Shainin Logo 2022 - Hexagon Logomark with embedded Pareto and Shainin Name with Red I

Red X

Investigate and Solve
Complex Problems
Faster than Ever

with Red X Problem Solving

Solve Fast & Get it right

When problems arise, you need a solution fast. You need a strategy to ditch your long list of possible causes and narrow your focus to the one that matters most.

With Red X in your toolbox, you can.

1. Solve Fast

Eliminate unnecessary testing and streamline your problem solving efforts for speed and accuracy.

2. Get it Right

Leverage physics and a “what’s different” mindset to get to the true root cause. There’ll be no root cause imposters here.

3. Proven Solutions

Test proposed solutions before implementing them at full scale to prove they work BEFORE you invest.

Solving faster together

Red X is trusted by brands like

Stop doing the same thing

and Expecting different results

Experience-based problem solving and brainstorming methods will only get you so far. With increased product complexity and tight project timelines, you need fewer ‘options’ to test, not more.

Red X: Our Different approach

A Simple & powerful effect

Red X flips the typical problem solving model. Our approach allows you to converge only on what matters by focusing on the effect rather than guessing at causes. It’s a strategic process of elimination using the physics of product, the process design and what we call ‘contrast’. With our simple yet powerful tools, you don’t have to be a statistician to solve problems. Our problem-solving framework gets you to the root cause efficiently so you can solve fast.

What makes it different?

The Framework, the Tools & the Mindset

FACTUAL

The Framework

FACTUAL is the 7-step framework Red X employs to strategically converge to the root cause of a problem. But it’s more than just a fancy acronym. Rather than relying on historical experience or opinions, the Red X method is based on empirical testing. We “let the parts do the talking”. We’ve developed and refined our testing methods to be simple but impactful.

Simple in form

The Tools

We believe problem solving tools shouldn’t take a masters degree in statistics to use. Over the last 75 years, we’ve refined existing tools to make them approachable for everyone on your team and created new tools to bridge existing gaps. Our Red X Toolkit is full of problem solving assets that are not only simple in form but have the statistical rigor to get you impactful results.

Y to X

The Mindset

Typical problem solving methods rely on the problem solving team to have experience with the system and a clear understanding of how it works. Wihout that, experience-based and brainstorming methods are not guaranteed to find the root cause. Red X reverses the diagnostic process and uses the contrast between the best performing parts and the worst performing parts to eliminate the shared “possible causes”. The difference between the best and worst parts is obviously the cause, we just have to let the parts do the talking.

Ready to start solving the "unsolveable"?

Red X in 2022

By the Numbers

71

Companies from across the world partnered with Shainin in 2022 

33

Crisis problems resolved in 2022. Curious about “Crisis Problems“?

750+

Projects completed for certification credit in 2022  

17:1

Typical Return on Investment for our partners in 2022

71

Companies form across the world partnered with Shainin in 2022

750+

Projects completed by Shainin-trained teams in 2022

33

Crisis Problems resolved in 2022

17:1

Typical Return On Investment for our partners in 2022

*Data presented are from customer-verified cost estimates and are therefore likely to be conservative

Solve the "Unsolveables"

Two ways to solve

We’ve heard it countless times. “This is just the way it is” or “that problem isn’t solveable”. We call those “the Unsolveables”. The problems that companies choose to live with everyday. But they don’t have to. Now there’s another option. In fact, we offer two options to start solving the problems that everyone says can’t be solved.

Solve IT Now with Red X

Red X Consultant discussing problem solving strategy with client at a white board
The Issue:

Have an urgent technical problem? Dealing with a frustrated customer demanding you “Solve it now!”? Need a problem solved and don’t have the time or resources to dedicate to solving it?

The Solution:

A Red X Problem Solving Engagement

A dedicated team will come to your facility and get you the answer.

How It Works:
  1. Setting the Scope | Assessment followed by a custom problem-solving proposal
  2. Milestone-Based Investigation | A Red X project occurs in phases. We’re confident enough to tie our pricing to each phase of completion.
  3. Implement & Celebrate | Upon completion of the project, all that’s left to do is to fully integrate into your process and documentation. Then sit back and relax. Or move on to solving the next problem. 

Teach your team

Shainin consultant conducting Red X training for customers in a meeting space
The Objective:

Elevate your organizations problem-solving capabilities

The Solution:

Red X Training & Certification

We’ll train, coach, and certify your team to solve complex problems using the Red X Methodology.

