May 20, 2026 | Ken Reed

Root Cause Analysis for the First-Time TapRooT® User

No matter what department you work in (Quality, EHS, Equipment Reliability, etc.), RCA may seem daunting for the first-time TapRooT® User. You may feel like you’ve just been thrown into an investigation and aren’t sure you are ready.

Here are some tips to help you with your first investigation.

Kind of a pre-requisite, but you REALLY need to make sure you’ve attended training! I often ask during public courses, “Who has used TapRooT® RCA before?” I then ask, “How many people have attended training before?” You’d think this would be the same answer, but I get quite different hands being raised. Like any process, proper training is essential to ensure you are ready to use the system.
As soon as you finish your training, use TapRooT® RCA on a problem right away. Don’t wait 6 months and then do your first one. Every skill requires practice. By doing an investigation right away, you’ll ingrain the training you received.
Start with simple investigations. Too many investigators wait until something really bad happens, and then do their first investigation. If you’ve been properly trained, you CAN perform any investigation. But you’ll really want to practice a bit on simpler problems before diving into a complex issue.
To go along with that, you’ll want to practice on SEVERAL of these smaller investigations before tackling a complex problem.
Just follow the process! TapRooT® RCA is designed to be a simple, structured process. We give you the steps to achieve great results. Don’t just start shotgunning the investigation. ALWAYS start with your SnapCharT® Diagram!
Work with another experienced TapRooT® Investigator for your first couple of investigations. This will help you get some experience before doing one on your own.
Have a mentor. We recommend having at least a few of your team attend the 5-Day TapRooT® Advanced Team Leader Training. They can help less experienced investigators when a more complex issue arises.

TapRooT® RCA is a very easy-to-use system, but like any skill, it requires a little practice and preparation. It’s easy to get great results with just a little bit of up-front effort.