Sofema Aviation Services (SAS) www.sassofia.com considers the Root Cause Activities within an EASA Approved AMO.
One of the industry problems we have is that the persons with the most experience in Root Cause Analysis (RCA) are not the ones who we want to exercise RCA in support of closing out a finding. It is in fact the auditee who should have this capability.
Developing efficient and effective processes and behaviours in the organisation is essential if we are going to minimise our exposure to risk and improve the resilience of the organisation. To do this we need to develop the analytical and problem-solving skills of key personnel.
The process starts when a finding is created relevant to a non-conformity either in relation to external or internal deviation between documented and actual observance.
The business area owner needs to have a strong understanding of all functioning processes within the organisation relevant to the fulfilment of compliance. There are potentially many constraints to be faced and overcoming them requires an in-depth knowledge of the following:
1/ He must understand the relationship between Quality Assurance (Independent) and Quality Control (Personally Responsible).
2/ He must understand also the concepts of SMS and QMS and the differences in order to make appropriate decisions.
3/ He must also understand roles and responsibilities regarding the management of the process and procedures.
Training and Competence Issues
Root Cause is not an abstract (which means it is not a standalone skill set independent of the functional activities of the organisation).
In fact, Root Cause analytical Processes are a skill set which must be used in conjunction with organisational knowledge of processes and procedures, any training undertaken should prepare the delegate with an understanding of the organisational processes together with the techniques which are employed to identify the issues and to develop the appropriate solutions.
Using QA as Mentors
Within the organisation, there is a need to train for effective Root Cause Analysis (RCA) competence as an organisation’s “Core Competence”.
One of the problems encountered is the tendency to jump to conclusions as to the cause of a particular problem rather than working through the due diligence processes which will explore and ultimately expose the fundamental root.
Whilst RCA techniques and behaviours may be taught in a systematic and logical way, this does not mean that the attendees to the training will be able to perform in a consistent and reliable way.
A process which involves “hands-on” mentored skill transfer needs to be introduced which will ensure that all persons meet a standard which is set within the organisation and in this way we can achieve an organisational approach to delivering reliable RCA assessment.
Next steps
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For details of available Root Cause Training Courses please see www.sassofia.com or email team@sassofia.com
Tags:
Aircraft Maintenance, Aviation Quality Assurance, Aviation SMS, EASA, EASA Approved, QMS, Quality Control, Root Cause Analysis
