OVERVIEW OF CAUSE & EFFE

ACTION
CAUSE

PROBLEM This branch is read as an "AN

Caused
(Primary Effect) By

CONDITION
CAUSE

Fundamental Cause & Effec

KEY CAUSE & EFFECT ELEMENTS TO REMEMBER

A Primary Effect is any effect that we want to prevent from occurring

Each Primary Effect has at least two causes in the form of Actions and Conditions

Actions are momentatry causes that bring conditions together to cause an effect, sometimes ca
action causes

Conditions are causes that exist over time prior to an action

A "Cause" and an "Effect" are the same thing differed only by how we perceive them in time

Causes and Effects are part of a continuum of causes (see graphic below)

Caused Caused Wet Caused Leaky Caused

Injury By Fall By By By
Surface Valve

An "Effect" exists only if its causes (action(s) & condition(s)) exist at the same point in time and s
Diagram below)

Action

Effect

Condition

Problem solving is about controlling causes

Effective problem solving involves solutions that control any of the causes that can shut down
the chain of causes that lead to the problem

Four steps for effective problem solving:

1) Define the problem. Document under the "Problem" box. Problem Definition does not
focus on "who" (placing blame on a person) or "why" (that will come next).
 1.1) Ask "what is the problem?"
1.2) Ask "when did it happen"?
1.3) Ask "where did it happen"?
1.4) Ask "what is the significance of the problem"?
2) Create a Cause & Effect Tree Diagram

2.1) For each Primary Effect ask "why"

2.2) Look for causes in "actions" and "conditions"
2.3) Connect all causes with "caused by"
2.4) Support causes with evidence or use a question mark (?)
3) Brainstorm effective solutions
4) Implement the best solutions

SOURCE: "Apollo Root Cause Analysis", by Dean Gano, ISBN1-883677-01-7, Apollonian Publi
Yakima, WA, 2003
CAUSE & EFFECT TREE DIAGRAM

ACTION
CAUSE

Evidence

This branch is read as an "AND"

SOLUTION

Attack the causes to the left

Solutions require an action that impacts some cause in th
such that the effect of consequence (Problem) does what

CONDITION
CAUSE

Evidence

Cause & Effect Relationships

ing
ns and Conditions

cause an effect, sometimes called

we perceive them in time

Caused Seal Caused Not

By By Maintaine
Failure d

at the same point in time and space (see Venn

causes that can shut down

em Definition does not

come next).
rk (?)

883677-01-7, Apollonian Publications,

ON

action that impacts some cause in the chain of causes

consequence (Problem) does what we want it to.