APOLLO PROCESS > APPLICATIONS   

Universality:
All problems have something in common – they are all the result of systems of cause and effect relationships. All solutions have something in common as well – they act on one or more causes of the problem. The Apollo method of root cause analysis is a universal process that helps us analyze the cause and effect relationships of an event. Like algebra, the method is consistent, but its applications are boundless. While we work with many different kinds of companies and disciplines, when it comes to analyzing problems, the Apollo R.C.A. method is consistent regardless of the specific differences. No matter what the problem, a solution will only work if we find and control causes. The Apollo Method represents an enterprise wide problem-solving solution that can be used by all departments and functions, thus improving communications, reducing costs, and improving performance across the entire organization.

One reason that organizational problems can be difficult to solve is because problems rarely respect our boundaries. For example:

• When the email server goes down, is Information Technology the only department affected adversely?
  

  No, many departments could be affected and each in a different way. And who knows why the server is down in the first place? The problem may have originated in the Marketing department when an intern overloaded the system by sending 10,000 emails concurrently. Does the I.T. department own this problem? Usually it would…but they certainly aren’t in this mess by themselves. Regardless of the problem specifics, their job is a lot easier when they have a universal methodology that allows them to move quickly to resolution and communicate the results to all those affected.




• When an employee is injured on the shop floor, is the problem localized to the Safety team?
  

  Not normally. The injury that may have resulted from an unsafe act notwithstanding, there are typically many other elements that could have contributed to the event. Production may have had to work around a procedure to meet a new customer demand. A piece of equipment may not have been maintained properly because of budgetary constraints. Or the individual may have been working significant overtime due to unfilled staff positions. The investigation of the injury may lead investigators to areas in the company that, on the surface, seemed to have nothing at all to do with the incident but are in fact contributing causes.





• When a customer finds a quality defect, does that defect reside only within the Quality Assurance department?
  Perhaps the task of resolving the customer’s complaint resides with Quality Assurance, but what if there were other such parts already delivered and in operation? Wouldn’t the customer want to check those parts as well? How did we miss the defect before shipping? Why did we produce a defective product? Quality Assurance is on the hook to answer these questions, and many others. But the investigation could take them to many areas in the plant or even to one of their suppliers. Supply chain problems cross many boundaries, both internal and external. Teams solving problems like this benefit greatly when they use the Apollo method because they can communicate complex concepts to diverse groups of people Both internally and externally more simply than they ever could have before.





• When a patient is administered the wrong medication, do the consequences of this problem stop with the nursing team on duty?
  

  Pharmacological errors occur more often than we would like to think. And near misses, which are seldom reported, happen much more often. The nursing team is certainly not the only group involved with this incident. The investigation team may need to gather information from the nursing team, the pharmacy, the doctor, the patient, or other sources. With a universal communication methodology, this task becomes much easier – and much more effective.

Because problems virtually always cross functional boundaries, difficulties occur because of: 1) Different lines of leadership, 2) Different knowledge bases and terminologies, and 3) Incomplete understanding of the interactions between departments. A platform is needed to overcome all of these which allows for a creation of a “common reality” of the problem through input of all involved functions. The Apollo Method has proven over and over that it is one of the best ways to overcome these difficulties by finding the quickest, cheapest and easiest solutions without alienating or sub-optimizing any specific function.

The Apollo problem solving methodology adds depth to your skill-set, regardless of whether you are a nurse, a construction supervisor, a sales representative for a bicycle manufacturer, an immunologist, etc. Effective problem analysis requires asking the right questions and organizing the answers. This process is fundamentally the same for everyone – including you.