Articles by Results

Global 8D - Eight Wastes, Their Common Causes & Solutions

Posted by Graham Cripps on Tue, Aug 11, 2015 @ 04:40 PM

global_8d_logoGlobal 8D - Eight Wastes, Their Common Causes & Solutions

Our Subject Specialist, Graham Cripps, has produced a matrix showing the characteristics, causes and possible solutions to the Eight Wastes of Global 8D.

Download your copy here and if you have any questions email him directly on graham.cripps@resultsresults.co.uk

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Don't forget to check out our Global 8D pages here to find lots of useful resource to aid your G8D implementation

We also have a recommended reading list for you here

Enjoy, and don't forget we are here to answer any questions you may have!

The Results Team

 

Topics: Global 8D, G8D, problem prevention, 8D, 8D benefits, Business Process Improvement, Resources, lean, lean foundation

Global 8D – D0: Prepare for the G8D process

Posted by Graham Cripps on Thu, Jul 30, 2015 @ 09:00 AM

Global 8D – D0: Prepare for the G8D process

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Introduction - D0 Prepare for the Global 8D process (and establish the Emergency Response Action)

 

 

 

This is the first article in a series of nine that I will be publishing over the next two weeks, they will give a high level explanation of the  Global 8D Problem Solving process. In the this article I will be looking at the first step.

Each step will be complete with access to tools and templates that support the G8D process as well as those hints and help topics that would normally be included in our training program.

The steps are: 

D0 – Prepare for the G8D process

D1 – Establish the Team

D2 – Describe the problem

D3 – Develop the Interim Containment Action (ICA)

D4 – Define and verify root cause and escape point

D5 – Implement and validate the Permanent Corrective Action (PCA)

D6 - Implement and validate the PCA

D7 – Prevent recurrence

D8 – Recognise team and individual contributions

As we go through the G8D process I will be using a number of terms that may not be familiar to everyone. In all cases I will try and pre-empt your questions. However, if you need any further explanations you can contact me via our web site www.resultsresults.co.uk and I will do my best to assist you.

D0 – Prepare for the G8D Process

There are three activities within this first step: -

  • Determine if the problem warrants the effort of a full G8D process.

  • Protect the customer

  • Complete the G8D repsort

If it is established that a full G8D is not required then a simpler problem solving model should be used that will solve the problem at root cause.

Root cause is the level at which, when identified and eliminated, the problem cannot recur.

Determine if the problem warrants the effort of a full G8D process

The G8D process is a team based problem solving methodology. Team members will be involved, some times over long periods of time, in this problem solving activity. The G8D process is used if a problem meets the following criteria, it:

  • Has a definition of the symptom(s) - the symptom has been quantified.

  • Has identified the customer(s) and affected parties who experienced the symptom(s).

  • Has measurements to quantify the symptom(s) and demonstrate that a performance gap exists, and/or the priority (severity, urgency, growth) of the symptom warrants initiation of the process.

  • Has an unknown cause.

  • Has management commitment to dedicating the necessary resources to fix the problem at root cause level and to prevent recurrence.

  • Has a problem symptom complexity that exceeds the ability of one person to resolve the problem.

If any of the above is not met then a practical problem solving method should be applied. e.g. 5Y’s analysis etc.

Protect the customer

Protect the customer from the effects of the problem (symptom) by introducing an Emergency Response Action (ERA), this could either be an external or internal customer. The purpose of the ERA is to protect the customer from the effects of the problem and 'buy time' to be able to solve the problem at route cause.

The ERA should be verified before full implementation to ensure that it stops the symptom reaching the customer.i.e. should switch problem off whan put in place and switch problem on again when removed. Note: in some complex sittuations it may be necessary to model the ERA for verification purposes.

By its nature an ERA will add cost, so it is important to resolve the problem as quickly as possible. Once the problem has been fully understood, the ERA is reviewed and replaced with an Interim Containment Action (ICA). The ICA is normally more considered, and often more cost effective, than the ERA. We will discuss this further in D3.

