Seven Deadly Sins or How to find Root Cause

Seven Deadly Sins or How to find Root Cause

 

In an odd way, I just got hold of a September 2003 Article from ASQ's Quality Journal titled The Seven Deadly Sins of Quality Management.  The title is clever...better still is the content.

 

The article is a proposal of seven general "roots" that the author believes fall at the base of most root cause analyses.  In any lean system, we must be looking for the root causes of waste and this article futhers the search. 

 

In my experience, the 5 Whys technique of root cause analysis is very useful and teachable.  The difficulty, inevitably, comes when one gets to the third (and always by the fourth) why.  Prof Dew in this article proposes that there are ultimately seven root causes, which the "whys" will lead to, specifically:

 

1.       Placing budgets ahead of quality.

2.       Placing schedule ahead of quality.

3.       Placing organizational politics ahead of quality.

4.       Being arrogant.

5.       Lacking fundamental knowledge, research or education.

6.       Pervasively believing in entitlement.

7.       Practicing autocratic behaviors, resulting in "endullment."

 

A worthwhile article...I applied it already today to a problem I found.  If these are the roots, this list can help us get to the root more quickly.  I encourage you to read it.   

 

I hope this is helpful.