Fix-It-Once^®

Doctors follow protocols when they treat patients. Engineers span mighty rivers using plans for bridges. Chefs apply time-tested recipes to whisk culinary magic into fresh ingredients. Professionals must be methodical to get it right the first time.

Unfortunately, when most people solve sudden, serious problems, they shoot from the hip. We can do better. We can Fix-It-Once^®.

Fix-It-Once^®is a streamlined root cause determination process that shrinks the likelihood of the same disastrous consequences happening again by 95%. Its real power, however, is strengthening 80 - 90% of the other processes, people, and hardware that will remain vulnerable to similar outcomes unless you act.

Fix-It-Once^®

^{Organizes your problem assessment}
^{Prioritizes the most effective actions}
^{May not require "solving" the original problem at all!}

Seven Steps: Fix-It-Once^® Click HERE to view a Fix-It-Once^® chart

Unacceptable Consequences Acknowledge every one, no matter how devastating or embarrassing. Write them down! This is no time for the spin doctor. Without total honesty, Fix-It-Once^®cannot work.

Problem Release Determine precisely how the problem happened. Understand the human, equipment, or support network failure mechanism that opened up the flood of consequences. Dig hard. Be systematic. However, do not stop here.

Early Warning System Probe for factors that set the stage for trouble that was well beyond what you expected. Were you monitoring the wrong channel? Any channel?

Industry Awareness Did ignorance or wishful thinking create false security about the disaster potential? Did you isolate yourself from the experiences of others?

Experts and Experience Did you neglect essential lessons from your own earlier small or less harmful problems?

Aggravating Factors What made the consequences so awful? Timing? During full-scale production and not prototype? Best client? Company-wide instead of isolated example?

Contingency Response What was half-hearted, late, or misguided about the organization’s reaction when adverse consequences began to appear? How effective was your advance planning for trouble?