questions such as 'when did the issue occur?' or 'is this a recurring circumstance?'. Discover how to collect data for RCA and use it to determine potential causal factors of an issue. Finding solutions to an identified problem is not enough because companies' process procedures may change over time and these solutions become ineffective. In light of this, it is vital to put in control measures to monitor solutions. In this course, you will study how to implement control measures effectively. 

The root cause analysis tools help one conduct RCA and determine the underlying cause of an event or problem. A single person can use many root cause analysis tools, but the results are generally better when a group of people collaborate to identify the problem and its cause. Finally, we highlight the most commonly used RCA tools and how a team can use them to identify underlying issues in an organisation. You'll learn about the Pareto chart, the ‘Five Whys’, the fishbone diagram, drill down, FMEA and the error log tool. Explore the different categories of errors. This course is essential for learners in any industry who wish to improve their careers, businesses and organisations. The benefits of root cause analysis include millions of dollars in revenue saved, thousands of hours preserved, increased work quality, improved customer satisfaction and more. Sign up for this free course and immediately improve your organisation.