It is human nature to consider primarily problems we are familiar with, relying on our individual experience. It is also a human tendency to latch onto the first "likely" cause of the defined problem, before exploring all possibilities. We teach your organization how to avoid those traps.
Asking the right questions leads us to a more complete and reliable understanding of the issue so we can address causes – not symptoms. Applying rigorous problem-solving tools, including Quality Function Deployment and Failure Mode Effects Analysis, ensures that all possible causes are screened before being narrowed down to the most likely.
These methods are as appropriate to developing a business strategy as they are to determining the root cause of a quality issue. Many times a business owner will believe that implementing only one change – the one most obvious to him – will improve his profitability. While that may be true, a full analysis of the industry in which he competes can result in a range of possible actions that taken together can change the competitive landscape altogether.