Root cause analysis (RCA) is a method of problem-solving used for identifying the root causes of faults or problems in science and engineering. RCA is a collective term that describes a wide range of approaches, tools, and techniques used to uncover causes of problems. RCA is a systematic approach to identifying the core of a problem or inefficiency so you can identify the best way to solve it. RCA is often used to solve problems and outline necessary preventive measures for situations like major and minor accidents, maintenance and manufacturing problems, medical mistakes, environmental releases, productivity issues, or everyday incidents caused by human error.

RCA is used in various fields such as IT operations, manufacturing, telecommunications, industrial process control, accident analysis, environmental science, occupational safety and health, and the manufacture of medical devices, pharmaceuticals, food, and dietary supplements. RCA is also used in change management, quality management, and regulatory compliance.

RCA is a structured facilitated team process to identify root causes of an event that resulted in an undesired outcome and develop corrective actions. The RCA process provides a way to identify breakdowns in processes and systems that contributed to the event and how to prevent future events. RCA 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.

Some RCA approaches are geared more toward identifying true root causes than others, some are more general problem-solving techniques, and others simply offer support for the core activity of root cause analysis. According to ISO/IEC 31010, RCA may include the techniques Five whys, Failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA), Fault tree analysis, Ishikawa diagram, and Pareto analysis.

In summary, RCA is a method of problem-solving used to identify the root causes of faults or problems in various fields. It is a structured facilitated team process that provides a way to identify breakdowns in processes and systems that contributed to the event and how to prevent future events. RCA 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.