Q 704. What is TapRoot Analysis? Compare its benefits and limitations vs other RCA techniques like Fishbone Diagram and 5 Why Analysis. Provide examples where TapRoot Analysis is better suited than other RCA techniques.

 

Note for website visitors -

• This platform hosts two weekly questions, one on Tuesday and the other on Friday. 
• All previous questions can be found here: https://www.benchmarksixsigma.com/forum/lean-six-sigma-business-excellence-questions/. 
• To participate in the current question, please visit the forum homepage at https://www.benchmarksixsigma.com/forum/.
• The question will be open until Tuesday or Friday at 5 PM Indian Standard Time, depending on the launch day. 
• Responses will not be visible until they are reviewed, and only non-plagiarised answers with less than 5-10% plagiarism will be approved. 
• If you are unsure about plagiarism, please check your answer using a plagiarism checker tool such as https://smallseotools.com/plagiarism-checker/ before submitting. 
• All correct answers shall be published, and the top-rated answer will be displayed first. The author will receive an honorable mention in our Business Excellence dictionary at https://www.benchmarksixsigma.com/forum/business-excellence-dictionary-glossary/ along with the related term.

• Some people seem to be using AI platforms to find forum answers. This is a risky approach as AI responses are error prone as our questions are application-oriented (they are never straightforward). Have a look at this funny example - https://www.benchmarksixsigma.com/forum/topic/39458-using-ai-to-respond-to-forum-questions/

• We also use an AI content detector at https://quillbot.com/ai-content-detector. Only answers with less than 45-50% AI-generated content will be approved.

TapRoot analysis

Taproot is the root which is the first root to come out of a seed & grows vertically downward inside the soil ( carrot etc. ) . Lateral roots also stem from taproot.

Taproot analysis borrows the meaning of the key word. It’s an analytical process which is thorough , systematic, software dependent for identification of root cause behind a complex incident or failure. It was devised by System Improvements inc. in the late 80s.

Benefits

• Comprehensive: takes into cognizance worker performance, equipment, and organizational factors, to offer overall view.
• Consistent: standard & unvarying analysis across incidents
• Training and Support: comprehensive training for hands on execution.
• Structured: formatted sequential approach which do not miss critical points

 

Limitations

• Complexity: complex and time-consuming, entails significant training and resources.
• Cost: expensive software training, costly for smaller organizations.
• Dependence on Software: unavailability of software can be a bottleneck

 

Comparison with Fishbone Diagram:

 

Fishbone Diagram is a qualitative tool for brainstorming and organizing ideas, as opposed to TapRoot Analysis is structured & step by step approach to Root Cause Analysis whereas Fishbone is more of a qualitative tool to facilitate brainstorming & structuring the discussion. Fishbone depends on the peoples expertise more than the process & does not help quantification.

 

Comparison with 5 Why Analysis:

5 Why again is a simple approach to get to the root cause through asking Why to all the answers. This is straight forward & outcome depends on analytical ability of the people involved.

Potential causes may not get prioritized in 5 why analysis as it does not have a structured framework of quantitative analysis.

Examples where TapRoot Analysis is better suited:

 

Examples Where TapRoot Analysis is Better Suited

• Complex Incidents: industrial fatalities or system failures involving multiple factors,
• Compliance sensitive sector: Industries like aviation or healthcare with strict regulatory requirements
• When faced with recurring issues: Persisting problems despite previous attempts to solve

 

Tap root Analysis - Tap root analysis and Root cause analysis is the same thing used when we work on any issue/problem. The ultimate moto is to find the root cause of the problem. It is used very often by quality and process excellence professionals to improve the business. In this analysis the problem is seen from each lens i.e. People, Process, Control and Technology and then under each lens the points are listed. Once this is done then the classification of all causes is done in to the 'Data door' and 'Process Door'

 

Steps:

1. Recognize, understand and define the problem.
2. Collect the relevant data and details pertaining to that recognized issue.
3. Make plan which comprises of sequence of activities leading up to the problem this helps in understanding where things went wrong.
4. Develop a chart that visually maps the various factors that contributed to the incident.
5. Make use of Fishbone diagram, Why-Why Analysis, Fault Tree Analysis to dig deeper in to the reasons behind the failure
6. To offer and develop the solutions or actions which eliminates the root cause ensuring these actions are feasible and sustainable.
7.  To sustain the implemented solution by continuously monitoring initially for 1- 2 months ensure that problem does not recur.

