Prepare for Problem Solving Effort
Define and
Quantify symptom,
identify customer
and affected
parties
Is an Emergency
Response Action
required?
YES
NO
Select ERA and
Verify
ERA Verified?
YES
Develop Action
Plan, Implement
and Validate ERA
ERA
Validated?
Gather and
review available NO
data
Does the
proposed Do we have Address symptom
Problem meet the NO enough YES using other
application information? methods
criteria?
YES
Will this
duplicate an
Provide data to the
existing problem YES
existing team
solving
effort?
NO
Initiate Problem
Solving Process
Problem Solving Flow 1 Of 11 1/27/2003
Establish the Team
Identify Champion
Identify Team
Leader
Determine Skills
and Knowledge
team will need
Select Team
Members
Establish Team
Goals and
Mambership Roles
Establish
Operation
Procedures and
working
relationships of
the team
Problem Solving Flow 2 Of 11 1/27/2003
Describe the Problem
NO
Review Available
data
Collect and
analyze data
Review
application criteria
step for each
Can symptom
symptom refer to YES
be subdivided?
Prepare for
Problem Solving
Effort
NO Does
Does Problem
Problem describe
describe a "Never
a "Something NO
Been There"
State Symptom as Changed"
Situation?
an object and Situation?
defect
YES
NO
Do we know
cause? (5-Whys) Review Problem
description with
customer and
affected parties
YES
Document problem
statement
Initiate
development of
problem
description
Identify process
flow
Identify additional
data required
Problem Solving Flow 3 Of 11 1/27/2003
Develop Interim Containment Action
Review data from
Problem
Emergency
Description
Response Action
Select an ICA
NO
Verify the ICA
Is there
verification that the
customer is protected
and no new problems
will result?
YES
Develop ICA
Implementation
Plan (Action Plan)
Implement ICA
Problem Solving Flow 4 Of 11 1/27/2003
Define & Verify Root Cause &
Escape Point (part 1 of 3)
Review and
update Problem
Description
Identify
differences,
changes and
develop theories
NO
Test theories
against problem
description
Does the theory
explain all the
known data?
YES
NO
Can the
"Most Likely Cause"
be verified? (make the
problem come
and go)
YES
Acknowledge
Root Cause
Is there more To Root
than one YES Cause Flow
Root Cause?
NO
To Escape
Point Flow
Problem Solving Flow 5 Of 11 1/27/2003
Define & Verify Root Cause
(part 2 of 3)
From Define
Root Cause
Do we
Do the Root
need to initiate
Causes account
Separate Problem YES Refer to Describe
for all of the YES
Solving efforts for (Preferred) the Problem Flow
Problem
each Root Cause
Description?
identified?
NO
Evaluate alternate
methods with
team Champion
Use current Use alternate
NO
process? methods
YES
Acknowledge
Root Causes
Problem Solving Flow 6 Of 11 1/27/2003
Verify Escape Point
(part 3 of 3)
From Root
Cause
Review Process
Flow & identify
control Points for
Root Cause(s)
Does a control
system exist to detect
the problem?
NO
Identify Control
point closest to
the Root Cause
Is the
control point Acknowledge the
capable of NO control system as
detecting the Not Capable
problem?
YES
Acknowledge the
Acknowledge
control point as
need for Improved
verified Escape
Control System
Point
Problem Solving Flow 7 Of 11 1/27/2003
Choose & Verify PCA for Root Cause
& Escape Point
Input from Escape
Input from Root Point Flow or
Cause Flow Need to Improve
Control System
Establish decision Establish decision
criteria criteria
Identify Possible
Identify Possible
Actions including
Actions
ICA
NO NO
Choose the "Best" Choose the "Best"
Permanent Permanent
Corrective Action Corrective Action
(PCA) (PCA)
Testing NO Testing
verifies the verifies the
PCA PCA
YES YES
Re-evaluate ICA & Identify possible
PCA for Escape actions that
Point improve ICA
Champion
concurs in
PCA selection?
Verified PCA for Verified PCA for
YES YES
Root Cause Escape Point
Problem Solving Flow 8 Of 11 1/27/2003
Implement & Validate Permanent
Corrective Actions (PCAs)
Verified PCA for Verified PCA for
Root Cause Escape Point
Develop Action Develop Action
Plan for PCA Plan for PCA
Implement PCA Implement PCA
Plan Plan
Remove ICA and
evaluate PCA for Remove ICA
Escape Point
Perform Validation Perform Validation
Confirm with
customer, using
the symptom
measurable, that
the symptom has
been eliminated
Problem Solving Flow 9 Of 11 1/27/2003
Prevent Recurrence
Review the Identify & choose
Implemented PCAs
history of the Preventive
& Validation data
problem Actions
Analyze how this
Verify Preventive
problem occurred
Actions
and escaped
Are the
Identify affected
Preventive
parties & NO
Actions
opportunities for
effective? NO
similar problems to
occur & escape
Identify the system's
policies, practices, & Develop Action
procedures that Plan
allowed this problem to
occur and escape to
the customer
Champion
Analyze how
agree
similar problems
with identified
could be
Preventive
addressed
Actions?
YES
Implement
Preventive
Actions
Develop Systemic
preventive
recommendations
Preventive Actions
for present problem
Present systemic
preventive Preventive Actions
recommendations for similar problem
to process owner
Systemic preventive
recommendations
Problem Solving Flow 10 Of 11 1/27/2003
Recognize Team & Individual
Contributions
Preventive Actions for
present problem
Select key
Preventive Actions for documents &
similar problem provide for their
retention
Systemic preventive
recommendations
Review the
Team's process &
documentTeam
Lessons Learned
Recognize the
entire team's
collective efforts
in solving the
problem
Mutually recognize
all contributions to
the problem
solving process
Problem & Team Closure
Problem Solving Flow 11 Of 11 1/27/2003