Step 4. Find Possible Causes and Plan for Improvement
Purpose
To find the root cause of problems identified in the previous step and to develop a plan to implement changes in the way the work is done to remove the root causes of error, rework or things gone wrong or to capture an opportunity for improvement.
Outcome
Once this step is completed, you will have identified root causes of error, waste or rework and have specified a prioritised plan to remove these. The plan will have been developed into a Business Case that has been agreed to by all stakeholders and resources allocated.
Team Formation
At the end of this step, your commitment to improve will be interpreted into a set of integrated improvement activities, each described by a Scope Statement.
Sub Step
4.1 Determine most likely CAUSES
Tools/Techniques that Could Help
Cause and Effect Diagram
Brainstorming
Nominal Group Technique
Delphi Technique
Affinity Diagram
Interrelationship Digraph
Pareto charts
4.2 Collect and analyse data
Checksheets
Run Charts and Control Charts
Histograms
Scattergrams
4.3 Select improvement actions
Cause and Effect Diagram
Pareto charts
Force Field Analysis
Tree diagram
Prioritisation matrix
4.4 Identify the 'in process' and 'results' measures
4.5 Develop the action plan
4.6 Produce Business Case
Customer requirements
Deployment flowcharts
Information from step 4.3
Use the headings to develop your case
4.7 Get agreement to plan and allocation of resources
Involve sponsor and call together people who need to participate in the discussion for the decision to go ahead
4.8 Communicate the plan and train people
Gantt chart
Results and process analysis
Storyboard