This document provides 4 questions to help establish the point of cause when solving problems: 1. What is wrong? Is it dangerous? Does it require containment or immediate action? 2. Is the issue in one place or multiple locations? Is it in a certain step or activity? 3. When does the issue happen? Always? Every time? Intermittently? With what action? 4. Who might know about the issue? Who has information? Who is affected?

1. Establishing
Point of Cause
4 questions
to help us improve our
problem solving

2. Created by Tom Curtis 2011
Blog: www.onimproving.blogspot.com
Presentations: on www.slideshare.net/onimproving
Email: ideamerchants@gmail.com
Twitter: @onimproving

3. Establishing point of cause is often overlooked
in trying to solve problems. If we can figure
out when and where an issue is happening, we
will improve our ability to find root causes
and then create and apply corrective actions.
What follows is 4 questions to help us.

4. What?
What is wrong?
Think: Is it dangerous?
Issue Is containment required?
Is immediate action required?

5. Where?
Is it in one place
Think: or multiple?
Location Is it in a certain step
or activity?

6. When?
When does it happen?
Always?
Think:
Every time?
Time
Intermittent?
With what action?

7. Who?
Who might know?
Think:
Who has information?
People
Who is effected?

8. Point of Cause: