RealityCharting™, Root Cause Analysis Software

Spell Checking

RealityCharting^® does not currently have a spell check feature, but there is an easy workaround for Causes, Reports, and Lists.

Spelling Check for Causes

1. Select View > Outline.
2. Select Export.
3. Open a word processing application.
4. Paste the Outline view into the word processing application.
5. Perform a spelling check.
6. When an error is found, correct it on your chart in RealityCharting^®.

Spelling Check for Reports and Lists

1. Open the report or list you want to spell check.
2. Select the Export button at the bottom of the window.
3. Open a word processing application.
4. Paste the report or list into the word processing application.
5. Perform a spelling check.
6. When an error is found, correct it on your report or list in RealityCharting^®.

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Placing High-Definition Realitycharts Into Other Applications

1. Select View > Optimize View.
2. Select Create PDF in the Optimize View window.
3. Select Current and then Create PDF in the Create PDF Options window.
4. Make any needed adjustments in the Create PDF Setup window and select Create PDF.
5. Name and save the file as desired.
6. Open the PDF file in Adobe Acrobat.
7. Select Tools > Advanced Editing > Crop Tool (within Adobe Acrobat).
8. Crop the Realitychart to just fill the crop tool boundaries.
9. Double-click inside the crop lines to activate the crop.
10. Select OK in the Crop Pages window that automatically appears after double clicking.
11. Save the new file. If you want to use this file in an MS document of any kind it should be saved as a PNG file type within Adobe Acrobat.
12. To include the high-definition Realitychart in an MS document select Insert > Picture > From File and navigate to the RC.png file and place it.

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Printing Enlarged Full Chart View

The following is a list of steps to enlarge the Realitychart's print size when needing to print a full chart view.

In RealityCharting^®:

1. Select View > Optimize
2. Select Page Size
3. Enter the dimensions that will likely contain the chart in a single page (max 99 x 99) or choose from a list of standard page sizes.
4. Select Resize Page
5. The page will be resized. Repeat this as necessary until you have the chart on one page size.
6. Select Create PDF
7. Save your PDF and open it in Acrobat

In Acrobat:

1. Select the Snapshot tool and drag around the area you want to print.
2. Choose File > Print Setup to set printing options. The existing options vary with different printers and drivers.
3. Choose the appropriate plotter and select the “Properties”
4. Click on the “Fit to this page:” button
5. Choose the desired paper size
6. Click on the “OK” button
7. Click on the “OK” button on the Print box
8. You should now be printing an enlarged version of the Realitychart.

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Exporting Optimized Views

To paste a Full Chart View into other documents like a Word or PowerPoint file you will need to follow these steps:

1. Select View > Optimize View
2. Select Page Size
3. Choose from a list of standard page sizes or enter the dimensions (max 99x99) that will likely contain the chart in the desired size and/or number of pages.
4. Select Resize Page.
5. The page will be resized. Repeat this as necessary until you have the chart fit as needed. 
6. Select Export.
7. The Full Chart View is ready to be pasted as needed.

Note: RealityCharting's Optimize View is just that, an optimized view of a Realitychart using font and cause block sizing predetermined to be easily readable within the specified page size. Exporting the Realitychart to a page size different than that defined in the Optimize View window will jeopardize image quality and readability.

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Recovering your file with the AutoSave feature

This procedure should help you should you experience a sudden shut down of RealityCharting^®. While this is more likely to occur with extremely large charts (>300 causes), it’s important to know what to do if this happens to you.

1. Open RealityCharting^® from the start menu
   NOTE: Do not open by launching the file itself! If you do, you will open the file as it was last saved by you, which is likely a different state than when RealityCharting^® closed unexpectedly. Changes you made since the last time you saved will be missing. If you make any changes to this file, you will overwrite the Autosave file and lose any chance of recovering missing data. 
2. In the opening screen, select “Recover Autosave File” 
   NOTE: The Autosave function will recover your lost file, including all changes you made since the last time you saved your file. 
3. When the file opens, make no changes! 
4. Check to see that you have not experienced a loss of data. 
5. Save the file as a different file name

Of course, as with any software, you should get in the habit of saving frequently. You can save archive files every day and work from a new file and back up files on a USB flash memory drive.

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Using the Holding Area to move causes across a large chart

1. Select a cause or set of causes and move them into the Holding Area
2. Using the drag and drop feature move the chart view to the location where you want to re-attach the cause or causes (The Holding Area will maintain the cause box configuration if you request).
3. Move the causes(s) out of the Holding Area and attach to a node.

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Defining the Problem

When you find it difficult to define the problem, which is often the case in complicated events, gather a group of knowledgeable people and just capture causes by using the Synergize feature in the holding area. As you hear each cause, type it in the box provided and hit the return key. It will be placed in the holding area for use later. If you want to get started with creating the chart, simply type anything in the WHAT section of the problem definition window and RealityCharting^® will let you get started with the chart.

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Creating the causal loop and/or cause duplication with the GO TO feature

Often times you will find that an effect has the same causes as another effect on the chart. Instead of writing the causes over again, use the GO TO feature in the node menu.

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Generating Solutions

There are many ways to generate solutions and here are the most common. Remember, generating effective solutions is best accomplished by capturing the synergy of the team.

Use an Overhead Projector: If you have an overhead projector and large room, view your Realitychart on the screen and use the Identify Solutions command found in Wizard Step 3 or the Node Menu. This will systematically take you through each cause on the chart starting at the upper right.

Markup Hard Copies: If you do not have an overhead projector or large room, print your Realitychart and use the printout to challenge your causes. Make several copies for each stakeholder to review. Write the proposed solutions on the printout. When done suggesting causes, input them into RealityCharting^®. HOT TIP: Use the Solution Tool in the tool bar instead of the Identify Solutions command. Drag the Solution Tool icon (a light bulb) to the cause you want to add solutions to and click it. The Add Solution window will open. This saves much time, especially on large charts, because you can assign the solutions directly to the respective cause without having to go through the entire set of causes. After inputting your solutions into RealityCharting^®, run the solutions criteria check on each one.

Share Electronically: If it is not possible to get the key stakeholders together for this important task, then email the Realitychart to one stakeholder and ask that person to send it on to the next person with a copy to each of the stakeholders. Copy all stakeholders in on the first email and include the sequence. Request each team member to wait their turn. This still allows some synergy to occur as each time it gets passed on, new solutions get added and the others can do some “yes-anding” in their own space and time. HOT TIP: “Yes-anding” is the creative strategy of reserving all judgment of proposed solutions until you apply the solution criteria. Instead of thinking, “that will never work,” think and say about all proposed solutions: “Yes, and we could do thus-and-so also.”

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Viewing Root Causes

You can turn on the root cause designation by selecting View>Root Cause and checking or un-checking this feature. A root cause is by definition a cause that has an implemented solution attached to it.

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Printing Optimized Views

RealityCharting^® is not designed to optimize for one page size and print to another. Unknown results may occur. One option is to optimize the view and create a PDF at whatever size page necessary and then print from Acrobat.

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