Some simple mathematical aids for cause-and-effect analyses

A common approach used in quality or process improvement is cause-and-effect analysis. It involves identifying a (large) number of possible causes of an undesirable effect or problem, and then choosing the sequence of investigation of the possible causes. The philosophy of continuous improvement dictates that any associated modelling should use relatively simple, robust models that provide insights and guidance without extensive data collection or computational requirements. Thus, we present some fairly simple mathematical formulations of the aforementioned sequencing decision.