CQIA Root Cause Analysis 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: In a fishbone diagram, which category of causes is MOST likely to include calibration errors in measurement equipment?
- Methods
- Machines
- Measurement (Correct answer)
- Materials
Correct answer: Measurement
Calibration errors belong in the Measurement category of a fishbone (Ishikawa) diagram.
Question 2: Which technique involves repeatedly asking 'Why?' until the fundamental cause of a problem is uncovered?
- Pareto analysis
- 5 Whys (Correct answer)
- Scatter diagram
- Control chart
Correct answer: 5 Whys
The 5 Whys technique drills down through symptom layers by repeatedly asking 'Why?' to reach the root cause.
Question 3: A team notices that defects spike every Monday morning. Which root cause category should they investigate first?
- Materials
- Methods
- Machines
- Environment or People (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Environment or People
A Monday morning pattern often points to shift-change, startup procedures, or staffing issues — Environment or People causes.
Question 4: What is the PRIMARY purpose of verifying a root cause before implementing corrective action?
- To satisfy regulatory requirements
- To ensure the fix addresses the actual cause rather than a symptom (Correct answer)
- To document the problem for auditors
- To assign responsibility to the correct department
Correct 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.
Question 5: A scatter diagram shows a strong positive correlation between oven temperature and product hardness. What can the team conclude?
- Temperature causes hardness
- There is a relationship worth investigating further (Correct answer)
- Hardness causes temperature changes
- No useful information is available
Correct 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.
Question 6: Which tool is BEST for prioritizing which root causes to address first when multiple causes have been identified?
- Fishbone diagram
- Pareto chart (Correct answer)
- Run chart
- Flowchart
Correct answer: Pareto chart
A Pareto chart identifies the vital few causes responsible for most defects, helping teams prioritize their improvement efforts.
Question 7: 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?
- Equipment failure
- Process/method deficiency (Correct answer)
- Raw material variation
- Environmental condition
Correct answer: Process/method deficiency
A missing or incomplete written procedure is a process/method deficiency that allows non-conforming behavior to occur.
CQIA Root Cause Analysis 2
In a fishbone diagram, which category of causes is MOST likely to include calibration errors in measurement equipment?