A Revolution That’s Changing the World
Crazy People?
The video below is just 60 seconds long, but it is worth watching. Steve Jobs narrates the “Think Different” ad about changing the world…
My first computer was a Kaypro 2.
But my second computer was a Lisa.
That was the first Mac Steve Jobs designed. It led to the Apple Computer revolution, which changed what we could accomplish with a PC. Eventually, his work changed the world. Here is the famous MacIntosh Super Bowl commercial…
Changing the Way the World Solves Problems
We began to figure out the fundamentals of root cause analysis in the mid-1980s. We started System Improvements in 1988 with a Mac and an Apple Laser Printer. We were crazy enough to think we could change the way people found root causes.
By 1991, Linda Unger and Mark Paradies had developed the TapRooT® Incident Investigation System (an advanced root cause analysis system and training). And we wrote the first three-ring binder that documented our work…
In the early 1990s, we worked for the US NRC, Chevron, GE, Intel, ARCO, Mobil, Fermilab, OSHA, EPA, Exxon, and many others.
In 1992, we started teaching courses outside the US. Here are Linda Unger (front center) and Mark Paradies (back left) with some students at a course in London in the early 1990s…
Soon, we were teaching all over the world – Mexico, Thailand, Canada, the Netherlands, Italy, Norway, Sweden, Australia, Denmark, Singapore, Ireland, … and more.
Here’s Mark teaching a TapRooT® Course in Thailand…
And Linda teaching a TapRooT® Course in Aberdeen, Scotland…
We saw things differently. We helped people see the root causes of human performance and equipment reliability problems they would have otherwise missed.
Also in 1992, we started developing the first root cause analysis software – MacTapRooT™! It was finished in 1994. This was the first root cause analysis software.
We sold the software with a Macintosh Plus computer, a backpack, and a portable inkjet printer. The whole investigator’s workstation was portable and could be carried in a backpack on a plane to conduct an investigation…
It’s hard to believe there was a time before laptops and tablets (let alone a computer in your phone connected to the cloud). But a portable investigator workstation with root cause analysis software was revolutionary in the early 1990s. And we eventually received a patent for the software.
By 1995, we discovered that our mission had changed. We were influencing people around the world. We realized that we were…
Performance improvement leaders across various industries worldwide were using TapRooT® Root Cause Analysis to prevent fatalities and accidents and reduce minor incidents. Some were using TapRooT® RCA proactively. Some applied it to quality issues, maintenance problems, and hospital patient safety sentinel events.
Yes, back in 1995, we were crazy enough to think we could lead a change in the way the world solves problems. That was and is our passion. Our mission. And we convinced thousands of others to join our problem-solving revolution.
Rebels Who Think Different Revolutionizing Performance
Today, we have a staff of 40 people in Knoxville, Tennessee, and over 50 instructors worldwide, helping us “Change the Way the World Solves Problems.”
Our instructors have experience in a wide variety of industries. They teach in a variety of languages. They believe that using TapRooT® Root Cause Analysis can help people dramatically improve:
- Safety
- Process Safety
- Quality
- Operational Excellence
- Equipment Reliability
- Patient Safety
- Aviation Safety
- Food Safety and Quality
We have trained hundreds of thousands of people to find the root causes of human performance and equipment reliability problems. And that’s just the start.
Our TapRooT® Users are passionate about improving performance. You can see their Success Stories HERE.
Our TapRooT® Instructors and Users spread the excitement about finding the root causes of precursor incidents and learning from them to prevent major accidents. They know that when people put TapRooT® RCA to work, they save lives, prevent injuries, and improve operations, quality, and equipment reliability.
Over the decades, we have learned how to continuously improve the TapRooT® System, Training, Books, and Software. And we have developed a new generation of expert TapRooT® Instructors…
To carry on revolutionizing performance improvement. To Think Different. To continue to make the TapRooT® System even more effective.
Thus, the legacy of excellence is continuing into future generations.
How are they continuing the revolution? Perhaps the most significant changes have been in the cloud-based software and in our new efforts to develop AI tools to make the system even easier, faster, and more powerful.
Join the Revolution Changing the Way the World Solves Problems
If you don’t know much about TapRooT® Root Cause Analysis, the easiest way to learn more is to attend one of our guaranteed public TapRooT® Courses. The course will help you see things differently. Help you find root causes you previously would have missed.
When and where can you attend a public TapRooT® Course? See the dates and locations for upcoming courses around the world HERE.
Have no doubts about the course’s effectiveness. Here’s the course GUARANTEE:
Attend a course. Go back to work, and use what you have learned to analyze accidents, incidents, near-misses, equipment failures, operating issues, or quality problems. If you don’t find root causes that you previously would have overlooked, and if you and your management don’t agree that the corrective actions that you recommend are much more effective, just return your course materials, and we will refund the entire course fee.
That’s a simple and powerful course guarantee.
Would you like to hold a course at your site? CONTACT one of our Implementation Advisors about the best course for your facility (see the various course types HERE).
Also, learn more about our patented, award-winning software by clicking HERE.
Revolutionize Your TapRooT® RCA Implementation at the Summit
If you have been trained to use TapRooT® Root Cause Analysis in the past, plan to attend the 2027 Global TapRooT® Summit held at the Margaritaville Resort at Lake Conroe (near Houston). When? On April 5-9. Here is what four attendees at the 2025 Global TapRooT® Summit had to say…
Plus, attend the Summit and one of the seven special pre-Summit Courses to get $300 OFF the course fee.
At the Summit, you can learn about all the improvements that we’ve made to the TapRooT® System and Software to help you perform even better investigations faster. Learn the latest best practices to make your improvement program even better. CLICK HERE to see the schedules for all of the six Best Practice Tracks’ sessions.
Meet new, valuable contacts and share ideas.
And hear our five Keynote Speakers who will inspire you to make even more progress improving safety, equipment reliability, quality, and operational excellence. See the 2027 Global TapRooT® Summit Brochure by CLICKING HERE.
It will be a great learning opportunity, and you will have FUN!
