Assessing

Questions
Seek true understanding

Challenge the team

Provide descriptive feedback

Problem Solving with Results

Contents
Introduction ................................................................................................................ 3

D0 Prepare for G8D - Emergency Response Action (ERA) Assessing Questions .................. 4

D1 Establish the Team - Assessing Questions ................................................................ 5

D2 Describe the Problem Assessing Questions ............................................................ 6

D3 Develop the ICA - Assessing Questions ................................................................... 7

D4 Define and Verify Root Cause and Escape Point Assessing Questions ........................... 8

D5 - Choose and Verify Permanent Corrective Actions(PCAs) for Root Cause and Escape Point
- Assessing Questions .................................................................................................. 9

D6 - Implement and Validate Permanent Corrective Actions (PCAs) - Assessing Questions .. 10

D7 - Prevent Recurrence - Assessing Questions ............................................................. 11

D8 - Recognise Team and Individual Contributions - Assessing Questions ......................... 13

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Introduction
Constructive feedback is a powerful development tool if used correctly, particularly when used
in conjunction with self-reflection.

Assessing Questions provide a structured format of reflecting on the activities in each stage of
the G8D problem solving process. These questions are typically posed by the G8D Champion.
An Observer Role may alternatively be adopted. The Observer does not take an active part in
the team but provides feedback in the same way.

The objective is for the Champion to provide feedback in order to assist the team to reflect
and improve their performance.

The assessing questions will encourage the team to reflect on their activities, performance
and for the team and the Champion to ensure that all stages have been fully completed.
There must be a clear record of all data, actions and investigations.

The assessing questions also ensure true understanding in the team and can be a measure of
team consensus at every stage of the G8D process.

This is part of learning from the lessons experienced in the problem solving process.

At the end of each stage in the G8D process, the assessing questions are asked of the team.
The answers given must be factual as this is part of ensuring that the process is applied
effectively at all times.

The Global 8D process steps are as follows: -

D0 Prepare for the Global 8D Process

D1 Establish the Team

D2 Describe the Problem

D3 Develop the Interim Containment Action (ICA)

D4 Define and Verify Root Cause and Escape Point

D5 Implement and Validate Permanent Corrective Actions (PCAs)

for Root Cause and Escape Point

D6 Implement and Validate Permanent Corrective Actions (PCAs)

D7 Prevent Recurrence

D8 Recognise Team and Individual Contributions

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D0 Prepare for G8D - Emergency Response Action (ERA)

Assessing Questions

Are Emergency Response Actions necessary?

Is a Service Action required as part of the emergency response?

How was the Emergency Response Action verified?

How was the Emergency Response Action validated?

How well does the proposed G8D meet the Application Criteria?

o Is there a definition of the symptom(s)?

o Has (have) the G8D customer(s) who experienced the symptom(s) and, when
appropriate, the affected parties been identified?

o Have measurements taken to quantify the symptom(s) demonstrated that a

performance gap exists AND/OR has the priority (severity, urgency, growth) of
the symptom warranted initiation of the process?

o Is the cause unknown?

o Is management committed to dedicating the necessary resources to fix the

problem at the root-cause level and to prevent recurrence?

o Does the symptom complexity exceed the ability of one person to resolve the
problem?

Will the new G8D duplicate an existing G8D?

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D1 Establish the Team - Assessing Questions

What has been done to help team members focus on the team's activity?
Has the purpose of the meeting been stated?
Has the team been informed of the agenda for the meeting?
Are the people who are affected by the problem represented?
How is the G8D customer's viewpoint represented?
Does the team membership reflect the problem's current status?
Do the team members agree on membership?
What special skills or experience will the team require in order to function
effectively?
Have the team's goals and membership roles been clarified?
Does the team have sufficient decision-making authority to accomplish its goals?
How will the teams information be communicated internally and externally?
Do all members agree with and understand the team's goals?
Has the designated Champion of the team been identified?
Has the Team Leader been identified?
Are team members roles and responsibilities clear?
Is a G8D Facilitator needed to coach the process and manage team consensus?
Have all changes been documented (e. g., FMEA, control plan, process flow)?
Do you have the right team composition to proceed to the next step?
Have you reviewed the measurable(s)?
Have you determined if a Service Action is required?

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D2 Describe the Problem Assessing Questions

Can the Symptom be subdivided?

