We are spending half of our IDS® time rehashing issues we already resolved three weeks ago because the original solutions were never fully documented or implemented. How do we prevent recycled issues from clogging our weekly Level 10 Meeting™?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

Recycled issues are a clear sign of poor execution and a lack of accountability. If you are solving the same problems repeatedly, you are not actually resolving them at the root cause during IDS®. You are merely treating the symptoms, which allows the issue to crawl back onto the list.

To stop this waste, you must improve how you document and assign To-Dos. When an issue is solved, the facilitator must clearly state the resolution and confirm that everyone agrees it is the true solution. Then, a highly specific, actionable To-Do must be created.

A weak To-Do like 'look into the shipping delay' will fail. It must be specific, such as 'John to update the shipping SOP and train the warehouse team by next Tuesday.'

If a To-Do is marked as complete, but the issue reappears, you must immediately drop it back to the list and analyze why the solution failed. Did the person fail to execute, or was the solution itself flawed?

You must also ensure your solutions are captured in your company's documented processes. If a decision requires a change in policy, structure, or workflow, that change must be integrated into your operating manuals immediately.

Never remove an issue from your list until you have addressed the root cause. If the issue keeps coming back, call it out directly. Force the team to look at the process, not just the people, and hold each other accountable to the standard of ninety percent To-Do completion.