August 6, 2025 | Mark Paradies

Improve Performance Improvement

Be Even More Effective By Going Beyond Implementing TapRooT® Root Cause Analysis

Way back in 1993, we realized that there were techniques (best practices) that complemented the TapRooT® Root Cause Analysis System. These techniques weren’t changes in the TapRooT® System. They were complementary best practices and ideas that worked hand-in-hand with TapRooT® Root Cause Analysis to make safety, quality, equipment reliability, human performance, and operational excellence programs even more effective. Some of our clients had tried one or two of these best practices/new ideas, but most had not. So, we decided that we needed to organize a new way to share these ideas. To improve performance improvement. That’s when we decided to have the first TapRooT® Summit.

What type of improvement ideas did we share in the Summits from 1994 through 1999? Here’s a sample:

Using Mistake Proofing (Poka-Yoke) to improve corrective actions.
Methods to improve communications with management and employees.
New ideas for trending root causes.
Ideas to improve human performance (the latest human factors research).
Lessons learned by investigating fatalities.
How to eliminate blame from investigations.
Best practices in TapRooT® RCA implementation.
Lessons learned from NASA about the normalization of deviation.
Lessons learned about improving aviation safety that can be applied to other industries.

You might think that some of these performance improvement ideas need to be repeated because they are still challenges that many organizations face. Therefore, we occasionally repeat a topic or two because learning is still needed or new ideas have been developed.

Where Are We Today?

Improvement NEVER stops. Industry leaders are always looking for new ways to improve performance improvement. That is why we sponsor a new Global TapRooT® Summit every 18 months. When is our next Summit? October 1-3 in Knoxville, Tennessee.

What are the topics that we think are important for today’s industry leaders to learn about and implement? Here’s a sample of the performance improvement ideas that will be shared at the 2025 Global TapRooT® Summit:

Lessons learned about implementing TapRooT® RCA from TapRooT® Users.
Developing lessons learned programs and implementing them in the TapRooT® Software.
Training beyond mistakes.
Ways to more quickly and effectively apply root cause analysis.
How do you write effective, less error-prone procedures?
How to use AI to improve safety.
How to foster Psychological Safety in the workplace.
Taking learning teams to the next level (beyond brainstorming).
Best practices for achieving high reliability.
How mistakes can be designed into a system and how to avoid designing in mistakes.
How to use peer reviews and inspections to improve performance.
Management and success lessons to manage neurodiverse teams.
How to manage fatigue in your workforce to reduce human error.
Analyzing what went right to improve performance.
Success stories and lessons learned about managing eqipment reliability.
How to mine predictive diamonds from your data mountains.

Do these topics sound interesting? Well, they are just a sample. The eight Best Practice Tracks (see below) include 40+ sessions. CLICK HERE to see the complete Summit Schedule.

To see the sessions in each track, CLICK HERE.

But these aren’t the only topics at the Summit. You can also learn and be motivated by our Keynote Speakers.

What will they discuss?

How to listen to and share best practices.
How to face challenges, self-doubt, and uncertainty when achieving world-class performance.
Lessons learned from submarine operations and the fatal Titan submersible disaster.
How to turn your improvement ideas into reality.
Lessons on leading with courage.

CLICK HERE for details.

How Can You Learn More?

If these topics apply to your organization and include ideas or best practices that interest you, register for the 2025 Global TapRooT® Summit. CLICK HERE to start the registration process.

When you register, you can choose one of the eight Best Practice Tracks or design your own custom Summit experience by choosing from sessions in a variety of tracks.

Don’t forget the 11 special 2-day pre-Summit Courses being held on September 29-30 (on Monday and Tuesday before the Summit). What are these courses?

Just click on the link above for details about any of the courses.

As a bonus, you will SAVE $300 OFF the combined registration when you attend a 2-day course and the Summit.

Would you like more discounts? Consider bringing a team to receive up to $900 OFF each registration. See below…

NOW is the time to make your plans to attend the 2025 Global TapRooT® Summit. See the Summit website for complete information, then CLICK HERE to register.

Don’t wait. The next Summit will have different sessions, keynote speakers, and ideas to improve performance. But the next Summit won’t be held until 2027 (18-month schedule). You don’t want to get behind in your performance improvement efforts. So, register for the 2025 Global TapRooT® Summit today.

Have questions? Call us at 865-539-2139 or CLICK HERE to e-mail us.