Complete the G8D report (Template)

The G8D report has is a reporting summary for the G8D process efforts and is designed to be completed at each stage of the process (D0 to D8)

Global 8D Report

 

The report is laid out to facilitate a summary report at each stage of the process. This must be fully supported by all the data and activity reports that will be generated as a result of the problem solving effort.

The G8D report cannot be completed without the problem solving effort having identified the root cause(s) and the necessary corrective actions having taken place.

At every stage effort needs to be made to gather and record the necessary data and information to ensure the corrective actions are effective and for the business to benefit from the lessons learnt.

Assessing Questions

At the end of each stage there are a number of assessing questions that should be asked by the team leader or champion to ensure that all the factors have been considered and all necessary actions completed. 

You can download a copy below

I hope you will join me again for the next article when I will be discussing how to form an effective G8D Team.

Graham Cripps

Results Consortium Ltd

Download Your Global 8D Assessing Questions

 

Topics: Root Cause, root cause analysis, Global 8D, G8D, Interim Containment Action, Permenant Corrective Action, 8D, 8D benefits, Continuous Improvement

Getting More For Less - The 8 Wastes

Posted by Graham Cripps on Tue, Jul 14, 2015 @ 01:32 PM

Getting More For Less - The 8 Wastes

Where do you go from here? You have cut back on staff, got the best prices on materials, you are energy efficient but you are still under pressure on pricing? This is a common dilemma in business.

There is always room for making substantial improvements however, particularly in the areas of Quality, Cost and Delivery, by taking a fresh look at everything you do in terms of the 8 Wastes.

Associated with Lean Manufacturing the 8 Wastes are:

Travel - excessive movement of product, stock, materials etc

Inventory - too much stock, work in progress (WIP), raw materials or supplies

Motion - unnecessary operative / staff movement

Waiting - idle time between operations or activity

Over Processing - doing more than is required by the customer(s)

Over Production - producing more than is necessary

Defects - errors, poor quality, rework and scrap

Skills - not fully utilising the skills available within the business

The acronym 'TIMWOODS' is used as a means of remembering these wastes. 

Identifying waste is a critical task in any business and should be within everyone's role or remit. However, this should be approached with caution as it can result in the creation of a blame culture.

Reducing Waste

Waste identification is a good thing. The ability to identify waste in the business, and to have strategies for dealing with the wastes identified can prove to be very cost effective in terms of the effort involved.

You can use the simple Waste Matrix below to provide an overview of the symptoms of waste which may be present within your organisation and to identify some of the strategies and tools for dealing with them.

Waste reduction needs to be part of an overall improvement strategy, whether you use a Lean approach, Six Sigma tools or any other Continuous Improvement methodology, the objective of any change should be focused upon:

  • Reducing Costs
  • Improving Quality
  • Improving Delivery

These measures are referred to as Q C D

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Topics: Root Cause, root cause analysis, Global 8D, G8D, Interim Containment Action, Permenant Corrective Action, Is/Is Not, problem prevention, Problem Desciption, 8D, 8D benefits, Problem solving, Continuous Improvement, ICA, decision making

Global 8D (G8D) Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's)

Posted by Graham Cripps on Thu, Jul 02, 2015 @ 10:59 AM

Global 8D (G8D) - Frequently asked questions (FAQ's)!

The latest in our series of FAQ's answered by our Subject Specialist, Graham Cripps

If the answer to your question is not shown here why not use our 'Ask Us A Question' Form to get an answer from our Subject Specialists!

"When I am asked for an 8D by my customer is it just the 8D Form they want?"

The short answer is NO, however you may not have got to the root cause in the time they give you to provide the 8D.

The G8D Form is a means of recording and reporting the problem solving effort. At D0 you should have implemented an Emergency Response Action (ERA) which must protect your customer from the effects of the problem. This is what the customer needs to see as quickly as possible.

