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Root Cause Analysis: The Core of Problem Solving and Corrective Action, Second Edition.

Oakes D. Milwaukee, WI: ASQ Quality Press; 2019. ISBN: 9780873899826.

Root cause analysis is a widely used patient safety and quality improvement process for investigating adverse events. This book includes detailed steps to identify system-level causes including how to use diagrams and figures to assist in brainstorming causes and potential solutions.

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Root Cause Analysis: The Core of Problem Solving and Corrective Action

We live in a complex world. People and organizations often don’t believe they have the time to perform the in-depth analyses required to solve problems. Instead, they take remedial actions to make the problem less visible and implement a patchwork of ad hoc solutions they hope will prevent recurrence. Then when the problem returns, they get frustrated—and the cycle repeats.

This book provides detailed steps for how to solve problems, focusing more heavily on the analytical process involved in finding the actual causes of problems. It does so using a large number of figures, diagrams, and tools useful for helping make our thinking visible. The primary focus is on solving repetitive problems, rather than performing investigations for major incidents/accidents. Most of the terminology used is everyday language and can therefore also be used for applications in their personal lives. Many of the examples will involve situations with which the reader will likely be familiar.

The focus of the book not on statistics but instead on the logic of finding causes. It has sometimes been described in training workshops as “Six Sigma lite”…problem solving without all the heavy statistics.

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Root Cause Analysis : the Core of Problem Solving and Corrective Action

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• Title page; CIP data; Contents; List of Figures and Tables; Preface to the Second Edition; Preface to the First Edition; Chapter 1_Getting Better Root Cause Analysis; The Problem; The Impact; Approaches to Root Cause Analysis; Existing Problem-Solving Models; A Proposed Model; Chapter 2_Multiple Causes and Types of Action; Initial Problem Response; The Diagnosis; Actions to Prevent Future Problems; The Need for Filters; Chapter 3_Step
• 1: Define the Problem; Selecting the Right Problem; Scoping the Problem Appropriately; The Problem Statement; Chapter 4_Step
• 2: Understand the Process
• Setting Process BoundariesFlowcharting the Process; Why Process is So Important; Additional Values of the Flowchart; Chapter 5_Step
• 3: Identify Possible Causes; Using the Flowchart for Causes; Using a Logic Tree for Causes; Using Brainstorming and the Cause-and-Effect Diagram for Causes; Using Barrier Analysis for Causes; Using Change Analysis for Causes; Eliminating Possible Causes; Sources for Possible Causes; Chapter 6_Step
• 4: Collect the Data; A Basic Concept; Types of Data; Using Existing Versus New Data; Where to Collect Data; Special Tests; Sample Size and Time Frame
• Data Collection Tools for Both Low- and High-Frequency ProblemsAdditional Tools for High-Frequency Problems; Enhancing Data Collection Value; Organizing the Data Collection Process; Chapter 7_Step
• 5: Analyze the Data; Tools for Low-Frequency Data; Additional Tools for High-Frequency Data; Questioning the Data; Data Analyses Summaries; Analyzing Variation; Cautions on Data Analysis; Where to Go Next?; Can't Find the Cause?; Chapter 8_Identify and Select Solutions; Step
• 6: Identify Possible Solutions; Step
• 7: Select Solution(s) to Be Implemented
• Chapter 9_Implement, Evaluate, and InstitutionalizeStep
• 8: Implement the Solution(s); Step
• 9: Evaluate the Effect(s); Step
• 10: Institutionalize the Change; Chapter 10_Organizational Issues; Cognitive Biases; Emotional Barriers; Resistance to Change; Organizational Culture; Project Ownership; Coaching/Facilitation Skills; Other Issues; Chapter 11_Human Error and Incident Analysis; Human Error; Incident Analysis; Chapter 12_Improving Corrective Action; Critical Thinking; Buddhism; Stoic Philosophy; Summary of Root Cause Analysis; Appendix A_Example Projects; A Need for Focus
• How Would They Know?How Proficient is That?; Getting the Shaft Back; Got it in the Bag!; Appendix B_Root Cause Analysis Process Guides; Generic Process Thinking; SIPOC Analysis Form; Data Collection and Analysis Tools; Do It2 Root Cause Analysis Guide; Do It2 Problem-Solving Worksheet; Checklist for Reviewing the Corrective Action Process; Expanded List of Seven Ms; Forms for Tracking Causes and Solutions; Appendix C_Enhancing the Interview; Basic Interview Problems and Process; Types of Interviews and Questions; Leveraging How Memory Works; The Importance of Time and Reflection

