Root Cause Analysis: Improving Performance for Bottom-Line Results, Third Edition (PLANT ENGINEERING SERIES) [Hardcover]

Robert J. Latino (Author), Kenneth C. Latino (Author), Mark A. Latino (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0849353408 | ISBN-13: 978-0849353406 | Publication Date: May 5, 2006 | Edition: 3

There is no easy answer to the question, “What is RCA?” Some will give a general idea of what Root Cause Analysis (RCA) is designed to accomplish, while others will advocate a specific approach. In this third edition of the best-selling Root Cause Analysis: Improving Performance for Bottom-Line Results, acclaimed experts Robert and Kenneth Latino offer a broad look at the various types of approaches to RCA, comparing their pros and cons while supplying practical tools for implementing or improving current RCA initiatives.

This edition expands the scope of RCA, taking a holistic approach that includes recent perspectives, opportunity analysis, and RCA’s fit with current initiatives such as Total Quality Management (TQM) and Six Sigma. In addition to a broader perspective, the book presents updated and expanded material including: a chapter devoted to problem-solving/brainstorming; methodology versus software; using the PROACT^® approach complimented by the PROACT^® Enterprise Version 3.0 software; discussion of the various conflicting definitions of common terms used in RCA; and a focus on measuring ROI.

Emphasizing the organizational support necessary for successful RCA efforts, Root Cause Analysis: Improving Performance for Bottom-Line Results, Third Edition demystifies the concepts involved in effective RCA and presents hands-on guidance for program enactment.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Unfortunately, hero-based maintenance, noble as it is, is not the most effective business strategy and points to a reactive corporate culture. … The problem solving methods discussed in this book cover much more than how to determine the obvious cause of the problem. This book discusses how to set up a blame free methodology that encourages deeper problem discovery that results in permanent solutions. It stresses that Root Cause Analysis requires a dedicated team coupled with management support and explains ways to communicate the impact so a business case can be made. Best of all it teaches how to create an entire company of proactive problem solvers that will move your operation to the next level of profitability and effectiveness. … I am confident that this book will have a profound effect on your problem solving ability.
-From the Foreword by Terrence O'Hanlon, CMRP, Publisher, Reliabilityweb.com

About the Author

Latino; Kenneth Meridium, Inc., Roanoke, Virginia, USA,Latino; Robert J. Reliability Center, Inc., Hopewell, Virginia, USA, --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: CRC Press; 3 edition (May 5, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0849353408
• ISBN-13: 978-0849353406
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,096,026 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

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

By 

Nigel Dove (Montreal, Quebec, Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Root Cause Analysis: Improving Performance for Bottom Line Results (Hardcover)

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.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Plant Engineering Magazine Senior Editor, March 1, 2000

By 

Jeanine Katzel - See all my reviews

This review is from: Root Cause Analysis: Improving Performance for Bottom Line Results (Hardcover)

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.

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

This review is from: Root Cause Analysis: Improving Performance for Bottom Line Results (Hardcover)

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.