AI-Enhanced Root Cause Analysis for Manufacturing Excellence
This course equips manufacturing professionals with a structured approach to root cause analysis (RCA) for recurring production and quality issues. Participants will learn to define problems clearly, verify failures using data and measurement systems, apply structured RCA tools such as Fishbone, 5 Whys, and Pareto analysis, and develop effective corrective and preventive actions. AI prompts are incorporated to accelerate problem investigation and support systematic problem-solving.
Upon completion, participants will be able to:
Define manufacturing problems using the 5W2H framework and AI-assisted prompts
Verify failures through data validation, measurement system checks, and failure replication
Develop, implement, and verify corrective and preventive action plans
Make better decisions by balancing quick fixes vs. root cause solutions, assumptions vs. data, and local vs. system-level interventions
Reduce recurring defects, improve investigation reports, and accelerate problem resolution
Module 1: Why Root Cause Analysis Fails
Participants will distinguish structured root cause analysis from firefighting and recognise common RCA mistakes.
Module 2: Define and Describe the Problem
Participants will develop clear, focused problem statements using 5W2H and AI-assisted structuring.
Module 3: Verify the Failure
Participants will confirm and replicate failures using reliable data, measurements, and AI-suggested validation checks.
Module 4: Categorise the Problem
Participants will classify defects and identify patterns using Pareto analysis, stratification, and AI-assisted interpretation.
Module 5: Mapping the Process and Supply Chain
Participants will map processes and value streams to determine whether problems originate internally or from suppliers.
Module 6: Potential Causes and Screening Tools
Participants will generate and screen potential causes using fishbone diagrams, 5 Whys, cause-and-effect matrices, and AI.
Module 7: Identify the Root Cause
Participants will verify root causes through data-driven analysis while avoiding common RCA errors.
Module 8: Develop Corrective Action
Participants will create effective long-term corrective actions for special and common causes with AI support.
Module 9: Implement and Verify the Action Plan
Participants will implement corrective actions, manage engineering changes, and verify long-term effectiveness.
Module 10: Deploy Preventive Actions
Participants will develop preventive actions and update core documents to stop similar problems from recurring.
Duration
2 full days
Class Size
Max 10 pax
Methodology
Case-based, iterative learning using recurring case studies with hands-on activities and presentations throughout each module.
Target Audience
Manufacturing Engineers, Quality Engineers, Process Engineers, and Supervisors who are already dealing with manufacturing problems and want a structured method to investigate and eliminate root causes.
Course Level
Intermediate — for practitioners already dealing with manufacturing problems who want a structured RCA methodology.
Pre-requisites
None, need laptop and good internet access
Progress withCompassion.
We exist at the intersection of technical mastery and human development, because we believe these are not two separate things. They never were.
