Root Cause Analysis Template

Root Cause Analysis

RCA is an advanced problem solving technique for when simpler techniques such as The Five Whys won’t solve it.

If you have a broken complex machine or manufacturing process with an unknown root cause you will need a systematic and analytical approach to problem solving.

This technique is not unlike the differential diagnostic process used by a doctor when confronted by many conflicting symptoms and no obvious cause.

Doctors will collect as much information as they can, consider all possibilities, then by ruling out those that don’t fit the facts, they identify the most likely cause. Before recommending treatment they will likely propose a diagnostic test to confirm the condition.

This is exactly how we approach a Root Cause Analysis to find the true cause of the fault.

1. Specify the problem and collect all of the known facts or observations.
2. Identify what is distinctive and also what has changed in the timeline.
3. Brainstorm all possible causes suggested by those distinctions and changes. Then go on to test which possible cause best fits the facts.
4. Design a diagnostic test to verify the one true cause

And if at first you don’t succeed, circle back to gather more observations, more possible causes and repeat the testing process.