quality-problem-zeroing

Quality Problem Zeroing

Goal

Close a quality problem with objective evidence that:

1. Locates and explains the technical failure;
2. Removes every confirmed root cause and verifies the result;
3. Identifies and repairs management weaknesses where required;
4. Extends the learning to other exposed products, processes, and organizations; and
5. Leaves no action, evidence, approval, or known residual risk hidden at closure.

GB/T 29076—2021 is the controlling source for scope, sequence, terminology, and closure. Treat other methods and publications as supporting guidance only. Read the standard method guide whenever a formal scope decision, report, or closure review is required.

When to Use

Use this skill for an aerospace or complex-equipment quality problem that requires formal technical zeroing, management zeroing, double-five zeroing, an Annex A-aligned report, or a closure review. It is especially relevant to failures, defects, accidents, batch problems, repeated problems, field or delivered-product issues, human-responsibility problems, and problems caused by missing or inadequate rules.

Use a narrower root-cause skill when the user only needs one analysis tool. Use 8D instead when the customer or sector mandates an 8D response, then cross-check whether the same event also requires GB/T 29076—2021 zeroing.

Required Execution Checklist

• Record the product, problem phenomenon, operating state, time, location, environment, detector, and affected parties.
• Protect the scene, product state, records, data, and physical evidence when safe to do so.
• Assess safety, property, mission, delivered-product, and escalation risk immediately.
• Identify, segregate, stop, recall, or inspect suspect product as required.
• Form a cross-functional team with a named leader, authority, resources, and stakeholder representation.
• Decide and document whether technical zeroing, management zeroing, or both apply.
• Start technical zeroing first when both apply; never substitute it for management zeroing.
• Build an evidence-backed technical causal chain from the lowest failed unit to the observed effect.
• Identify all root causes; keep unproven explanations labelled as hypotheses.
• Reproduce or otherwise verify the problem mechanism using an approved method.
• Implement correction and root-cause corrective actions with owners and dates.
• Verify effectiveness, sufficiency, and adverse effects before ending emergency controls.
• Complete horizontal deployment across relevant products, processes, and organizations.
• Reconstruct the management process and assign responsibility from duties and evidence.
• Implement management actions and embed them in controlled rules, standards, or procedures.
• Complete the required report, evidence list, signatures, and independent review.
• Close only after all actions are complete, effectiveness is verified, and residual issues are explicit.