Which of the following is one of the 3Ms in problem analysis?

• A. Materials
• B. People
• C. Machines
• D. Policies

Answer: (C)

In problem analysis, you often categorize potential causes into three broad areas: human factors, material inputs, and equipment. Machines covers the tools, machinery, and automation used in the process—things like calibrations, wear, failures, or incorrect settings. If the issue stems from the equipment itself, you’re looking at a machine-related cause.

Among the options, machines is the one that fits this three-part framework as the equipment component. Materials would be about inputs or raw materials, and policies or people would relate to different aspects outside this machine-focused trio. So identifying machines here points to the equipment side of the problem.