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• The Importance of Root Cause Corrective Action (RCCA)
• Learn Lean Sigma
• Root Cause Analysis

Problems and issues are unavoidable in any organization. While quick fixes and temporary solutions are common, they frequently fail to address the root cause of the problem. This results in recurring issues, squandered resources, and disgruntled stakeholders. This is where root cause analysis comes in. Understanding and applying root cause analysis can help you transform problem-solving approaches and achieve long-term solutions that eliminate the root cause of problems.

Table of Contents

What is root cause corrective action.

Root cause corrective action is a method of identifying and addressing the underlying causes of a problem rather than just treating the symptoms. It entails determining the root cause, which is the primary reason for the occurrence of an issue or failure. The goal of root cause corrective action is to implement targeted and effective solutions that eliminate the root cause of the problem, thereby preventing it from recurring in the future. It goes beyond quick fixes or temporary solutions, focusing on long-term and sustainable solutions.

How it Differs from Other Problem-Solving Techniques

In several ways, root cause corrective action differs from traditional problem-solving approaches. In contrast to traditional methods, which frequently address the symptoms or immediate effects of a problem, root cause corrective action seeks to identify and address the underlying cause. Traditional approaches may provide temporary relief, but if the underlying cause is not addressed, they can lead to recurring problems.

A systematic and structured analysis of the problem, taking into account all possible contributing factors, is required for root cause corrective action. It delves deeper into the causes, looking beyond the obvious. By determining the root cause, organizations are able to implement targeted solutions that address the source of the problem rather than applying general fixes that may not fully resolve the issue.

Importance of Root Cause Corrective Action in Preventing Recurring Issues

One of the fundamental principles of root cause corrective action is the recognition that addressing a problem at its source is critical to preventing its recurrence. Addressing symptoms or superficial manifestations without addressing the underlying cause can lead to a never-ending cycle of problems.

Organizations can break free from recurring issues and create a more stable and efficient operation by emphasizing the need to identify and eliminate the root cause. It helps to avoid wasting resources and time dealing with the same problem over and over again. Organizations can reap long-term benefits such as increased productivity, improved customer satisfaction, and cost savings by putting effort into identifying and addressing the root cause.

Benefits of Implementing Root Cause Corrective Action

Implementing root cause corrective action has numerous advantages, the most important of which is the ability to achieve long-term solutions. Organizations can prevent a problem from recurring by identifying and addressing its root cause, resulting in long-term solutions. Rather than applying temporary fixes over and over, root cause corrective action offers a comprehensive approach that ensures problems are resolved at their root.

Assume a manufacturing company experiences frequent equipment breakdowns. Instead of constantly repairing the equipment, root cause corrective action would entail investigating the underlying causes of the breakdowns, such as insufficient maintenance procedures or worn-out components. Addressing these underlying causes allows the company to implement measures to improve maintenance practices or replace faulty components, resulting in fewer equipment failures and long-term operational stability.

Cost and Time-saving Advantages of Addressing Root Causes

Addressing the underlying causes of a problem through corrective action results in significant cost and time savings. While conducting a thorough root cause analysis and implementing appropriate solutions may require an initial investment of resources, it ultimately leads to significant savings in the long run.

Organizations can eliminate the need for recurring fixes and associated costs such as maintenance, repairs, or customer compensation by addressing the root cause. Furthermore, by preventing the problem from recurring, valuable time spent on firefighting or dealing with customer complaints can be redirected to more productive activities, improving overall efficiency.

Examples of Successful Root Cause Corrective Action

Showcasing real-life examples can provide valuable insights into the effectiveness of root cause corrective action. These examples demonstrate how organizations identified the underlying causes of their problems and implemented targeted solutions, resulting in significant improvements.

For example, a software development firm that experienced frequent software crashes implemented root cause corrective action. They discovered that the crashes were caused by a memory leak in their code after careful investigation. They were able to achieve stable software performance by addressing the root cause and optimizing their code, resulting in increased customer satisfaction and lower support costs.

