Accendo Reliability

Your Reliability Engineering Professional Development Site

  • Home
  • About
    • Contributors
  • Reliability.fm
    • Speaking Of Reliability
    • Rooted in Reliability: The Plant Performance Podcast
    • Quality during Design
    • Critical Talks
    • Dare to Know
    • Maintenance Disrupted
    • The Leadership Connection
    • Practical Reliability Podcast
    • Reliability Matters
    • Reliability it Matters
    • Maintenance Mavericks Podcast
    • Women in Maintenance
    • Accendo Reliability Webinar Series
    • Asset Reliability @ Work
  • Articles
    • CRE Preparation Notes
    • on Leadership & Career
      • Advanced Engineering Culture
      • Engineering Leadership
      • Managing in the 2000s
      • Product Development and Process Improvement
    • on Maintenance Reliability
      • Aasan Asset Management
      • CMMS and Reliability
      • Conscious Asset
      • EAM & CMMS
      • Everyday RCM
      • History of Maintenance Management
      • Life Cycle Asset Management
      • Maintenance and Reliability
      • Maintenance Management
      • Plant Maintenance
      • Process Plant Reliability Engineering
      • ReliabilityXperience
      • RCM Blitz®
      • Rob’s Reliability Project
      • The Intelligent Transformer Blog
    • on Product Reliability
      • Accelerated Reliability
      • Achieving the Benefits of Reliability
      • Apex Ridge
      • Metals Engineering and Product Reliability
      • Musings on Reliability and Maintenance Topics
      • Reliability Engineering Insights
      • Reliability in Emerging Technology
    • on Risk & Safety
      • CERM® Risk Insights
      • Equipment Risk and Reliability in Downhole Applications
      • Operational Risk Process Safety
    • on Systems Thinking
      • Communicating with FINESSE
      • The RCA
    • on Tools & Techniques
      • Big Data & Analytics
      • Experimental Design for NPD
      • Innovative Thinking in Reliability and Durability
      • Inside and Beyond HALT
      • Inside FMEA
      • Integral Concepts
      • Learning from Failures
      • Progress in Field Reliability?
      • Reliability Engineering Using Python
      • Reliability Reflections
      • Testing 1 2 3
      • The Manufacturing Academy
  • eBooks
    • Reliability Engineering Management DRAFT
  • Resources
    • Accendo Authors
    • FMEA Resources
    • Feed Forward Publications
    • Openings
    • Books
    • Webinars
    • Journals
    • Higher Education
    • Podcasts
  • Groups
    • Reliability Integration
    • Mastermind
    • Study Groups
  • Courses
    • 14 Ways to Acquire Reliability Engineering Knowledge
    • Reliability Analysis Methods online course
    • Measurement System Assessment
    • SPC-Process Capability Course
    • Design of Experiments
    • Foundations of RCM Online Course
    • Reliability Engineering Statistics
    • An Introduction to Reliability Engineering
    • Process Capability Analysis course
    • Root Cause Analysis and the 8D Corrective Action Process course
    • Return on Investment online course
    • CRE Preparation Online Course
    • Quondam Courses
  • Webinars
    • Upcoming Live Events
  • Calendar
    • Call for Papers Listing
    • Upcoming Webinars
    • Webinar Calendar
  • Login
    • Member Home

by Robert (Bob) J. Latino Leave a Comment

What’s Wrong with the Term “Root Cause”?

What’s Wrong with the Term “Root Cause”?

There is great variation when it comes to a common understanding of the term ‘Root Cause Analysis’ or RCA. 

In a previous, lengthy paper, I wrote an article entitled “The Stigma of RCA: What’s In a Name?“. It focused on common understandings (or misunderstandings) of what RCA means and then described the basic steps of any investigative occupation. I just left it up to the reader to determine if their ‘RCA’ approach had room for improvement. 

I myself even agreed with many about how the term ‘Root Cause Analysis’ was confusing as a label for such a disciplined analytical process, because it insinuates there is a single ‘root’ cause and that one has reached the end of the line or the end of the root, so no more exploration is needed.

My outlook on that has been reshaped by a different perspective I read from Christoph H. Hinske who posted a literal view of ‘roots’ from his Forest Ecosystem Manager’s perspective. It just made sense! He stated the following about ‘roots’:

“One honest question: First I thought that I agree that the concept of root causes is not adequate. Then I reflected it from my perspective of being a Forest Ecosystem Manager. I came to the conclusion that it is actually very adequate. Roots change over time, they are literally countless in numbers, adopt to changing conditions, alter their environment and even make trees walk (Mangroves can walk because roots adjust to changing salinity levels). The roots of trees communicate with each other, creating an intricate web/ parallel universe. Thus my question: what is it exactly that “does not work well” with the image/ approach of root causes?”

There is still much variation in the physical application of the process of ‘Root Cause Analysis’ as I described in this paper “Do Learning Teams Make RCA Obsolete?“, but for now, let’s just focus on the name or label of RCA.

After reading Christoph’s description of roots when viewed as an ecosystem, I ask his same question, “What is it exactly that “does not work well” with the image/ approach and proper application of root causes?”

Filed Under: Articles, on Maintenance Reliability, The RCA

« Acid Sparge and Acid Sparging
When Rules are Made to be Broken! »

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

logo for The RCA article series image of BobArticle by Robert (Bob) J. Latino
CEO of Reliability Center, Inc.

in the The RCA article series

Join Accendo

Receive information and updates about articles and many other resources offered by Accendo Reliability by becoming a member.

It’s free and only takes a minute.

Join Today

Recent Posts

  • Can you be Proactive in a Reactive Environment?
  • One Place for all of your Data!
  • What is a Risk Manager?
  • Workplace Safety Culture Changes when You Embed ACE 3T OHS Standards in Your Work Procedures
  • Top Five Challenges For Process Safety

© 2022 FMS Reliability · Privacy Policy · Terms of Service · Cookies Policy

This site uses cookies to give you a better experience, analyze site traffic, and gain insight to products or offers that may interest you. By continuing, you consent to the use of cookies. Learn how we use cookies, how they work, and how to set your browser preferences by reading our Cookies Policy.