[FREE WEBINAR] Practical Root Cause Analysis in Aerospace & Defence: From Insight to Impact
Date: Thursday 26th November 2026
Time: 12.00pm – 12.50pm
Register Today!
Explore practical Root Cause Analysis within aerospace and defence, using process understanding, evidence and capability to support better-informed improvement decisions.
About the session
Investment and demand are creating significant growth opportunities across aerospace and defence and while manufacturers and its supply chains are expanding capability the ability to maintain demanding standards for quality, safety, compliance, delivery and productivity has become even more critical.
Root Cause Analysis (RCA) provides a structured way to investigate performance, understand contributing factors and use evidence to guide improvement activity.
Join CQM Training & Consultancy for a free, practical 60-minute Lunch & Learn exploring RCA within an aerospace and defence manufacturing context.
The session will consider how RCA can be applied across day-to-day performance challenges, recurring issues, emerging risks and opportunities for improvement, using structured thinking to build a clearer understanding of what is influencing performance and where action could be focused.
Process capability will provide context to the RCA discussion, helping participants consider how process data, variation and performance against requirements can strengthen an investigation and support the evaluation of improvement activity. The workshop concept uses capability in this supporting role alongside process understanding and established RCA techniques.
Alongside focused input from CQM, the session will include contextualised interactive elements, practical discussion and real-world examples, giving participants an opportunity to apply some of the thinking within scenarios familiar to aerospace and defence.
What we’ll explore
The session is expected to cover themes including:
- Developing a structured approach to Root Cause Analysis
- Defining performance gaps, risks and improvement opportunities clearly
- Using process understanding and evidence to explore potential causes
- Applying practical RCA techniques, including 5 Whys and Fishbone
- Using process capability and variation as context within an investigation
- Connecting findings with appropriate actions and ongoing review
Examples and activities will draw on familiar aerospace and defence considerations, which could include quality and right-first-time performance, process variation, delivery, manufacturing performance, supplier issues, traceability and customer requirements.
Why attend?
This interactive session provides an opportunity to explore RCA within an aerospace and defence environment and develop a more structured approach that can be applied within everyday operational and improvement activity.
Participants will gain practical insight into the relationship between the performance gap, process understanding, evidence, potential causes and action, with process capability providing additional context around variation and performance.
The Lunch & Learn will also provide an opportunity to work through contextualised activities, discuss real-world examples and share experience with professionals from across aerospace, defence and its supply chain.
Who should attend?
The session is accessible to a broad range of professionals involved in operational performance, quality, engineering and improvement, including:
- Continuous Improvement and Operational Excellence Practitioners
- Manufacturing and Process Engineers
- Quality and Product Assurance Professionals
- Operations and Manufacturing Managers
- Team Leaders and Supervisors
- Programme and Project Professionals
- Supplier Quality and Supply Chain Professionals
- Lean and Six Sigma Practitioners
- Managers and practitioners involved in problem solving or performance improvement
Your facilitator – Alan Clark
Alan Clark is an experienced CQM Development Coach and Continuous Improvement practitioner with a strong background in industry and practical improvement.
His experience includes working within the sector and supporting an aerospace and defence organisation with its SC21 improvement and award journey, giving him first-hand insight into the performance, quality and improvement expectations experienced across the supply chain.
Alan brings this practical experience into his delivery, using relatable manufacturing examples and structured improvement techniques to help participants connect the learning with their own working environments.
About CQM Training & Consultancy
CQM works across aerospace, defence and advanced manufacturing, supporting organisations to develop capability across Operational Excellence, Continuous Improvement, Lean Six Sigma, leadership and Strategy Deployment.
We are members of ADS Group and the North West Aerospace Alliance (NWAA) and are an SC21 training provider, helping us remain closely connected with capability development across aerospace and defence manufacturers and their supply chains.
Our programmes combine structured development with practical application and can be contextualised around organisational priorities, operational environments and existing improvement approaches.
