Root cause analysis (RCA) is a Six Sigma tool designed to identify the underlying causes of defects and problems within a process. Understanding the source of any defect or problem is the first step toward developing valuable process changes to detect and prevent it.
RCA data can help teams identify and improve their processes through:
- Data analysis - looking at the collected data for trends and insights, which can be helpful when the team's focus is primarily on improving process effectiveness
- Process analysis - analyzing the process through process maps and value stream maps, which can help identify bottlenecks and wasted steps that can be lessened or eliminated, improving process efficiency