Root cause

Clusters notes into themes, statements, and opportunities, translating raw material into clear implications.

Core question: What patterns emerge from individual notes, which outliers matter, and what question follows?

• 45–90 min
• 3-10

Asks its way step by step to a controllable cause and stops only once an effective countermeasure is within reach.

Core question: Which controllable cause behind the symptom can the team fix with a concrete countermeasure?

• 15-30 min
• 2-6

Layers events, patterns, structures, and mental models to find deeper causes and interventions.

Core question: Which conditions produce a recurring pattern, and which assumption keeps it in place?

• 30-60 min
• 2-10

Sorts possible causes into categories and creates a shared picture for investigation and next tests.

Core question: Which possible causes and mechanisms could create this observed effect, and how will we test them?

• 30-60 min
• 2-8

Shows which few causes carry the greatest effect and directs attention to the most important levers.

Core question: Which categories contribute most to the measured total burden?

• 30-60 min
• 1-6

Clarifies workflows, data, causes, and improvements by framing the situation, analyzing the problem with is/is not, and planning risks and actions.

Core question: Do we need situation appraisal, cause analysis, a decision or safeguards for a plan?

• 2-8 h
• 2-8

Clarifies workflows, data, causes, and improvements by framing the problem precisely, branching possible causes, and defining countermeasures.

Core question: Which evidenced conditions explain the problem and which can we usefully change?

• 1-3 h
• 2-8

Clarifies connections, patterns, and leverage points by collecting undesirable effects, formulating causal links, and deriving interventions.

Core question: Which common causes can sufficiently explain the observed undesirable effects?

• 2-6 h
• 3-8

Clarifies workflows, data, causes, and improvements by defining scope and process, collecting failure modes, and assigning actions and owners.

Core question: How can a function fail, what effects follow and which actions demonstrably reduce risk?

• 2-6 h
• 3-10

Separates events, evidence, confirmed causes, and fitting actions so analysis does not turn into blame-finding.

Core question: Which evidenced system causes must change so this or a similar event does not recur?

• 1-4 h
• 3-8

Models a top event with AND and OR branches to make critical paths and causes visible.

Core question: Which individual or combined basic events are logically sufficient to produce the defined top event?

• 2-6 h
• 3-8

Compares an outlier with a stable case and filters out the differences that explain the deviation.

Core question: Which evidenced change distinguishes the event from a comparable incident-free situation, and what effect did it have?

• 45-120 min
• 2-6

Reconstructs a chain of events, marks factors, and derives verifiable causes and corrective actions.

Core question: Which events and conditions demonstrably contributed to the undesired outcome, and how are they linked in time and causality?

• 2-6 h
• 3-10

Coordinates team, immediate actions, root cause analysis, and prevention across eight steps to a verified solution.

Core question: How will we safely contain a material problem, permanently remove verified occurrence and detection causes, and prevent similar cases?

• 1-6 Wochen
• 4-10

Paired data points reveal whether two variables move together and where a suspected relationship needs deeper proof.

Core question: What pattern exists between X and Y, and which observations or groups need explanation?

• 30-90 min
• 1-4

A structured accident tree separates management controls, barriers, and events so serious incidents become auditable.

Core question: Which barrier, task, and management factors enabled or failed to prevent the event?

• Mehrere Tage bis Wochen
• 2-6

Hazards, targets, and failed barriers are mapped so controls can be strengthened at the point of exposure.

Core question: Which barrier should interrupt the path, how did it fail, and which independent control is missing?

• 2-4 h
• 2-6

A recurring incident pattern links related cases across time so systemic causes become visible beyond one event.

Core question: Which recurring condition connects related events, and which systemic action is missing?

• 2-4 h
• 2-6