About the Tool
Purpose: Productivity Management
The problem tree diagram is a planning tool that helps identify the root causes of a problem. It creates a tree-shaped diagram that provides a logical hierarchy of their relationships. By breaking broad categories into more specific details, it moves concepts from generalities to specifics.
A problem tree analysis aids decision-making, identifies the root causes of defects, and facilitates idea generation and risk assessment by visualizing risk factors, probabilities, and potential impacts. This approach allows organizations to have a better understanding of the problem, offering various angles for intervention.
How to Use the Tool
Estimated Time Needed: 1 hour
Target Participants or Users: Change Managers, Project Managers, Planning Officers, Process Planners
Steps
- Define the problem statement.
- Write the problem statement in a square or circle at the top (for a vertical tree diagram) or far left (for a horizontal tree diagram).
- Identify immediate causes contributing to the central problem.
- Organize the diagram from broad to specific details.
- Create new tiers of statements and use arrows to indicate how each statement relates to the ideas in the previous tiers. This helps illustrate the connections between statements.
- Ask the “Why” questions to drill down to the next level of detail. Identify deeper causes, breaking them down into more detailed sub-branches.
- Continue until all the details for the outcomes are exhaustively mapped out
Sample Tree Diagram