Another example could be a logistics company experiencing delivery delays. They identified bottlenecks in their supply chain caused by inefficient warehouse processes after conducting a root cause analysis. They successfully eliminated the root causes of delays by reorganizing their operations, implementing automation, and improving inventory management, resulting in faster and more reliable deliveries.

These examples show how root cause corrective action can produce tangible results by addressing issues at their root and achieving long-term improvements.

Steps to Implementing Root Cause Corrective Action

Step 1: conducting a root cause analysis.

Conducting a thorough root cause analysis is the first step in implementing effective root cause corrective action. This entails gathering pertinent data and information about the problem, investigating the sequence of events that led to its occurrence, and investigating any contributing factors. To delve deeper into the underlying causes, techniques such as the “ 5 Whys ” or fishbone diagrams can be used. The goal is to identify the primary cause or causes that, if addressed, will result in the problem being resolved.

Step 2: Identifying the Underlying Factors Contributing to the Problem

After determining the root cause, the next step is to identify the underlying factors that contribute to the problem. This entails investigating the various elements, processes, or systems that interact with one another and influence the occurrence of the problem.

It necessitates a thorough examination of the organizational environment, including equipment, procedures, human factors, and external influences. Organizations can gain a holistic understanding of the problem and develop effective solutions by identifying all relevant factors.

Step 3: Developing and Implementing Targeted Corrective Actions

After determining the root cause and contributing factors, the next step is to devise targeted corrective actions. This entails developing strategies and solutions that are specifically designed to address the underlying cause and mitigate the contributing factors. Depending on the nature of the problem, it may entail process improvements, training programs, policy changes, or infrastructure upgrades. Corrective actions must be actionable, realistic, and targeted in order to effectively eliminate the root cause and prevent its recurrence.

Step 4: Monitoring and Evaluating the Effectiveness of the Corrective Actions

Following the implementation of targeted corrective actions, it is critical to monitor and evaluate their effectiveness. This step entails developing metrics, key performance indicators (KPIs), or other measurable criteria to evaluate the effectiveness of corrective actions. Organizations can track progress, identify unexpected outcomes, and make adjustments as needed with regular monitoring. It is critical to involve stakeholders and solicit feedback to ensure that the solutions implemented achieve the desired results. If the corrective actions are not proving effective, the root cause analysis may need to be reassessed and alternative strategies considered.

Organizations can implement effective root cause corrective action by following these steps, resolving problems at their core and creating long-term solutions. Conducting a thorough root cause analysis, identifying contributing factors, developing targeted corrective actions, and monitoring their effectiveness are critical to addressing the root cause and preventing recurring issues.

Case Study: Examples of Root Cause Corrective Action

To better understand the practical application of root cause corrective action, consider the following case study.

Reducing Customer Complaints in a Call Center Case Study

Problem: A call center was receiving a high volume of customer complaints about long wait times and inadequate issue resolution. Customers were dissatisfied, customer loyalty was low, and word-of-mouth was negative.

Actions Taken:

Root Cause Analysis: The call center management performed a root cause analysis to identify the underlying causes of the customer complaints. They conducted customer and call center agent interviews, analyzed call data, and reviewed customer feedback.

Identified Root Causes: The analysis revealed two primary root causes: insufficient staffing during peak hours and inadequate agent training in issue resolution and customer service skills.

Targeted Corrective Actions:

• a. Staffing Increase: To reduce wait times and improve customer service, call center management increased the number of agents available during peak hours. This included changing shift schedules, hiring more people, and implementing workload balancing mechanisms.
• b. Training Improvement: A comprehensive training program was developed to provide agents with the necessary skills to effectively handle customer issues. To ensure positive customer experiences, this training focused on active listening, problem-solving, and empathetic communication.
• c. Positive Word-of-Mouth: As customers experienced better service, positive word-of-mouth spread, attracting new customers and improving the company’s market reputation. This aided business growth and provided a competitive advantage.

The call center successfully resolved the underlying issues causing customer complaints by implementing root cause corrective action through targeted solutions such as staffing improvements and training enhancements. This case study demonstrates how identifying root causes and putting effective corrective actions in place can result in significant improvements that benefit both the organization and its customers.

