The 4Ss are cause-analysis prompts commonly covering Suppliers, Systems, Skills and Surroundings. They are particularly useful for service and administrative problems.
How to use this tool
Define problem and scope
Define the problem and investigation scope.
Gather evidence per category
Gather evidence for each category.
Identify causes and assumptions
Identify potential causes and assumptions.
Validate and agree actions
Validate the likely causes and agree actions.
References & further reading
Cadle, J. et al. (2021). Business Analysis Techniques: 123 Essential Tools for Success, 3rd ed. BCS. ISBN 9781780175690.