Don't forget, other than the initial effect (or symptom) of the problem, the ERA can also introduce an effect in itself e.g. a supply constraint, so make sure these are included as part of your ERA.

Finally, you should always confirm understanding with your customer.

 

 Download Your G8D Problem Solving Workbook

"Do I need to use Global 8D for every problem I encounter?"

I need to answer this in two parts:

1. When to use a full Global 8D - there are some simple rules to follow. G8D should be applied to those problems that have:

  • definition of the symptom(s), that is the symptom has been quantified
  • identified the customer(s) and affected parties who experienced, or are experiencing, the symptom(s)
  • measurements to quantify the symptom(s) and demonstrate that a performance gap exists and / or that the priority (severity, urgency, growth) of the symptom warrants initiation of the process
  • an unknown cause
  • management commitment to dedicating the necessary resources to fix the problem at Root Cause Level and to prevent recurrence
  • a problem symptom complexity that exceeds the abillity of one person to solve the problem

2. The problem solving process is all about getting to root cause, eliminating the root cause and then fixing the reason why the problemm occurred in the first place. It matters not what process you use but I would suggest that the Global 8D steps offer everything a determined problem solver could want. You will clearly define the problem, protect your customer, get to root cause and make sure it stays fixed by addressing what allowed it to occur in the first place.

 

Download Your Global 8D Assessing Questions

 

"Is Global 8D the only problem solving tool to use?"

There are many tools and techniques available but I have found that there are two approaches that have served me well.

1. Global 8D is applied to those bigger problems that have:

  • definition of the symptom(s), that is the symptomhas been quantified
  • identified the customer(s) and affected parties who experienced, or are experiencing, the symptom(s)
  • measurements to quantify the symptom(s) and demonstrate that a performance gap exists and / or that the priority (severity, urgency, growth) of the symptom warrants initiation of the process
  • an unknown cause
  • management commitment to dedicating the necessary resources to fix the problem at Root Cause Level and to prevent recurrence
  • a problem symptom complexity that exceeds the abillity of one person to solve the problem

2. The 5 WHY's (5Y's) is the other very useful tool. However I would recommend that you follow these basic steps:

  • define the problem by describing 'What is wrong with what?'
  • protect the customer (internal or external)
  • describe the problem fully (what? when? where? and how big?, using real data)
  • brainstorm all of the possible causes of the problem (not of the effect or symptom!)
  • arrange on a fishbone diagram
  • Use 5Y's to drill down to root cause level
  • develop causal theories that can describe how the root cause(s) results in the problem and the effect
  • test and verify potential root causes to get to verified root cause
  • determine and implement the 'best' permanent corrective action(s)
  • make it the new way of running the process

 

Download Your Global 8D Assessing Questions

 

"How will Global 8D help my business?"

If you have ever said, or heard said "The last time we had this problem we did this" or "Why does this problem keep coming back?", then you did not get the problem solved!

Global 8D has the discipline to ensure that not only is the problem solved at root cause but what allowed the problem to happen is also fixed (the root cause of the root cause)

It's true to say that Global 8D should not be used for every problem. In fact something like only 5% of problems warrant the full use of this problem solving methodology. 

Other methods are available but again, I would recommend using the same steps as G8D for all problems to ensure you ask all the right questions at the right time and fix the problem at root cause permanently. 

Download Your Problem Solving Case Study

"Do I need to have a team trained for Global 8D?"

Yes but there are many ways of achieving this, from a standard instructor led programme to self-tutoring using available materials. The best way, in my opinion, is to have a Problem Solving Application Workshop run, which will deal with and resolve a live problem whilst training the team how to use the tools and techniques of Global 8D.

Download Your G8D Problem Solving Workbook

Global 8D Application Support Workshop

 

Why not have a look at our Global 8D Overview page, where you will find all of our templates, reports and other useful documents available for FREE download.