Has a specific Problem Statement been defined (object and defect)?
Have Repeated Whys been used?
What is wrong with what?
Do you know for certain why that is occurring?
Has IS/IS-NOT Analysis been performed (what, where, when, how big)?
When has this problem appeared before?
Where in this process does this problem first appear?
What, if any, pattern(s) is (are) there to this problem?
Are similar components and/or parts showing the same problem?
Has the current process flow been identified? Does this process flow represent a
change?
Have all required data been collected and analysed?
How does the ERA affect the data?
Is there enough information to evaluate for potential root cause?
Do you have physical evidence of the problem?
Has a Cause & Effect Diagram been completed?
Does this problem describe a something changed or a never been there situation?
Has the Problem Description been reviewed for completeness with the G8D customer
and affected parties?(Has agreement been obtained from the G8D customer and the
affected parties?)
Should this problem be reviewed with executive management?
Should financial reserves be set aside?
Should any moral, social or legal obligations related to this problem be considered?
Have all changes been documented (e. g., FMEA, control plan, process flow)?
Do you have the right team composition to proceed to the next step?
Have you reviewed the measurable(s)?
Have you determined if a Service Action is required?

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D3 Develop the ICA - Assessing Questions

Are ICAs required?

Is a service Action required as part of the ICA?
What can you learn from the ERA that will help in the selection of the best ICA?
Based on consultation with the G8D Customer and Champion, have criteria been
established for ICA selection?
Based on the criteria established, does the ICA provide the best balance of benefits
and risks?
How does this choice satisfy the following conditions: -
o The ICA protects the customer 100 percent from the effect.
o The ICA is verified.
o The ICA is cost-effective and easy to implement.
Have the appropriate departments been involved in the planning of this decision?
Have appropriate Advanced Product Quality Planning (APQP) tools (e.g., FMEA, control
plans, instructions) been considered?
Have plans, including action steps, been identified (who needs to do what by when)?
Has a validation method been determined?
Does the customer have a concern with this ICA (is customer approval required)?
Have you identified what could go wrong with your plan and have preventive and
contingency actions been considered?
Are implementation resources adequate?
Does the validation data indicate that the G8D customer is being protected?
Can the ICA effectiveness be improved?
Have all changes been documented (e. g., FMEA, control plan, process flow)?
Do you have the right team composition to proceed to the next step?
Have you reviewed the measurable(s)?
Have you determined if a Service Action is required?

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D4 Define and Verify Root Cause and Escape Point

Assessing Questions
Has the factual information in the Problem Description been updated?
What sources of information have been used to develop the potential root-cause list?
Is there a root cause (a single verified reason that accounts for the problem)?
What factor(s) changed to create this problem? What data are available that
indicates any problem in the transformation or design process?
How did you verify this root cause?
Does this root cause explain all the facts compiled at D2?
Has the root-cause analysis gone far enough (do you need to know why this root
cause happened)?
Is there more than one potential root cause?
Does each item on the potential root-cause list account for all known data? Has each
item been verified (used to make the effect come and go)?
How did you determine assignment of percent contribution?
Combined, do the items on the potential root-cause list account for 100 percent of the
problem (is the desired performance level* achievable)?
If the level* is achievable, has the team considered and reviewed with the Champion
the benefit of developing a separate Problem Description (and, by definition, separate
8D) for each potential root cause?
If the level* is not achievable, has the team considered and reviewed with the
Champion the benefit of alternative problem-solving methods?
o methods independent of a G8D?
o methods as a complement to a G8D?
Does a control system exist to detect the problem?
Has the current control system been identified? Does this control system represent a
change from the original design?
Has it been verified that the control system is capable of detecting the problem?
Is the identified control point closest to the root cause/potential root cause?
Is there a need to improve the control system?
Have all changes been documented (e. g., FMEA, control plan, process flow)?
Do you have the right team composition to proceed to the next step?
Have you reviewed the measurable(s)?
Have you determined if a Service Action is required?
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D5 - Choose and Verify Permanent Corrective Actions

(PCAs) for Root Cause and Escape Point - Assessing
Questions
What criteria have been established for choosing a PCA for the Root Cause and
Escape Point? Does the Champion agree with these criteria?
Is a Service Action required as part of the Permanent Corrective Action?
What choices have been considered for the PCAs?
Have you overlooked better choices?
What features and benefits would the perfect choice offer? How can you preserve
these benefits?
Do you have the right experience on this team to make this decision?
What risks are associated with this decision and how should they be managed?
Does the Champion concur with the PCA selections?
What evidence (proof) do you have that this will resolve the problem at the root-
cause level?
Did our verification methods make allowances for variations in the frequency (or
patterns) created by the cause?
Which variables did you measure during the verification step? Do these indicators
constitute sound verification?
What are the possibilities that this choice, once implemented, will create other
problems?
Can your customer live with this resolution?
Will your containment continue to be effective until your choice can be implemented?
What resources will be required for PCA implementation? Do you have these
resources?
What departments will need to be involved in the planning and implementation of
this decision?
Have actions been considered that will improve the ICA prior to PCA
implementation?
Have all changes been documented (e. g., FMEA, control plan, process flow)?
Do you have the right team composition to proceed to the next step?
Have you reviewed the measurable(s)?
Have you determined if a Service Action is required?

