Become a Better TapRooT® Root Cause Analysis User
Beyond Initial Training
Most TapRooT® RCA Users reading this article attended the 2-Day TapRooT® Root Cause Analysis Course. A small fraction of them chose to learn more and attended the 5-Day TapRooT® Advanced Root Cause Analysis Training or started with the 5-Day TapRooT® Course. I recommend that every TapRooT® User who is serious about being the best when they need to find the root causes of a serious incident and implement corrective actions that could save lives by preventing a future significant injury or fatality take the 5-Day TapRooT® Training. But this article isn’t about that.
This article is about the things TapRooT® RCA Users can do to continuously improve their skills. Read on for three ideas to help you improve your use of TapRooT® RCA, no matter your training level.
Idea # 1: Participate in the TapRooT® SuperUser Group
For TapRooT® Users interested in continuous improvement, we hold a free quarterly virtual meeting. In the meeting, three TapRooT® Users share information on one of these topics:
- A challenge they are facing (to get ideas from others).
- A best practice that others can use.
- A success story that shares how TapRooT® RCA was used to solve a problem.
Marcus Miller hosts these meetings and is the person you need to contact to participate. CLICK HERE to contact Marcus about participating in the next meeting (or call 865-539-2139).
These meetings are completely free. We welcome all TapRooT® Users, and as of this writing, we can accept every TapRooT® user who applies. If the meetings get too crowded, we’ll find a solution.
Idea #2: Establish Incident Review and Grading
Here is a video from 2014 about reviewing an investigation in real time…
You can tell this is an old video, but the idea is still good. But other ideas apply to reviewing and grading investigations.
The TapRooT® Root Cause Analysis Software includes a tool to grade investigations. It is designed to be used at the end of an investigation, give the investigation a letter grade (i.e., “A” or “B” or “C” …) and then use the feedback to coach the investigator or team to improve their investigation. An investigator or team can also use it as a goal or target to guide an investigation.
One company’s VP of Health and Safety personally reviewed every precursor incident investigation using the tool and gave feedback to the investigator(s) on how to improve the investigation before it was presented to senior management (other VPs and the COO).
In another example, a review team reviewed every “serious” incident and provided feedback to the investigation team before their management presentations.
Do your teams review the grading criteria? Do you have an investigation peer review committee? Does your HSE VP review incidents to provide teams with feedback? All of these ideas could help people become better TapRooT® Root Cause Analysis Users.
Idea #3: Attend the TapRooT® Summit
Every 18 months, System Improvements sponsors a Global TapRooT® Summit. The Summit focuses on improving performance, including improving the company’s root cause analysis systems. This year’s Summit includes the following Best Practice Sessions that could help you be a better TapRooT® RCA User:
- Root Cause Analysis Success Stories
- Improving Listening Skills for Improved RCA
- Example of Using Equifactor® Troubleshooting Tables to Solve a Problem
- The Good, The Bad, and The Inherently Unsafe: Where Are Your Corrective Actions
- TapRooT® SuperUser Session
- How Improving Human Performance is Built Into TapRooT® RCA (Live Podcast)
- Using Root Cause Analysis Proactively to Stop SIFs
- Practicing with TapRooT® AdvIsor™ Software
- Fix Your Recurring Root Causes Workshop
- Make Your RCA More Efficient Without Losing Depth
- What Leaders Need to Know About Root Cause Analysis
Plus, five Keynote Speakers, including Dan Verlinde, will unveil the newest features in the TapRooT® AdvIsor™ (AI) Software to help you make TapRooT® RCA even faster and easier to use.
The 2027 Global TapRooT® Summit is being held on April 5-9 at the Margaritaville Resort, Lake Conroe, near Houston, Texas. CLICK HERE for more information. Or watch this video…
Get Started Now
As they say, there’s no time like the present. Start with Idea #1. Then try Idea #2. Finally, register for the Summit (CLICK HERE) to get started on Idea #3.
You will become a better TapRooT® User, which will help your company improve performance.
