Root Cause Analysis Tracing a Problem to its Origins

Root Cause Analysis (RCA) is a technique that helps people answer the question of why a problem occurred in the first place. It seeks to identify the origin of a problem using a specific set of steps, with associated tools, to find the primary cause of the problem, so that an organization can:

• Determine what happened.
• Determine why it happened.
• Figure out what to do to reduce the likelihood that it will happen again.

RCA assumes that systems and events are interrelated. An action in one area triggers an action in another, and another, and so on. By tracing back these actions, you can discover where the problem started and how it grew into the symptom you’re now facing. This website describes the process of conducting an RCA.

Last modified: March 25, 2019

Language: English