Root Cause Analysis, 5th Edition

4

Failure Classification

Before discussing the issue of Root Cause Analysis (RCA), we must first begin setting the foundation with some key terminology. As mentioned earlier in this text, one of the primary reasons for the misinterpretation of “RCA” is that there is no standard definition against which to benchmark it. Therefore, everyone defines RCA as they please and the result is shallow cause methodologies being equated to root cause methodologies.

For our purposes, let’s begin by discussing the key differences between the terms “problems” and “opportunities.” There are many people who tend to use these terms interchangeably. However, the truth is these terms are really at opposite ends of the spectrum.

A problem can be defined as a negative ...