(16a) Ensure Sustainable Solutions and Employee Engagement Using Root Cause Analysis

Now, many of us were introduced to Root Cause Analysis (RCA) when we participated in a safety or process incident investigation. This powerful tool is useful for not only driving to the root cause of an incident (whether it is safety, quality, or a process incident), but also is very helpful to drive operational excellence and shift the mindsets and behaviors of an organization. It can help generate excitement and identify additional improvements. The RCA process is not just for safety but can drive operational excellence by evaluating process upsets, quality issues, or any other defined defect in your business.

It is very important to use this tool to identify the root causes of an issue, versus play the ‘blame game’. This must be driven from the top as a key message to the organization that their safety and work environment is very important to the business. Leaders must not only champion a culture where safety isn't just a priority but work hand in hand with their teams to drive this core value and engrain it in every fiber of the organization. By embracing RCFA, we're not just fixing problems; we're sculpting a workplace where excellence thrives, where every member feels empowered to shape their environment positively. This gets reinforced by creating strong action items to address the issues/causes, measuring performance improvements, and celebrating the small wins.

In addition, this process helps to build employee engagement. A diverse team of individuals from each role in the process must participate to ensure a thorough investigation. In each step of the process, the team has to work collaboratively to achieve the same goal. The brainstorming sessions can also be used to identify additional sustainable solutions to meet business needs. This paper will provide a high-level overview of an RCFA process, and highlight the key steps needed to ensure it is a collaborative process to drive quality improvement and sustainable work processes and build employee engagement. The brainstorming sessions can also be used to identify additional sustainable solutions to meet business needs.