Identifying problems and deviations in projects is one of the most important activities for proper risk mitigation, preventing obstacles in delivery to the client or even negative impacts on the quality of the final product. One way to avoid these problems and promote more efficient project management is to apply the Fact, Cause, and Action (FCA) report, a simple and easy-to-apply tool that accurately identifies the source of the problems encountered.
What is a Fact, Cause, and Action (FCA) report
HCA is a fairly simple process that can be developed by the project team at any time, when facing any problem. Initially, after identifying the fact, which is the problem, you ask why that abnormality occurred. With the answer to the "why," it's time to think about the cause, that is, what generated the fact.
Once the cause of the problem has been identified, it is necessary to develop an action plan to eliminate or correct the cause, thereby eliminating the risks to the project. If the cause cannot be eliminated, the team must focus on alternatives to bypass the problem and thus conclude the project according to the contract.
Finally, a responsible party is identified to carry out risk mitigation, and a schedule is defined for implementing the solution, in order to complete the process as soon as possible and resume work naturally.
Where is it possible to apply the HCA report?
The HCA report is quite flexible and serves various purposes and can be applied in situations such as:
Production problems
If a problem such as a decrease in production exists, the fact, cause, and action report can be used to identify what is affecting the company's production, thereby eliminating the risk factor and ensuring continuity of work.
Human commitment
A project team's motivation is essential for the work to be done according to plan, meeting deadlines and requirements. If there is a drop in team motivation, turnover and absenteeism occur, and project development is negatively impacted. In this regard, HCA reports help to find the reason for the lack of motivation, such as leadership failures, heavy workload, lack of resources, among others, and thus eliminate the true cause of the problem.
Goal and Indicator Tracking
Another application for the fact, cause, and action (FCA) report is tracking project performance through goals and indicators. If the goals are on track, that's perfect. However, if they are not, the FCA can be used to identify what is causing the performance deficit and thus address the problem before it becomes too significant for the company or even the client.
There are thousands of applications for the HCA report, all you need is a problem and to ask the right questions!
Why use the fact, cause, and action report
First, because there is no need for advanced technology to perform this analysis. All you need to do is gather your team and discuss with them to identify the causes of a problem and the actions that should be taken in the short, medium, and long term. In addition to the ease of applying the method, HCA is versatile and can be used in any context, meaning, regardless of the project your team is committed to, HCA is highly effective in helping to mitigate risks.
HCA is also an agile way to combat risks that arise throughout a project, allowing the team to work proactively on maintaining failures and problems that may occur throughout the common effort.
Did you already know about the Fact, Cause, and Action report? In what context do you usually apply it? How effective is this method in your company? Share your experiences with us!