Overcoming Challenge in Root Cause Corrective Action

Implementing root cause corrective action can be difficult at times due to a variety of obstacles. We’ll talk about common problems and how to solve them here:

• Limited Resources: One common obstacle is the availability of limited resources, such as time, budget, or personnel. To address this, prioritize the most pressing issues and allocate resources accordingly. Effective resource management and careful planning can assist in making the best use of available resources.
• Inadequate or Incomplete Data: Insufficient or incomplete data can impede root cause analysis. Ensure that data collection processes are in place and that employees are encouraged to report incidents or problems as soon as possible. Consider using tools or systems to collect relevant data for a thorough analysis.
• Resistance to Change: Another challenge is resistance to change, especially if the root cause corrective actions involve changing established processes or routines. Address resistance by communicating effectively, emphasizing the benefits of the changes, and involving stakeholders in the decision-making process. To ease the transition, provide employees with training and support.

Overcoming Resistance and Organizational Barriers

Overcoming resistance or organizational barriers is critical for successful root cause corrective action implementation. Here are some strategies for overcoming these obstacles:

Create a Culture of Continuous Improvement: Encourage employees to actively participate in problem-solving efforts by cultivating a culture that values continuous improvement. Establish clear communication channels and give employees opportunities to contribute ideas and feedback.

Build Cross-Functional Collaboration: Promote cross-functional collaboration within the organization to break down silos. Encourage departments or teams to collaborate on problem analysis and solution development. This promotes a holistic viewpoint and ensures a thorough understanding of the underlying causes.

Training and Support: Provide training programs to employees in root cause analysis and problem-solving methodologies. Maintain ongoing support, guidance, and resources to assist employees in overcoming obstacles and implementing effective corrective actions.

Tips for Ensuring Sustained Commitment

Long-term success requires a consistent commitment to root cause corrective action. Consider the following suggestions to keep the momentum going:

• Leadership Support: Obtain leadership buy-in and support for root cause corrective action implementation. Leaders must champion the process, allocate resources, and emphasize the importance of identifying and addressing root causes.
• Continuous Monitoring and Evaluation: Establish mechanisms to continuously monitor the effectiveness of implemented corrective actions. Evaluate outcomes on a regular basis and adjust strategies as needed. This fosters a learning and improvement culture.
• Recognize and Celebrate Success: Recognize and celebrate successful root cause corrective action implementations. Individuals or teams who contribute to identifying and resolving root causes should be recognized. This increases motivation and reinforces the importance of the approach.
• Continuous Training and Development: Provide ongoing training and development opportunities to employees to help them improve their skills in root cause analysis and problem solving. Encourage employees to constantly improve their problem-solving skills and to share what they’ve learned with others.

Organizations can effectively implement root cause corrective action by addressing common obstacles, overcoming resistance, and ensuring sustained commitment. This paves the way for long-term success, continuous improvement, and problem prevention.

Implementing root cause corrective action is a powerful approach that shifts problem-solving from addressing symptoms to resolving core issues. Organizations can achieve long-term solutions and reap numerous benefits by conducting thorough root cause analyses, identifying underlying factors, developing targeted corrective actions, and monitoring their effectiveness.

The impact of root cause corrective action is far-reaching, ranging from cost and time savings to increased customer satisfaction and loyalty. Overcoming obstacles and maintaining a long-term commitment to this approach ensures continuous improvement and a proactive problem-solving culture. Accept the power of root cause corrective action to unlock your organization’s potential for transformative change.

Daniel Croft

Daniel Croft is a seasoned continuous improvement manager with a Black Belt in Lean Six Sigma. With over 10 years of real-world application experience across diverse sectors, Daniel has a passion for optimizing processes and fostering a culture of efficiency. He's not just a practitioner but also an avid learner, constantly seeking to expand his knowledge. Outside of his professional life, Daniel has a keen Investing, statistics and knowledge-sharing, which led him to create the website learnleansigma.com, a platform dedicated to Lean Six Sigma and process improvement insights.

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Root Cause Analysis: The Core of Problem Solving and Corrective Action

182 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2009

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Root Cause Analysis Explained: Definition, Examples, and Methods

The easiest way to understand root cause analysis is to think about common problems. If we’re sick and throwing up at work, we’ll go to a doctor and ask them to find the root cause of our sickness. If our car stops working, we’ll ask a mechanic to find the root cause of the problem. If our business is underperforming (or overperforming) in a certain area, we’ll try to find out why. For each of these examples, we could just find a simple remedy for each symptom. To stop throwing up at work, we might stay home with a bucket. To get around without a car, we might take the bus and leave our broken car at home. But these solutions only consider the symptoms and do not consider the underlying causes of those symptoms—causes like a stomach infection that requires medicine or a busted car alternator that needs to be repaired. To solve or analyze a problem, we’ll need to perform a root cause analysis and find out exactly what the cause is and how to fix it.