Topics: root cause analysis, Global 8D, G8D, Interim Containment Action, Permenant Corrective Action, Is/Is Not, problem prevention, Problem Desciption, 8D, 8D benefits, Problem solving, Continuous Improvement, ICA, decision making

Further Reading Recommendations - G8D and Thinking To Win

Posted by Paul Caffery on Mon, Jun 29, 2015 @ 12:30 PM

Following on from our blog on Friday, showing reading recommendations from Graham Cripps on the subject of Stress Management, our MD Paul Caffery has a few recommendations of his own!

Global 8D

THINKING FAST AND SLOW      thinking_fast_and_slow_pic

By: Daniel Kahneman

Publisher: Penguin

ISBN: 0374533555

A must read for anyone leading teams in process planning or problem solving because you've got to get people thinking slow in order to get to root cause and prevent problems.

Read more here:   http://www.theguardian.com/books/2011/dec/13/thinking-fast-slow-daniel-kahneman

 

 Thinking To WIn

THE ANTIDOTE: HAPPINESS FOR PEOPLE WHO CAN'T STAND POSITIVE THIINKING     

the_antidote_pic

By: Oliver Burkeman

Publisher: Canongate Books

ISBN: 0865478015

In many respects, all the best ideas have already been had and Oliver Burkeman revisits these in an entertaining manner, busting loose from the fads of pop psychology and demonstrating how to deal with reality in a satisfying and useful way. See the world as it is

Read more here: http://www.oliverburkeman.com/books

 

THE CHIMP PARADOX      

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By: Professor Steve Peters

Publisher: Vermilion

ISBN: 039916359X

Based on a simple mind model (developed by Professor Steve Peters), this book demonstrates how to manage your mind for your own success and how to understand the dominant mind-set of others. Manage yourself.

Read more here: http://chimpmanagement.com/products.html

 

If you have any queries please do not hesitate to contact the Results Team on 01371 859 344

Topics: Root Cause, Business Planning, Global 8D, G8D, 8D, 8D benefits, Problem solving, Business Process Improvement, decision making, Leading Teams

Problem Solving & Ishikawa

Posted by Graham Cripps on Tue, Jun 23, 2015 @ 04:33 PM

Problem Solving & Ishikawa

Last month I was asked by one of our clients"Where do Global 8D, Ishikawa and Brainstorming fit into the problem solving effort?"

A simple enough question, so I thought I would share the answer as this maybe something that someone else may like to know!

Global 8D (G8D)

G8D is widely recognised throughout the Automotive, Aersopace and Pharma industries as a leading edge methodology. However, this tool should be reserved for a small number of problems (normally less that 5% of all problems), which typically require more than one person to resolve, are complex in nature and whose cause is unknown. Also, because of the nature of this methodology, the resource needed to solve the problem would be less than the cost of the problem (or the effects of the problem).

For the majority of problems G8D is more than is required, however some of the techniques used are useful from time to time e.g. Is / Is Not Analysis, Differences & Changes, Root Cause Theory as part of Root Cause Analysis.

Ishikawa And Problem Solving

Ishikawa diagrams (also known as Fish Bone diagrams) are most commonly associated with problem solving.

However Ishikawa is widely used alongside other tools and processes, including but not restricted to:

In problem solving terms, the Ishikawa diagram is used to organise the output of a brainstorming session

The brainstorm is about establishing possible root causes to a problem that has been fully described (by this I mean we know what is wrong with what!), the problem description to root cause analysis phase

Be careful not confuse the problem with the effect, its the problem we need to solve, NOT the effects of the problem

Ishikawa (Fishbone) Diagram And Root Cause Analysis

Problem solving is a process of elimination through the use of data and analytical tools, driven by clear logical thinking.

The effect or symptom is what is experienced, this is caused by the problem, which in turn has a root cause.

