Bespoke Root Cause Analysis Training?

‘Bespoke – made to order; built or adapted for a specific user or purpose…’.

Quite often we receive an enquiry for bespoke Root Cause Analysis (RCA) training. Namely, “Do you do RCA for aviation, or do you do RCA for finance?” This is an interesting question as there is, I believe, an unspoken question hidden within the enquiry, which is “Will your RCA method suit our discipline, sector or situation?”

This is an understandable concern, as each discipline and/or sector feels that their experiences and problems are unique. So here is the good news. The problems and experiences each organisation experiences may be unique but the process and method for understanding and solving them is universal.

And with this universality across sectors come many advantages. A transferable method for analysing problems, events, incidents, risks and aspirations is transformative for many critical reasons:

• No need to select a different tool or method for each new problem or challenge.
• This leads to frequency of use, which results in excellence.
• A common problem-solving language and culture take root.
• Problem solvers can migrate easily and effectively throughout an organisation.
• Communication improves between departments.
• Departments better understand the impact of their decision making
• Individual team members feel more engaged with the solution process.
• Because it is universal, in everyday use, the Sologic RCA process begins to not only to change operations but it also changes how the organisation perceives problems – creating a much more open, transparent and dynamic culture

All very positive but of course to coin an old phrase ‘The proof of the pudding is in the eating’.  So, does this ‘theory’ work in practice?

Well, my experience, reports from my colleagues and most importantly the views of our customers certainly endorse these outcomes. 

 I train on some of our public courses, in these sessions I will have people from multiple sectors. Sometimes in the room I will have individuals from the Oil and Gas industry, Healthcare, the Finance Sector, Retail, Charity and Shipping for example – I will teach them in one class using one set of materials. Teaching one process, one standardised, structured approach to problem solving.  They all embrace the method, and addressing problems from different perspectives, as they do, their problem-solving effectiveness is often extraordinary.

Furthermore, when I am called on to manage an RCA investigation, I rarely have experience in that particular organisation, and frequently don’t have any sector specific knowledge. Far from being a disadvantage, I am able to rely on the Sologic RCA process and facilitation techniques. The method will guide team members to communicate with each other in an objective manner, to apply logic and to build the sense of empowerment which enables them to solve their own problems.

Of course, we can and do tailor case studies to a sector, particularly when we are working on ‘in-house’ courses or providing a round of skills development training. And we are continually adding to the range of events, issues and problems that form our case study work. However, the reassuring news is that the underlying method remains the same.

In order to achieve this, the heart of the method itself has to be relatively straight-forward – Sologic Root Cause Analysis fulfils this by having five simple steps. This does not mean it is simplistic, indeed, it has the capability of dealing with highly complex problems, nor does it mean that it is always easy. It does require training, plenty of practice and an organisation that is prepared to support the Root Cause Analysis process and build the confidence of their practitioners.  But those firms that are prepared to do this take the first steps to embedding a powerful problem solving process that is capable of delivering transformative change in even the largest organisations.

If you would like to discuss how Sologic RCA might work for you or your organisation, please contact us.