In this article, we’ll cover the following:

• Definition of root cause analysis

Benefits and goals of root cause analysis

• How to conduct root cause analysis
• Tips for performing rot cause analysis

What is root cause analysis?

Root cause analysis (RCA) is the process of discovering the root causes of problems in order to identify appropriate solutions. RCA assumes that it is much more effective to systematically prevent and solve for underlying issues rather than just treating ad hoc symptoms and putting out fires. Root cause analysis can be performed with a collection of principles, techniques, and methodologies that can all be leveraged to identify the root causes of an event or trend. Looking beyond superficial cause and effect, RCA can show where processes or systems failed or caused an issue in the first place.

Core principles

There are a few core principles that guide effective root cause analysis, some of which should already be apparent. Not only will these help the analysis quality, these will also help the analyst gain trust and buy-in from stakeholders, clients, or patients.

• Focus on correcting and remedying root causes rather than just symptoms.
• Don’t ignore the importance of treating symptoms for short term relief.
• Realize there can be, and often are, multiple root causes.
• Focus on HOW and WHY something happened, not WHO was responsible.
• Be methodical and find concrete cause-effect evidence to back up root cause claims.
• Provide enough information to inform a corrective course of action.
• Consider how a root cause can be prevented (or replicated) in the future.

As the above principles illustrate: when we analyze deep issues and causes, it’s important to take a comprehensive and holistic approach. In addition to discovering the root cause, we should strive to provide context and information that will result in an action or a decision. Remember: good analysis is actionable analysis.

The first goal of root cause analysis is to discover the root cause of a problem or event. The second goal is to fully understand how to fix, compensate, or learn from any underlying issues within the root cause. The third goal is to apply what we learn from this analysis to systematically prevent future issues or to repeat successes. Analysis is only as good as what we do with that analysis, so the third goal of RCA is important. We can use RCA to also modify core process and system issues in a way that prevents future problems. Instead of just treating the symptoms of a football player’s concussion, for example, root cause analysis might suggest wearing a helmet to reduce the risk of future concussions. Treating the individual symptoms may feel productive. Solving a large number of problems looks like something is getting done. But if we don’t actually diagnose the real root cause of a problem we’ll likely have the same exact problem over and over. Instead of a news editor just fixing every single omitted Oxford comma, she will prevent further issues by training her writers to use commas properly in all future assignments.

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How to conduct an effective root cause analysis: techniques and methods

There are a large number of techniques and strategies that we can use for root cause analysis, and this is by no means an exhaustive list. Below we’ll cover some of the most common and most widely useful techniques.

One of the more common techniques in performing a root cause analysis is the 5 Whys approach . We may also think of this as the annoying toddler approach. For every answer to a WHY question, follow it up with an additional, deeper “Ok, but WHY?” question. Children are surprisingly effective at root cause analysis. Common wisdom suggests that about five WHY questions can lead us to most root causes—but we could need as few as two or as many as 50 WHYs. Example: Let’s think back to our football concussion example. First, our player will present a problem: Why do I have such a bad headache? This is our first WHY. First answer: Because I can’t see straight. Second why: Why can’t you see straight? Second answer: Because I my head hit the ground. Third why: Why did your head hit the ground? Third answer: I got hit tackled to the ground and hit my head hard. Fourth why: Why did hitting the ground hurt so much? Fourth answer: Because I wasn’t wearing a helmet. Fifth why: Why weren’t you wearing a helmet? Fifth answer: Because we didn’t have enough helmets in our locker room. Aha. After these five questions, we discover that the root cause of the concussion was most likely from a lack of available helmets. In the future, we could reduce the risk of this type of concussion by making sure every football player has a helmet. (Of course, helmets don’t make us immune to concussions. Be safe!) The 5 Whys serve as a way to avoid assumptions. By finding detailed responses to incremental questions, answers become clearer and more concise each time. Ideally, the last WHY will lead to a process that failed, one which can then be fixed.