To establish the root cause we first have to ensure we fully describe the problem using facts. The cause is determined in three levels, as seen in this diagram, and Possible Causes are the output of a brainstorming event.

cause_and_effect_flow

We use the Ishikawa diagram to give the brainstorm  some order. Common 'bones' are Man, Equipment, Machine, Environment and Material (MEPEM). The brainstorm output would be placed against each 'bone' (see diagram below). 

In Problem Solving terms, the next stage woul be to ask 'WHY?' for each possible cause until you can go no further. Once you have considered this final answer (5 WHY's), established that the causal theory explains why the problem occurs only on the affected items, then you will have a potential root cause.

A causal theory is a statement that describes how a potential root cause initiates the problem and the effect experienced.

Example:

Problem Scenario: Every time I leave my car for more than a day without running the engine, it will not start

Problem Description: Car will not start

Possible Cause: Faulty battery

Causal Theory: The battery does not hold a charge for more than 24 hours. Over time there is not enough power to operate the starter motor so the car will not start.

Ishikawa_diagram_-_car_battery

 

G8D SnapShot   New Call-to-action Global 8D ppt

Topics: Root Cause, root cause analysis, Global 8D, G8D, 8D, Problem solving

G8D - Proactive or Reactive?

Posted by Graham Cripps on Tue, Nov 20, 2012 @ 09:16 AM

G8D

G8D - Proactive or Reactive?

 

Authored by Graham Cripps | Director of Results

G8D Workbook Author | Graham Cripps - Director of ResultsDo you panic when asked for “an 8D by the end of the day”?

Is problem solving a discipline that you and your staff have in your “skills tool box“?

Is Global 8D problem solving something you engage with only when you have a serious problem?

Are you able to solve all your problems permanently, efficiently and with confidence?

Problem solving is often only thought to be a reactive process, reactive in the sense that we only need Global 8D when we have a problem.

Let us look at why we should also be thinking of problem solving proactively.

The reactive approach

Problem solving should be like fire prevention.

Although you do not plan to have a fire in the workplace, your organisation will have a number of things in place including: -

  • Fire Marshalls
  • Fire assembly point
  • Evacuation procedure
  • Fire extinguishers
  • Sprinkler system
  • Fire drill

So, if all preventative measures should fail, everyone in your business knows what to do in the event of a fire.

This is an apt analogy in that problem solving is often referred to as “fire fighting”. Well this style of problem solving costs the business, and more than just money. Fire fighting: -

  • Does not provide a permanent solution
  • Is inefficient
  • Is predominantly left to very few individuals (the fire fighting heroes)
  • Is stressful for both the business and the individual’s concerned

Global 8D Workbook

 

Global 8D|The proactive approach

So why don’t we approach problem solving the same way as we do fire prevention and emergency procedures?

We need to be prepared to be able to solve problems in the best way possible to protect our customers, minimise losses to the business, get to root cause as quick as possible and be flexible enough to be able to respond to problems across the whole business.

Using the above analogy: -

Fire Marshalls – in problem solving terms, these are the trained 8D team members that have all the tools and necessary skills to hand - ready to support any problem solving effort

Fire Assembly Point/evacuation procedure – the focus of problem solving is the methodology, the Global 8D Problem Solving methodology

Fire extinguishers – the knowledge, skills and tools to be able to protect the customer from the effects of the problem

Sprinkler system – management commitment to be able to cover the time required for people to be released for the problem solving effort

Fire Drill – this is the process of effective problem solving at root cause level.

G8D Benefits

 The benefits for taking a combined approach can be summarised as follows: -

  • Skilled and aware work force
  • Can react immediately and affectively to any problem
  • Good communication and companywide awareness of the problem solving effort
  • Problems solved at root cause
  • Problems do not come back
  • Business confidence in problem solving ability
  • Customer confidence in problem solving ability
  • All problems are approached the same effective way
  • Lessons learnt are shared across the organisation

 

G8D SnapShot

 

Graham Cripps

Results Consortium Ltd

www.resultsresults.co.uk

 

Topics: Global 8D, G8D, 8D, 8D benefits, Problem solving

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