13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A very readable book detailing an excellent system, October 25, 2000
I co-ordinate a root cause troubleshooting clinic at a major engine manufacturer. We have had moderate success with our investigations and have developed several powerful methodologies. This book has taken our procedures one large step further with a coherent, effective method to analyse and document a problem to root cause. The combination of system diagram, logic tree and verification log described in the book is exactly the kind of methodology we needed and is proving very useful. The book is well written and is filled with useful guidelines for such required activities as information gathering and selection of the most productive analyses to perform. I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in root cause analysis.
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11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Plant Engineering Magazine Senior Editor, March 1, 2000
Closing the gap between the goals companies set and their actual situations is the overall focus of this book. Written by two experienced executives from the Reliability Center, Inc., the book helps readers identify, resolve, and eliminate the chronic plant floor issues, such as repeated equipment or system failures, that hinder the attainment of organizational goals.
Specialists in root cause analysis methodology, the authors discuss the roles of management and a root cause analysis team in prioritizing the problems to analyze, automationg the process, and helping to uncover the physical, human, and latent causes of undesirable workplace events. They point out that the gap between goals and reality that exists in virtually every industry leads to undesirable outcomes, failures, and incidents that siphon profits from the corporate coffers. To close the gap, they explain, companies must reinvent the way they work, understanding why errors occur and how to prevent them.
The book explains root cause analysis, which is a structured process designed to uncover the cause of any undesirable workplace event. The PROACT steps outlined in the book teach companies how to preserve event data, order the analysis team, analyze the data using logic trees, communicate findings and recommendations, and track for bottom-line results.
Case studies are used to illustrate the potential of root cause analysis, showing its effectiveness in particular in steelmaking, customer service, and manufacturing. Software for automating root cause analysis is also discussed. Informative, well-illustrated and well-organized text is worthwhile reading for any plant engineer seeking to understand why errors occur and to eliminate them, and have a direct positive impact on his company's bottom line.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent reference book for the Root Cause Analyst, July 13, 1999
By A Customer
I found the text to be easy reading and quite understandable. Having been a former student of this Root Cause Analysis (RCA) process years ago, the book provided a great refresher for me. I realized in reading the text that even had I not been privy to the RCA training provided by Reliability Center, Inc., it would have provided an excellent reference guide.
Having been a practitioner in the field of RCA , I was particularly impressed with the chapter on "Creating the Environment to Succeed" (Chapter 2). It clearly outlines the proactive steps for management to take to ensure the success of the effort, improving bottom-line performance. I have found this to be a necessity for any initiative in an organization.
RCA, as defined by RCI, is a tool that complements most continuous improvement processes such as TPM, RCM, and the like. The book brings the reader "out-of-the-box" and makes us realize that a failure or an event can just as easily be a customer complaint as an equipment failure. The real money to be saved in any organizations is the events that have been accepted as a cost of doing business rather than the once in a lifetime sporadic events.
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