Root Cause Analysis Flashcards

In a fishbone diagram, which category of causes is MOST likely to include calibration errors in measurement equipment?

Answer: Measurement

Calibration errors belong in the Measurement category of a fishbone (Ishikawa) diagram.

Which technique involves repeatedly asking 'Why?' until the fundamental cause of a problem is uncovered?

Answer: 5 Whys

The 5 Whys technique drills down through symptom layers by repeatedly asking 'Why?' to reach the root cause.

A team notices that defects spike every Monday morning. Which root cause category should they investigate first?

Answer: Environment or People

A Monday morning pattern often points to shift-change, startup procedures, or staffing issues — Environment or People causes.

What is the PRIMARY purpose of verifying a root cause before implementing corrective action?

Answer: To ensure the fix addresses the actual cause rather than a symptom

Verification ensures that corrective actions target the true root cause, preventing recurrence rather than just masking symptoms.

A scatter diagram shows a strong positive correlation between oven temperature and product hardness. What can the team conclude?

Answer: There is a relationship worth investigating further

Correlation indicates a relationship but does not prove causation; further investigation is needed to establish cause and effect.

Which tool is BEST for prioritizing which root causes to address first when multiple causes have been identified?

Answer: Pareto chart

A Pareto chart identifies the vital few causes responsible for most defects, helping teams prioritize their improvement efforts.

During root cause analysis, a team discovers that operators skip a required inspection step because it is not in the written procedure. What type of root cause is this?

Answer: Process/method deficiency

A missing or incomplete written procedure is a process/method deficiency that allows non-conforming behavior to occur.