Change Analysis/Event Analysis

Another useful method of exploring root cause analysis is to carefully analyze the changes leading up to an event. This method is especially handy when there are a large number of potential causes. Instead of looking at the specific day or hour that something went wrong, we look at a longer period of time and gain a historical context. 1. First, we’d list out every potential cause leading up to an event. These should be any time a change occurred for better or worse or benign. Example: Let’s say the event we’re going to analyze is an uncharacteristically successful day of sales in New York City, and we wanted to know why it was so great so we can try to replicate it. First, we’d list out every touch point with each of the major customers, every event, every possibly relevant change. 2. Second, we’d categorize each change or event by how much influence we had over it. We can categorize as Internal/External, Owned/Unowned, or something similar. Example: In our great Sales day example, we’d start to sort out things like “Sales representative presented new slide deck on social impact” (Internal) and other events like “Last day of the quarter” (External) or “First day of Spring” (External). 3. Third, we’d go event by event and decide whether or not that event was an unrelated factor, a correlated factor, a contributing factor, or a likely root cause. This is where the bulk of the analysis happens and this is where other techniques like the 5 Whys can be used. Example: Within our analysis we discover that our fancy new Sales slide deck was actually an unrelated factor but the fact it was the end of the quarter was definitely a contributing factor. However, one factor was identified as the most likely root cause: the Sales Lead for the area moved to a new apartment with a shorter commute, meaning that she started showing up to meetings with clients 10 minutes earlier during the last week of the quarter. 4. Fourth, we look to see how we can replicate or remedy the root cause. Example: While not everyone can move to a new apartment, our organization decides that if Sales reps show up an extra 10 minutes earlier to client meetings in the final week of a quarter, they may be able to replicate this root cause success.

Cause and effect Fishbone diagram

Another common technique is creating a Fishbone diagram, also called an Ishikawa diagram , to visually map cause and effect. This can help identify possible causes for a problem by encouraging us to follow categorical branched paths to potential causes until we end up at the right one. It’s similar to the 5 Whys but much more visual. Typically we start with the problem in the middle of the diagram (the spine of the fish skeleton), then brainstorm several categories of causes, which are then placed in off-shooting branches from the main line (the rib bones of the fish skeleton). Categories are very broad and might include things like “People” or “Environment.” After grouping the categories, we break those down into the smaller parts. For example, under “People” we might consider potential root cause factors like “leadership,” “staffing,” or “training.” As we dig deeper into potential causes and sub-causes, questioning each branch, we get closer to the sources of the issue. We can use this method eliminate unrelated categories and identify correlated factors and likely root causes. For the sake of simplicity, carefully consider the categories before creating a diagram. Common categories to consider in a Fishbone diagram:

• Machine (equipment, technology)
• Method (process)
• Material (includes raw material, consumables, and information)
• Man/mind power (physical or knowledge work)
• Measurement (inspection)
• Mission (purpose, expectation)
• Management / money power (leadership)
• Maintenance
• Product (or service)
• Promotion (marketing)
• Process (systems)
• People (personnel)
• Physical evidence
• Performance
• Surroundings (place, environment)

Tips for performing effective root cause analysis

Ask questions to clarify information and bring us closer to answers. The more we can drill down and interrogate every potential cause, the more likely we are to find a root cause. Once we believe we have identified the root cause of the problem (and not just another symptom), we can ask even more questions: Why are we certain this is the root cause instead of that? How can we fix this root cause to prevent the issue from happening again? Use simple questions like “why?” “how?” and “so what does that mean here?” to carve a path towards understanding.

Work with a team and get fresh eyes

Whether it’s just a partner or a whole team of colleagues, any extra eyes will help us figure out solutions faster and also serve as a check against bias. Getting input from others will also offer additional points of view, helping us to challenge our assumptions.

Plan for future root cause analysis

As we perform a root cause analysis, it’s important to be aware of the process itself. Take notes. Ask questions about the analysis process itself. Find out if a certain technique or method works best for your specific business needs and environments.

Remember to perform root cause analysis for successes too

Root cause analysis is a great tool for figuring out where something went wrong. We typically use RCA as a way to diagnose problems but it can be equally as effective to find the root cause of a success. If we find the cause of a success or overachievement or early deadline, it’s rarely a bad idea to find out the root cause of why things are going well. This kind of analysis can help prioritize and preemptively protect key factors and we might be able to translate success in one area of business to success in another area.

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Root Cause Analysis: The Core of Problem Solving and Corrective Action

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