July 23, 2025 | Mark Paradies

Overcome Root Cause Analysis Frustration

Are You Frustrated With Your Root Cause Analysis?

I’ve had many conversations with people frustrated with their root cause analysis. Why were they frustrated?

Some were frustrated with the results that their investigators produced.
Some were frustrated with the process or the tools they used.
Some saw their root cause analysis descend into arguments and blame over who was at fault.
Many said their root cause analysis didn’t have management support.
Frequently, people complained about the effectiveness of their corrective actions. They had too many repeat incidents.

All of these complaints seem like valid reasons to be frustrated with a root cause analysis process. But what can they do? How do they overcome these root cause analysis frustrations?

Overcome RCA Frustration

Picking inadequate techniques or an inadequate system to perform incident investigations, quality evaluations, or root cause analysis often leads to frustration.

You can’t make a silk purse
out of a sow’s ear!

So how do you pick a root cause system that can lead you to an effective root cause analysis that doesn’t produce frustration?

The first step is to define what is a root cause and then choose a system that meets the fundamental requirements of good root cause analysis (see the fundamentals HERE) and a good incident investigation (see what you need to know about incident investigation HERE).

Or, watch these videos…

That’s where we started over 40 years ago when we developed the TapRooT® Root Cause Analysis System. You can read about our development history HERE.

Our goal was to produce a systematic process to lead investigators to fixable causes of human errors and equipment failures. A system that guided investigators beyond their current knowledge. A system that management could understand and support because it reliably produced answers that were effective in stopping repeat problems. A system that naturally stopped arguments and blame.

It started with the first TapRooT® Book in 1991 and the follow-up revisions in 2000 and 2008…

And has progressed over the years to the current 10-book set…

But books aren’t the main feature of the TapRooT® System. We think the TapRooT® RCA Courses help investigators learn to be exceptionally good at finding root causes and developing corrective actions and the TapRooT® RCA Software helps them do that efficiently and effectively.

Get Started Overcoming Root Cause Analysis Frustration

When should you get started overcoming your root cause analysis frustration? I would suggest NOW!

Also, consider attending the 2025 Global TapRooT® Summit on October 1-3 in Knoxville, TN. On September 29-30, you can attend our public 2-Day TapRooT® Root Cause Analysis Course and then on October 1-3, attend the Improving Investigations and Root Cause Analysis Track at the Summit. What’s in the Improving Investigations and Root Cause Analysis Track? These nine sessions…

Those nine sessions aren’t the only learning that you will experience. You will also hear from five Keynote Speakers…

The Keynote Speakers include Colonel Kim KC “Killer Chick” Campbell, who will share her story about a life-changing combat experience that will help you be more confident when facing adversity.