Root cause analysis template

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Determine the root cause of an issue so you can correct it and prevent it from happening again.

What is a root cause analysis template?

Teams frequently encounter problems, whether that is failing to inform stakeholders of changes or overwriting a config file. A root cause analysis helps the team move beyond problem-solving to determine the root cause of a problem, correct it, and prevent it from happening in the future.

A root cause analysis template guides teams through the process of creating a problem statement, discussing its causes, and creating a solution.

Why use a root cause analysis template?

Build trust

Problems can appear differently for each team member, depending on their role in the company. Focusing on why a problem occurred rather than who was at fault helps build trust and ensures the entire team takes responsibility for resolving issues.

Identify problems

To create a problem statement describing how a problem occurred, you must ask why it happened, what caused it, what conditions contributed to it, and whether there were any other contributing factors. Continue asking questions until the team has asked “Why?” at least five times to examine the problem from every angle.

Facilitate collaboration

When creating a problem statement or generating actionable solutions, seeing the problem from different perspectives helps facilitate curiosity and exploration. The root cause analysis template provides a framework for conversations that lead to a deeper understanding of the cause and conditions under which the problem occurred.

Improve efficiency

A consistent process for addressing problems, such as a root cause analysis template, allows teams to address problems more efficiently and remain focused on relevant information. By including root cause analysis as an expected project activity, you speed-document resolution and improve clarity for everyone on the team.

Propose actionable solutions

Brainstorming ideas is important for the team to generate multiple solutions and offer actionable suggestions. When the team agrees on a solution, document how to implement it and who will take responsibility, discuss potential roadblocks, and estimate a timeline for resolving the problem.

How to get started with the root cause analysis template

1
Complete the overview
Before starting a root cause analysis, fill out your team’s details in the template’s overview section. This provides necessary information for managing the work and lets you pull in team members with “@” and quickly add dates with “//.”
2
Create a problem statement
Create a problem statement that explains the issue in a sentence or two. Use the @ mention feature to pull in team members to notify them and set the workshop date, then share the page with the team before the meeting.
3
Discuss the problem’s causes
Use the root cause analysis template during the meeting to structure the brainstorming discussions. Ask the group to think about the problem statement and what contributed to the issue.
4
Establish a final problem statement
Use the root cause analysis template to capture the team’s suggestions for why the problem occurred, then work together to refine the problem statement.
5
Propose solutions
Use the template to note potential solutions as the team discusses ideas and discovers insights. Mention owners and add action items and follow-up questions for each solution the group proposes.
6
Update as work is completed
After the workshop, check off action items as the team completes them, using decision tags when documenting outcomes to track them in the root cause analysis template. You can then turn action items intoJira tasks for completion.

Why Confluence?

Root cause analysis is easier with Confluence because it provides distributed and colocated teams alike with a collaborative platform for sharing ideas and solving problems. Confluence facilitates a single source of truth to capture problem statements, record answers, and decide on actionable solutions. With @ mentions and other quick inline actions, you can tag team members, pull your decisions into tasks, and track them to resolution.