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D6 - Implement and Validate Permanent Corrective

Actions (PCAs) - Assessing Questions

What departments are needed to implement the PCAs?

Are representatives of those departments on your team to plan and implement their
contribution?
What customer and/or supplier involvement is needed?
Who will do the planning for the customer? For the supplier?
Has an action plan been defined (responsibilities assigned, timing established,
required support determined)?
Do you have the necessary resources to implement this plan? What is needed?
At what point(s) is this plan vulnerable to things-gone-wrong? What can be done to
prevent these?
What are appropriate contingency actions?
What will trigger our contingency actions?
How are you monitoring completion of the plan?
When will the ICA be removed?
How will you communicate this plan to those who have a need to know and what
training will be required?
What measurable(s) will be used to validate the outcome of the PCAs (both short-
term and long-term)?
Has the ICA been discontinued?
Has the unwanted effect been totally eliminated?
How can you conclusively prove this?
How are you continuing to monitor long-term results? What is the measurable? Is
this the best way to prove the root cause is eliminated?
How have you confirmed the findings with the customer?
Have all systems, practices, procedures, documents, etc. been updated? Do they
accurately reflect what you want to be done from here on?
Have all changes been documented (e. g., FMEA, control plan, process flow)?
Do you have the right team composition to proceed to the next step?
Have you reviewed the measurable(s)?
Have you determined if a Service Action is required?

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D7 - Prevent Recurrence - Assessing Questions

How and where did this problem enter your process?
Why did the problem occur there and how did it escape? (Why was it not detected?)
Did confusion or lack of knowledge contribute to the creation of this root cause? Did it
contribute to the escape?
What policies, methods, procedures and/or systems allowed this problem to occur and
escape?
Did you uncover sticking plaster fixes in your processes? Where? What are they
compensating for?
Have the affected parties been identified?
What needs to be done differently to prevent recurrence of the root cause? Of the
escape?
Is a Service Action required as part of the Prevent Actions?
What evidence exists that indicates the need for a process improvement approach (i.e.,
Value Steam Mapping, Focused Improvement, Re-engineering)
Who is best able to design improvements in any of the systems, policies, methods
and/or procedures that resulted in this root cause and escape?
What is the best way to perform a trial run with these improvements?
What practices need standardisation?
What plans have been written to co-ordinate Preventative Actions and standardise the
practices - who, what and when?
Does the Champion concur with the identified Prevent Actions and plans?
How will these new practices be communicated to those affected by the change?
Have the practices been standardised?
What progress check points have been defined to assess system improvements?
What management policy, system or procedure allowed this problem to occur or
escape?
Are these practices beyond the scope of the current Champion?
Who has responsibility for these practices?
Does the current Champion agree with the systemic prevent recommendations of the
team?
What data has been submitted to the organisational Lessons Learned database?
Have all changes been documented (e. g., FMEA, control plan, process flow)?

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Do you have the right team composition to proceed to the next step?
Have you reviewed the measurable(s)?
Have you determined if a Service Action is required?

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D8 - Recognise Team and Individual Contributions -

Assessing Questions
Has the G8D report been updated and published?
Is the G8D paperwork completed and have other members of the organisation (who
have a need to know) and the customer been informed of the status of this 8D?
Is the G8D report and its attachments retained in your historical file system?
Is there a complete list of all team members, current and past?
Were there significant contributions by individual team members? What were they?
Are there opportunities to provide recognition from Champion to Team, Leader to
Team, Team member to Team member, Team to Leader, Team to Champion?
What are some different ways to communicate the recognition message?
Are there any non-team members whose contributions to the G8D process justify
inclusion at recognition time?
Are all current and past team members being recognised?
Do the results achieved by the team warrant some publicity (e. g., company
newsletter)?
Does the recognition satisfy the fit, focus, timely criteria?
D8 is intended to be positive. What are the chances that it might backfire and turn into
a negative?
What have you learned as individuals and as a team? About yourselves? About
problem-solving? About teamwork?
How did the organisation benefit by the completion of this G8D process?
Review each G8D objective. What was done well?
What sort of things should be repeated if conditions bring you together again on
another G8D?
Are there changes to the business practices that should be considered, based on the
learning in this G8D?
Has all unfinished business now been finalised?
Has each person had an opportunity to express appreciation to other team members?
Has each person made a final statement?
Have you celebrated appropriately? How?

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