Root cause analysis refers to a set of techniques and tools that help you find the root cause of a problem. The root cause is considered the ultimate reason—the main factor—that leads to the problem. Root cause analyses have multiple foci: some are more geared towards finding the solution, some focus on identifying the main cause itself, and some provide support for carrying out the root cause analysis.
Root cause analysis is widely used in the manufacturing, IT, and healthcare sectors.
Steps to Conducting an RCA
If you have encountered a problem for which you want to identify the real reason, follow the steps described below and prevent the problem from appearing again:
Identify the problem
The first step in conducting a root cause analysis is to identify the problem. To do so, you ask the following questions: What is happening, and who is affected? Where did the problem occur? And how bad is the impact?
In short, your problem statement should be clear and focused on defining the problem by answering such details.
Collect information about the problem
The next step requires gathering all relevant data and information about the problem. What this means is that you should document information such as the frequency of the problem, affected processes, and any variations in occurrence. Another important aspect that you must pay attention to is reviewing historical data, conducting interviews with the relevant parties, and examining any logs or reports that are related to the problem.
Find out the causes
Now that you have collected sufficient information, it’s time to sift through all that and find the causes. To do so, first establish a timeline of events. After this, systematically ask “Why” at each stage. You can make use of tools like the Fishbone Diagram to pinpoint each factor and show their relationship to each other.
Identify the relationships
Once you have mapped out all potential causes, it’s time to find the linkages between them. For this, you will need to determine direct causes, contributing factors, and the actual root cause of the problem.
You can use the 5 Why technique here to understand how the events and causes are linked.
Let’s see an example. A hospital is facing a rise in the spread of infections and the cause is thought to be the high volume of patients.
However, by identifying the relationships, it was found that a new sterilization technique was being adopted but without enough training.
Implementation and monitoring
Once the causal chain has been identified, you can easily find corrective measures and implement them. Make sure that the solutions you are suggesting are practical and sustainable and also that they directly address the problem.
However, the story does not end here. You must also monitor the situation after the solutions have been implemented. You might need to tweak them a bit or replace them if they do not solve the core issue. A popular way to measure this would be by monitoring the KPIs.
In our previous example, the solution would be to immediately train the staff for the new sterilization strategy and sterilize all instruments again. For the long-term strategy, a training protocol should be established with proper checklists. To monitor compliance with the new procedures, you can suggest regular audits of the checklists and sterilization logs.
Root Cause Analysis Methods and Techniques
There are six main approaches to root cause analysis. Let us study them in more detail below:
Pareto charts
Pareto charts help you figure out which issues are creating the biggest impact on your problem. With the Pareto chart technique, you can focus on 20% of the problems that are causing 80% of the issues. It is a visual tool, and the chart, which is usually a bar graph, represents the issues. The tallest bar shows the biggest issue causing the problem. So, if you are dealing with complaints from your customers, you can create this chart and see which are the most common causes of the complaints, and then you can address them without wasting your energy on some other reason.
5 whys analysis
This technique is super simple and useful when you want to dig deeper into the causes of a problem. For each sequence of events, you have to ask “why this happened,” and this will eventually lead you to the root cause of the problem. Let us say a machine broke down. So why did it break down? The engine overheated. Why did it overheat? Because maintenance was not done on time. And there you have it! The root cause was delays in routine maintenance. So, this technique will help you reach the core issue by looking at the symptoms of the problem.
Scatter plot diagram
Now let us look at scatter plot diagrams. This is a visual technique to help you visually see the connection between two factors. This is a simple analysis technique and is easy to help see the relationships between two factors.
Fishbone diagram
Think of the Fishbone Diagrams as brainstorming sessions turned into a visual. You can use it to map out all possible causes of a problem. It is called a Fishbone diagram because the “head” of the fish is used to represent the problem and the “bones” are the possible causes. The bones can be used to categorize the causes into categories like People, Process, Equipment, Materials, and so on. In this way, you can clearly see which factors are contributing to the problem.
Failure mode and effects analysis
The Failure Mode and Effects analysis is a technique that uses a proactive approach to problem-solving. So, instead of waiting for something to go wrong, you will list out all the possible failures and indicate how they can impact your project or process.
This technique is very helpful for sectors like manufacturing or healthcare, where failures can have serious consequences.
Fault tree analysis
The last technique that we will talk about is the Fault Tree Analysis. This technique is useful for complex problems as it can factor in multiple factors that can contribute to a problem. Not only this, it also lets you see how these factors are linked together. Consider that you are drawing a tree that will represent the main problem and draw out “branches,” which are the possible causes.
Which Technique Should I Use?
Each of these techniques has its own strengths and usefulness. Choosing the right one will depend on the nature of your problem, your industry, and your resources. If you are unsure which one to use, see the table below, and you can easily select the right one to find the root cause of your problem.
| Technique | Best For |
| Pareto Chart | Prioritizing the main issue |
| 5 Whys | Quick identification of root cause |
| Scatter plot | Finding relationships between different causes |
| Fishbone Diagram | Brainstorming the causes |
| FMEA | Preventing failures before they happen |
| Fault Tree Analysis | For analysis of complex problems |
Root Cause Analysis Made Easy with These Templates
To conduct a root cause analysis, you can use a template to make it more accessible and efficient. These templates at WordLayouts will guide you through the process and can be easily used for any industry and complexity.
You can add more information to any of these templates and tailor them for any level of detail. The sections can be rearranged or new branches added, as your analysis requires. You can also change the colors and the fonts to represent your company’s brand. You can save them as PDFs and print them or share them online once you have modified them according to your requirements.
You can access these templates in the popular formats of Google Slides and PowerPoint. Designed for ease of use, you can print them directly from the format you have chosen or use them online. These templates are presentation-ready, so you can use them for brainstorming sessions or to present your findings to your team as well.
Get Free Root Cause Analysis Templates
Interested in learning more? Go to our root cause analysis templates and download free templates today.
Go to CollectionSumming Up
A root cause analysis is like removing the roots of the weeds rather than cutting them. By using a step-by-step approach, you can reach the core cause behind the problem. A root cause analysis is primarily performed in order to pinpoint the actual issue and stop it from happening again.
By using a template, you will get a clear framework to identify problems, analyze their causes, and develop. Whether you want to use the 5 Whys worksheet, Fishbone Diagram, or Fault Tree Analysis, these templates will help you to organize your information clearly. Instead of manually sketching the diagrams or noting down the analysis, you can use these ready-to-use templates for a professional appearance and save you time.
Explore these Root Cause Analysis templates and start skillfully solving problems today!