 

 

Benefits and limitations of Tap root analysis, Root cause and Why-Why Analysis:

 

	Benefits	Limitations
Root Cause Analysis	Ideal for team brainstorming sessions to dig the problem For Manufacturing Industry - Causes are classified in Man, Machine , Material , Method For Service Industry -  Causes are classified in to the People, Process, Control, Technology Encourages the collaboration with teams of upstream and downstream process	Identifies probable causes however does not dig in to the each one. Does not provide the sequence of activities leading to the identified problem
Tap Root Analysis	Systematic approach for comprehensive analysis       Provides multiple causes Easy representation of causes through charts of complex problems Prevention oriented Complex issues and highly technical problems	Due to its depth takes longer time Complex required specific training to execute the analysis
Why-Why Analysis	No specialized training, very simple approach	Provides only one root cause.
	Can be  done very fast for smaller problems	Very much subjective
	Focuses on cause and effect relationship by deliberately asking 'why'	Not favourable for highly complex issues

 

Tap Root analysis are better suited for below mentioned cases:

1.  Cyber security breach in Finance domain
2.  Safety Bypass in Manufacturing industry
3.  Surgical errors in Healthcare domain
4.  Hose failure in High speed racing cars
5.  Aviation Safety issues in aircrafts
6.  Space crafts Helium gas leakage
7.  Railway accidents
8.  Gas leakage from the chemical processing plant

Taproot Analysis is a systematic incident investigation process designed to help organizations identify the underlying causes of problems and address the root causes. Originally developed for investigating incidents and accidents, this technique uses detailed forecasting, checklists and root cause trees guiding users through an investigation and ensuring that all the contributing factors are considered.

Tools in a TapRoot Analysis
1. SnapChart: A visual representation of the timeline of events that led to the incident to discover what happened. It is also an information collection tool and a central repository for the data collected.
2. Root Cause Tree Diagram: A decision tree that helps investigators pinpoint the root cause by looking into categories like performance, procedures, equipment failures and management system failures.

3. Corrective Actions Helper Module: This is used to help investigators verify that they are addressing the real causes of the incident and develop corrective actions for the root causes by applying best practices.

 

TapRoot vs Other RCA Techniques

1.     Fishbone Diagram: is a tool used to document and identifiy the potential causes of a problem and uncover the root causes. It is best for quick brainstorming sessions and visualizing the potential causes.

2.     Five whys (5whys): is a problem-solving methodology that explores the underlying cause-and-effect of a particular problem. It is a simple interrogative technique in which you repeatedly ask “Why” to peel away the layers of a problem and get to its root cause. It is ideal for quick problem-solving when time is limited, and the problem is not complex.

TapRoot  Vs Fishbone Diagram Vs 5 Whys: All three techniques are effective tools for root cause analysis but differ in structure, application and depth of analysis. Let’s compare these in the table below,

 

Feature	Taproot Analysis	Fishbone Diagram	5 Whys
Approach	Systematic and structured	Visual cause-and-effect representation	Iterative questioning method
Depth of Analysis	In-depth, considers multiple causes	Surface-level categorization of causes	Limited to five levels of questioning
Identification of Causes	Identifies multiple root causes	Typically identifies one or few causes	Often identifies a single root cause
Complexity	More complex, requires training	Simple and easy to create	Very simple and quick to implement
Time Requirement	More time-consuming due to thoroughness	Quick to create	Quick to implement
Actionability	Provides specific, actionable solutions	May yield general corrective actions	May not yield actionable solutions
Focus	Systemic issues and human performance	Individual problems and their causes	Immediate causes leading to the problem
Best Use Cases	Complex problems needing detailed analysis	Quick brainstorming sessions	Simple problems or initial problem exploration

 

Examples 

1. Taproot Analysis can help the investigators analyse the sequence of events that lead to a failure, which helps to identify multiple causal factors through its structured process and Root Cause Tree. The 5 Whys analysis might only uncover a few causes, and Fishbone diagrams may not effectively capture the interrelationships between various factors.

2. Taproot emphasizes on evidence collection and analysis through tools like SnapChart, which helps eliminate opinion-based conclusions and ensure that corrective actions are based on solid data. In comparison, the 5 Why analysis may lead to subjective interpretations, and Fishbone diagrams might not provide sufficient detail for a thorough analysis.

3. Taproot analysis can help identify the root causes and facilitate the development of corrective actions as it is a multi-step process. This ensures that solutions address both specific incidents and broader systemic issues. The 5 Whys might result in superficial fixes, while Fishbone diagrams may generate general ideas without actionable steps.

4. Taproot’s focus on human factors explores how human interactions can contribute to errors. It can identify training gaps or procedural deficiencies that lead to mistakes, which may not completely be addressed by simpler methods like the 5 Whys or Fishbone diagrams.

All the three published answers are a must read. The best answer has been provided by Puneet Vohra. Well done!