Overview of Brainstorming Techniques

We utilize Brainstorming techniques to populate a Cause and Effect Diagram

seeking ALL possible causes for our issue of concern.

Cause and Effect

Effect Diagram
Diagram
People Machine Method

The
The YY
The or
Problem
Problem
Problem
Condition
The X’s
X’s
(Causes)

l
Material Measurement
Measurement Environment
Environment Categories

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 Cause and Effect Diagram

Cause and
Cause
Effect
andDiagram
Effect Diagram

People
People Machine
Machine Method
Method

The
TheYY

The
Problem or

The X’s
X’s Problem
Problem
Condition

(Causes)

l
Material
Material Measurement
Measurement Environment
Environment
Categories
Categories

Products Categories for the legs of the Transactional

– Measurement diagram can use templates for – People
– People products or transactional – Policy
– Method symptoms. Or you can select the – Procedure
– Materials categories by process step or – Place
– Equipment what you deem appropriate for – Measurement
– Environment the situation. – Environment

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 Cause and Effect Diagram

The Measurement category groups Root Causes related to the measurement and
measuring of a process activity or output:
Examples of questions to ask:
• Is there a metric issue? Measurement
• Is there a valid measurement
system? Is the data good
enough?
• Is data readily available?
Y

The People category groups Root Causes related to people, staffing and
Organizational structure:
Examples of questions to ask: People
• Are people trained, do they
have the right skills?
• Is there person to person
Y
variation?
• Are people over-worked, under-worked?
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 Cause and Effect Diagram

The Method category groups Root Causes related to how the work is done, the way the
process is actually conducted:
Examples of questions to ask: Method
• How is this performed?
• Are procedures correct?
• What might be unusual? Y

The Materials category groups Root Causes related to parts, supplies, forms or
information needed to execute a process:

Examples of questions to ask:

• Are bills of material current? Y
• Are parts or supplies obsolete?
• Are there defects in the materials?

Materials
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 Cause and Effect Diagram

The Equipment category groups Root Causes related to tools used in the process:

Examples of questions to ask:

• Have machines been serviced recently, what
is the uptime? Y
• Have tools been properly maintained?
• Is there variation?
Equipment

The Environment (a.k.a. Mother Nature) category groups Root Causes related to our work
environment, market conditions and regulatory issues.
Examples of questions to ask:
• Is the workplace safe and comfortable?
• Are outside regulations impacting the Y
business?
• Does the company culture aid the
process?
Environment
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 Classifying the X’s

The Cause & Effect Diagram is a tool to generate opinions about possible
causes for defects.

For each of the X’s identified in the diagram classify them as follows:
– Controllable: C (Knowledge)
– Procedural: P (People, Systems)
– Noise: N (External or Uncontrollable)

Think of procedural as a subset of controllable. Unfortunately many

procedures within a company are not well controlled and can cause the
defect level to increase. The classification methodology is used to separate
the X’s so they can be used in the X-Y Matrix and the FMEA taught later in
this module.

WHICH X’s CAUSE DEFECTS?

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 Chemical Purity Example

Measurement Manpower Materials

Incoming QC (P) Training on method (P) Raw Materials (C)

Measurement Insufficient staff (C)

Method (P) Skill Level (P) Multiple Vendors (C)

Measurement
Capability (C) Adherence to procedure (P) Specifications (C)

Work order variability (N)

Chemical
Startup inspection (P) Room Humidity (N) Column Capability (C) Purity
Handling (P) RM Supply in Market (N) Nozzle type (C)
Purification Method (P) Shipping Methods (C) Temp controller (C)

Data collection/feedback (P)

Methods Mother Nature Equipment

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