Introduction to 8D Problem Solving: Including Practical Applications and Examples

By Ali Zarghami and Donald W. Benbow

The eight discipline (8D) problem-solving methodology includes the following:

Select an appropriate team
Formulate the problem definition
Activate interim containment
Find root cause(s)
Select and verify correction(s)
Implement and validate corrective action(s)
Take preventive steps
Congratulate the team

This unique book provides an overview of the 8D process, gives guidance on tools for finding root causes, shows 8D in action in eight case studies, and gives five unsolved problems for readers to apply 8D themselves for practice.
Anyone who wants to improve quality, regardless of the industry they come from, will benefit from the 8D approach. It has been successfully applied in healthcare, retail, finance, government, and manufacturing.

• Language: English
• Publisher: ASQ Quality Press
• Release date: Apr 21, 2017
• ISBN: 9781953079343

Ali Zarghami

Ali Zarghami is the CEO of Road Show Logistics LLC. For over 35 years, he worked in leadership positions in product design and evaluation for a number of industries. He specializes in application of statistics for quality, warranty, regulatory, and agency requirements. He has taught mathematics and business statistics at William Penn University, and has consulted in application of quality and reliability engineering internationally. Ali holds a BS in mechanical engineering from Iowa State University and a postgraduate diploma in aerospace engineering from Von Karman Institute in Fluid Mechanics, Brussels, Belgium. He is an ASQ Certified Engineer, Certified Reliability Engineer, and Certified Six Sigma Black Belt.

Book preview

Introduction to 8D Problem Solving

Including Practical Applications and Examples

Ali Zarghami and Don Benbow

ASQ Quality Press

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

American Society for Quality, Quality Press, Milwaukee 53203

© 2017 by ASQ

All rights reserved.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Zarghami, Ali, author. | Benbow, Donald W., 1936– author.

Title: Introduction to 8D problem solving : including practical applications

and examples / Ali Zarghami and Don Benbow.

Description: Milwaukee, Wisconsin : ASQ Quality Press, [2017] | Includes

bibliographical references and index.

Identifiers: LCCN 2017006518 | ISBN 9780873899550 (pbk. : alk. paper)

Subjects: LCSH: Group problem solving.

Classification: LCC HD30.29 .Z37 2017 | DDC 658.4/036—dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2017006518

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

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Managing Editor: Paul Daniel O’Mara

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Preface

We received a call from the local community college’s business and technology coordinator requesting we teach a class in 8D for two local manufacturing operations. We had never delivered this training before, although we had been teaching application of statistical tools in many industries to improve efficiency and solve technical problems for over 30 years.

To understand the client requirements, we met with the HR manager, the operations manager, and the two plant quality managers. We wanted to understand client requirements before we developed the training. We wanted to connect the 8D process as much as we could to traditional quality tools, mainly more statistical tools. The more we tried to enforce our agenda, the tools that we liked, the less the clients agreed with our approach.

The clients did not have much interest in hard statistical tools. They were more interested in simple tools that can be easily learned and applied and that are available to everyone, not in tools that a few chosen people can use. They were saying, The simpler the tools, the more people we can get involved, and the better off we will be. The clients did not want any computer, Microsoft Excel worksheet, or data analysis tools. They wanted a pencil and paper and an open mind. For old folks like us, that is a hard paradigm shift. Less than enthusiastically we accepted this project and developed a simple 8D training program for the clients.

This 8D training reminded us of the quality circles that were popular in the 1970s and used by many industries.