root-cause

Turns observations, needs, and patterns into a tangible result through collecting notes, writing one idea per note card, and prioritizing implications.

Core question: What patterns, themes, and implications emerge when the raw notes are clustered by similarity?

45-90 min

3-10

Turns workflows, data, causes, and improvements into a tangible result through defining the problem, asking why, and defining countermeasures.

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

15-30 min

2-6

Turns relationships, patterns, and leverage points into a tangible result by describing an event, identifying patterns, and selecting interventions.

Core question: Which patterns, structures, and mental models create the recurring events, and on which layer is an intervention sustainable?

30-60 min

2-10

Turns workflows, data, causes, and improvements into a tangible result by defining the problem, choosing cause categories, and prioritizing likely causes.

Core question: Which possible causes across all relevant categories deserve data-driven deep validation as the next action?

30-60 min

2-8

Turns options, criteria, and risks into a tangible result by collecting items or causes, selecting a metric, and prioritizing top factors.

Core question: Which 20% of items drive 80% of impact, and which levers in the top group are truly actionable?

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: Which cause, decision, or risk measure can be derived through disciplined separation of facts, hypotheses, and decision criteria?

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 causal paths lead from observed problem to controllable causes, and which actions address the most likely paths?

1-3 h

2-8

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

Core question: Which few core causes lie under the system's undesirable effects, and at which leverage points would an intervention resolve the most UDEs at once?

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: Which failure modes in the process have enough risk to require preventive or detective actions before deployment?

2-6 h

3-10

Turns workflows, data, causes, and improvements into a tangible result by describing the problem precisely, collecting data and events, and deriving countermeasures and controls.

Core question: Which systemic causes caused or enabled the problem, and which countermeasures prevent recurrence instead of only treating symptoms?

1-4 h

3-8

Turns workflows, data, causes, and improvements into a tangible result by defining the top event, collecting direct causes, and deriving critical paths and measures.

Core question: Which logical combinations of basic events lead to the undesired top event, and which minimal cut sets are critical enough to trigger action?

2-6 h

3-8

Turns workflows, data, causes, and improvements into a tangible result by describing the deviation, choosing a comparison case, and deriving causes and actions.

Core question: Which differences between should and is explain the observed deviation, and which of those differences are causal, contributing, or random?

45-120 min

2-6

Turns workflows, data, causes, and improvements into a tangible result by collecting event data, reconstructing the timeline, and deriving root causes and measures.

Core question: Which event factors and conditions actually shaped the incident, and which ones are root causes versus contributors?

2-6 h

3-10

Turns workflows, data, causes, and improvements into a tangible result by forming the team, describing the problem, and verifying correction and prevention.

Core question: Which systematically evidenced cause system produced the defect, which immediate and corrective measures prevent further damage, and how is recurrence prevented permanently?

1-6 Wochen

4-10

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

Core question: Do the paired data show a pattern that supports, contradicts or leaves open the suspected cause-effect hypothesis?

30-90 min

1-4

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

Core question: Which specific controls and which management oversight functions were involved in the incident, were effective, insufficient, or missing, and which systemic levers follow from this?

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 barriers were supposed to prevent the damage, which existed, functioned, and were effective enough, and which are missing or failed?

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 earlier or parallel incidents form a family with the target incident, and what systemic patterns become visible through that relationship?

2-4 h

2-6