From Grassroots to Company-Wide in Six Months: A Root Cause Analysis Journey

IMC-2018 Learning Zone 48:58

by Patrick Akins and Youssef Iskandar, Weyerhaeuser

In early 2015 Root Cause Analysis was practiced in few of Weyerhaeuser's 33 Wood Products facilities, and lacked for consistent application and standards. The opportunity for change began at the annual leadership meeting after several plant managers and corporate leaders got a glimpse of the process that the Grande Prairie Mill was using and the discussion that ensued revealed an uneasiness with the current state. Shortly after, once corporate support to develop a standardized RCA process had been obtained, the journey began. Join Youssef Iskandar and Pat Akins as they share a unique approach to implementing root cause analysis throughout the company. Their approach relied upon a balanced use of corporate direction combined with plant-level input to develop the company's documented Standard Manufacturing Practice and RCA Tracking Database. What started as a one-man show in a plant plagued with equipment failures turned the tides and helped set the standard for company-wide success.