Poor Root Cause Identification
An example here could be –for an error that caused a part to be made that did not
fit into the machine assembly:
• Why did the part not fit? – The part was too small.
• Why was the part too small? – The measurements were incorrect.
•
Why were the measurements incorrect? – The mechanical engineer did
not take down the dimensions correctly.
•
Why didn’t he take down right dimensions? – Because his tools were not
calibrated properly.
•
Why his tools were not calibrated properly? – Because of his ignorance.
After the 5 Whys approach, a company needs to refer to cross-functional resources
to have confirmed information about the root cause(s).
Having great tools and CAPA management software improves the root cause
determination, which will result in an effective CAPA process in the longer run.
Make sure you don’t ignore the root cause aspect to keep all your quality
management effective.