Hertz at Newark airport uses this problem-solving tool to deep dive into hurdles that they are facing. They are tasked to start a new one every 30 days and are expected to sustain the results from the exercise.
D1 Team Members – The first requirement of an 8D is to define a cross functional team that will work together throughout the life of a project to ensure that a root cause is determined and ultimately fixed. It is important to pick a team that has different backgrounds and expertise as they can act as an outside set of eyes to the problem at hand. If you choose team members from the same department where the problem lies there is a good chance there will be a lot of bias opinions.
D2 Problem Definition – The next step is to draft a clear and descriptive problem statement. It should be written in a way that if someone from outside of the team were to read it they would have a clear understanding of what the problem is and to what extent. Some of the main points that you want to include are who, what, where, and when. Who does it affect, what is the effect, where is the effect (location/department) and when was it a problem. It is critical that metrics are included to measure how big of a problem it is.
D3 Containment – This step is used to determine if there is any quick fix that could be implemented to stop the bleeding. Basically it is equivalent to putting a Band-Aid on a cut before it gets stitched up. It is okay to leave this section blank if nothing temporary can be implemented.
D4 Root Cause Analysis – This is the meat and potatoes of the exercise. During this step all potential causes are analyzed. Tools such as fish bone diagrams, regression tests, hypothesis tests, correlation analysis, and 5 – why’s are done to determine how much of a problem each potential cause is. Here is where a strong cross-functional team comes into play. Typically members outside of the affected area bring up ideas that weren’t previously thought of. From these one root cause is selected that is determined has the most affect on the issue at hand.
D5 Permanent Correct Actions – This section is used to brainstorm actions that could be put in place as a permanent fix to the issue. These have to be feasible to implement and have to be within the scope of the team’s abilities. You want to be careful because some corrective actions can take longer to implement. An example of this would be any action requiring assistance from IT. Currently they are working on transitioning the Hertz systems to the recently purchased Dollar Thrifty Group so any other IT projects are off limits.
D6 Implementation – Here is where the corrective actions from above are assigned due dates and owners. It is critical that each action is implemented in the allotted time. Team members should be responsible for their own deadlines however the project lead will typically monitor this to ensure it gets done.
D7 Prevent Recurrence – This is another important step, it is a check system to ensure that the problem was in fact resolved and that it doesn’t resurface. This is typically done through monitoring reports or a visual check depending on the original issue.
D8 Recognition – Most 8Ds require a lot of time and effort from each team member if done correctly. It is important to reward everyone for his or her hard work at the end of it. This shows that their hard work paid off and is appreciated. Recognition can be something simple like a vocal thank you or small team party. This should be determined by the scope of the project and by the success rate.
No comments:
Post a Comment