Root Cause Analysis Process

Root cause analysis (RCA) is a logical sequence of steps that leads the investigator through the process of isolating the facts or the contributing factor surrounding an event or failure. This chapter discusses five identifiable steps of RCA namely, define the problem, collect data, identify possible causal factors, identify the root cause, and recommend and implement solution. The Five Whys is a simple problem-solving technique that helps to get to the root of a problem quickly. The 5-Why analysis is the primary tool used to determine the root cause of any problem. One of the more popular tools used in root cause analysis is the fishbone diagram, otherwise known as the Ishikawa diagram, named after Kaoru Ishikawa, who developed it in the 1960s. Fault tree analysis helps determine the root cause of failure of a system using Boolean logic to combine a series of lower level events.