Root Cause Analysis Tool

Move from symptoms toward explanations

Root cause analysis investigates the conditions that allowed a problem to occur. A diagram makes proposed causal links visible so they can be checked against records, observations, and alternative explanations.

Investigate a recurring or significant failure

Use it for missed deadlines, quality defects, service incidents, or repeated process breakdowns. The fixed example uses five why questions to examine a delayed feature release.

Treat explanations as claims to test

1. Start with an observable problem. State the failure without embedding a preferred explanation.
2. Attach evidence to causes. Identify what supports each link and what remains unknown.
3. Allow multiple branches. Several conditions can combine to produce the same outcome.
4. Investigate the process. Labels such as careless or poor communication need a more specific explanation.
5. Connect fixes to mechanisms. Choose actions that address the confirmed cause and define how to check the result.

Make the investigation easier to review

MyMap arranges your observations into a cause map or why chain. Ask it to distinguish evidence from assumptions and expose gaps before deciding which explanation is credible.