How It Works:
  1. Setting the Scope | We’ll meet to review your goals and set your team up for success.
  2. Select & Train | Collaborate to identify the right people and projects.
  3. Solve | After training, your team receives regular coaching to reinforce their learning and get you results.
  4. Certify & Celebrate | Completing a project and resolving a problem is certainly something worth celebrating.
  5. Level Up | Get ready for the next level of training and tools to enhance your team’s skills even further.

Start solving the "unsolveable"

Best Practices to make RED X even more effective

Maximize your Problem Solving ROI

Make sure your team knows what Red X is

Problem solving is often a team sport so everyone needs to be on the same page. Red X is a problem solving framework and toolset to help teams converge on the root cause of complex problems. It is a problem-solving methodology and strategy. 

Don't send just one person to training

The importance of teamwork to the success of your problem-solving program can not be understated. From the assembler to the engineer to the manager, the whole team is involved somehow. When only one person knows a methodology, it’s hard to implement a new process. Having multiple people in a training group makes your investment much more likely to have a strong return.

Create a problem solving Culture & Competency

Successful problem solving requires more than just the project teams. Create a structure to support your problem solving teams in identifying, prioritizing, managing, and supporting projects. We’ll help your team get started with regular coaching sessions, but a successful program will create a structure that allows project teams to integrate their problem solving into their everyday jobs. 

Don’t have one? We can help. Learn about RT5

Prepare for not just a class, but also having a coach

Many training programs are just that, training. In our programs, we’ve found that the most effective way to instill the Red X Methodology and best practices are to follow a three part process: Training, then Coaching, followed by Certification. We’ve designed our system to maximize the impact of what is being learned and to garner the most effective implementation for our customers. 

Certification is worth something - to the company & the individual - don't dismiss it

Certification may seem like an unnecessary step, but it serves a valuable purpose. Shainin, the certifying body, ensures that every team member who earns certification is capable of performing the work correctly. If a candidate cannot meet Shainin’s standards, they will not be certified. This guarantees that certified individuals can complete their work correctly without the need for constant supervision. For the individual, there’s a level of pride in achievement. Our certification follows rigorous standards and that means that it takes hard work to get it. 

Start at the beginning

Just like beginning an education starts with the basics, so does our Red X method. Regardless of previous trainings and certifications, Red X training begins with Apprentice. Our methods approach problem solving from a different perspective and the fundamentals we teach in our Apprentice level courses are necessary in order to apply the methods and to excel in implementing them. 

Innovative structure & refined simplicity that yield speed to resolution

Let our team of dedicated problem solvers help resolve your most impactful issues. Contact us today to team up!

Dorian Awards Criteria

Master of the year Award

The Master of the Year Award is for leaders who have increased the impact of problem solving using Shainin technologies within their organization.

To be considered for this award, the submission must meet the following criteria:

  • Applies leadership skills to expand the impact of Red X technologies within the organizatio
  • Results including projects completed that made a significant impact to improving business performance
  • The number of individuals coached to certification

Dorian Awards Criteria

RT5 Leadership Award

The Rolling Top 5 Leadership Award is for leaders who have increased the impact of problem solving using Shainin technologies within their organization.

To be considered for this award, the submission must meet the following criteria:

  • Demonstrates leadership guidance, structural framework, and effective mentoring of a dynamic problem-solving culture
  • Conducts regular reviews to ensure that key projects are solved quickly and efficiently
  • Encourages major suppliers and customers to jointly solve problems by using Shainin methods and leveraging the results
  • Actively recognizes and rewards outstanding performance in problem- solving
  • The number of successful projects and certifications

Dorian Awards Criteria

Team Project Awards

This category of awards is for project teams who have demonstrated outstanding application of Shainin methodologies in solving complex problems within their company.

To be considered for this award, the submission must meet the following criteria:

  • Speed and efficiency of the problem solved
  • Technical difficulty and complexity of the problem solved
  • Project impact and leverage across the organization
  • Creative use of Shainin technologies
  • Clarity of the project documentation

Dorian Awards Criteria

Company Award

This category of awards is for companies who have succesfully developed a Red X Program within a facility, division, region, or company and can demonstrate impactful improvements based on that development.

To be considered for this award, the submission must meet the following criteria:

  • Demonstrates impact of Shainin technology greatly improving key business metrics. 
  • Examples include: scrap reduction, yield improvement, throughput, warranty reductions, field failure avoidance, and other technical solutions resulting in savings. 
  • Enables a successful launch of a new program or product.