The number of problems that a company can dissect and prevent is a function of the time it takes to conduct the investigation. The investigation time is largely based on the facilitator’s ability to collect and organize relevant information. Certainly, if there is a lack of evidence, to provide clear cause-and-effect relationships, the investigation stalls. But many investigations move too slowly even when information is readily available.
An effective facilitator should begin collecting information as soon as they become aware an incident occurred. Answers to the following questions can typically be captured immediately after an incident occurs: what do people see as the problem, when did it happen, was anything being done differently, where did it happen, which equipment did it involve, which work process was being performed, was anyone injured, were there any environmental issues, any customer issues, any impact to production or schedule, any damaged property or materials, any additional labor costs because of this issue and has it happened before.
These questions, with appropriate space for responses, are part of the Problem Outline within the Cause Mapping method. The Problem Outline, within our Excel Cause Mapping template, can be carried as a hardcopy to wherever the information is located. This gives the facilitator the ability and direction to collect details right away. Notice the list of questions doesn’t even address the causes.
As the facilitator is collecting information for the Problem Outline, people will most likely explain some of the cause-and-effect relationships. The facilitator writes down all the causes and all the evidence people provide. Even though there may be limited information, what is known and what is unknown should be written on the Cause Map. The unknowns and uncertainties are designated with questions marks. Creating a visual map of the cause-and-effect relationships structures and organizes the entire analysis. As more information is collected, it’s added to the same Cause Map.
Many investigations begin fairly basic and a little blurry. As details are collected, the incident comes into focus. The ease of documentation using the Cause Mapping method, whether it’s with paper or in Excel, changes the rate at which an organization can investigate problems. Check the problem solving velocity of your organization and let us show you how to improve it.
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