Services
Root Cause Analysis (RCA)
Find the Cause. Fix the Problem. Prevent Recurrence.
Structured Root Cause Analysis that helps engineering teams determine what happened, why it happened, and what needs to change to prevent recurrence.
Schedule a Free Scoping CallSolving the Problem Starts With Understanding the Cause
Complex engineering failures rarely announce their root cause clearly.
A failed component, test anomaly, production defect, field issue, or recurring nonconformance may be the visible symptom of a deeper design, manufacturing, interface, requirement, process, or control issue.
Replacing the failed part or correcting the immediate symptom may restore operation, but it does not necessarily prevent the problem from returning.
Effective RCA builds an evidence-based chain from the observed failure to the underlying causes and then connects those causes to corrective actions that can be verified.
Where Root Cause Investigations Can Fall Short
Root Cause Analysis can lose effectiveness when:
- Investigation stops at the first plausible explanation.
- Symptoms are mistaken for root causes.
- Conclusions are based primarily on experience or opinion rather than evidence.
- The investigation focuses on a single component while overlooking interfaces or system interactions.
- Design and manufacturing causes are investigated separately when they may be connected.
- Corrective actions address the failure but not the conditions that allowed it to occur.
- Lessons learned are not incorporated into DFMEA, PFMEA, requirements, verification, or engineering standards.
- Corrective actions are implemented without verifying that they actually address the identified cause.
Fortitron provides independent facilitation and engineering challenge to help teams structure the investigation, test competing hypotheses, and follow the evidence.
What Root Cause Analysis Includes
Problem Definition and Containment Review
Clearly define the observed problem, affected configuration, operating conditions, failure history, and available containment actions.
A well-defined problem statement helps prevent the investigation from beginning with an assumed solution.
Evidence Collection and Review
Review the technical information relevant to the failure, which may include:
- Test data
- Inspection results
- Failure history
- Drawings and specifications
- Requirements
- Manufacturing records
- Material information
- Supplier data
- Nonconformance records
- Field data
- Configuration and change history
The objective is to establish what is known, what is assumed, and what still needs to be demonstrated.
Cross-Functional Investigation
Bring together the appropriate engineering, manufacturing, quality, test, supplier, and subject matter expertise needed to understand the problem from multiple perspectives.
Cause and Effect Analysis
Structure potential causes and contributing factors using appropriate problem-solving methods such as:
- 5 Whys
- Fishbone / Ishikawa analysis
- Fault Tree Analysis (FTA)
- Cause and effect mapping
- Comparative analysis
- Hypothesis testing
The method is selected based on the nature and complexity of the problem rather than forcing every investigation into the same template.
Root Cause Validation
Potential causes should be supported by evidence.
Where practical, suspected causes are evaluated against test results, physical evidence, analysis, process data, historical information, or additional investigation to determine whether they adequately explain the observed failure.
Corrective Action Development
Once causes are understood, the team develops corrective actions targeted at eliminating or controlling the conditions that produced the failure.
Actions may involve:
- Design changes
- Requirement changes
- Manufacturing process changes
- Supplier controls
- Inspection or detection improvements
- Verification changes
- Process controls
- Engineering standards or procedures
- Training or knowledge capture
Corrective Action Verification
Corrective action is not complete simply because a change was implemented.
Fortitron helps teams define the evidence needed to demonstrate that the corrective action addresses the identified cause and reduces the likelihood of recurrence.
Lessons Learned and Risk Integration
Where appropriate, RCA findings are fed back into:
- DFMEA
- PFMEA
- Engineering risk assessments
- Requirements
- Verification plans
- Control plans
- Design standards
- Manufacturing processes
- Lessons learned
This helps turn an individual failure investigation into broader engineering learning.
What You Get From It
The value of Root Cause Analysis is not simply identifying something that could have caused the failure. It is building sufficient evidence to understand why the problem occurred and what should change.
A Fortitron RCA engagement can provide:
- Clearly defined problem statement
- Structured investigation plan
- Evidence and data review
- Cause and effect analysis
- Identification of contributing and root causes
- Documented engineering rationale
- Corrective action recommendations
- Corrective action verification strategy
- Risk and lessons-learned integration
- Executive or technical readout
The objective is not simply to close the investigation. It is to reduce the likelihood that the problem returns.
How the Engagement Runs
- Scope the Problem
We begin with the observed failure, program context, available evidence, affected hardware or processes, current containment actions, and investigation status.
- Review the Evidence
Fortitron reviews relevant technical documentation, test results, failure data, drawings, requirements, manufacturing information, and previous investigation work.
- Facilitate the Investigation
We work with the appropriate cross-functional team to identify potential causes, challenge assumptions, evaluate evidence, and determine where additional investigation may be required.
- Establish and Validate Root Causes
Potential causes are evaluated against the available evidence. Where necessary, additional analysis, inspection, testing, or data collection is recommended to strengthen the causal conclusion.
- Develop Corrective Actions
The team identifies actions that address the demonstrated causes and considers whether related engineering artifacts or processes should also be updated.
- Verify and Capture the Learning
Fortitron helps define how corrective actions will be verified and how relevant lessons should flow back into the broader engineering system.
Follow-up support can be provided as corrective actions are implemented and evidence becomes available.
Root Cause Analysis Within FERF™
FERF™, the Fortitron Engineering Readiness Framework, is built around a simple principle:
Readiness is demonstrated by evidence, and engineering risk must remain visible throughout development.
Root Cause Analysis becomes particularly important when new evidence shows that an assumption, design feature, manufacturing process, control, or verification approach did not perform as expected.
Within FERF™, RCA does more than solve the immediate problem.
The findings can inform:
Technology Readiness
Does the failure reveal a limitation in the technology, operating environment, maturity assumptions, or intended application?
Engineering Assurance
Does the investigation identify gaps in requirements, design assumptions, interfaces, failure analysis, verification, margins, or technical decision-making?
Manufacturing Readiness
Does the failure reveal issues involving process capability, tooling, suppliers, controls, inspection, workmanship, materials, or production variation?
The resulting evidence can then feed back into DFMEA, PFMEA, requirements, verification, risk assessments, manufacturing controls, and future readiness decisions.
A failure should not become only a closed corrective action. It should become engineering knowledge.
Learn More About FERF™Frequently asked questions
What is Root Cause Analysis?
Root Cause Analysis is a structured investigation used to determine the underlying causes of a failure, defect, anomaly, or recurring problem.
The objective is to move beyond the visible symptom and establish why the problem occurred so that corrective actions can address the actual cause.
What types of problems can Fortitron investigate?
RCA can be applied to issues such as test failures, field failures, component failures, production defects, recurring nonconformances, supplier-related technical issues, performance anomalies, integration problems, manufacturing process failures, and unexpected design behavior.
The approach is tailored to the nature and complexity of the problem.
Do you use 5 Whys or Fishbone diagrams?
Yes, where appropriate.
Fortitron may use 5 Whys, Fishbone / Ishikawa analysis, Fault Tree Analysis, cause-and-effect mapping, comparative analysis, or other structured methods.
The tool supports the investigation. It should not dictate the conclusion.
How is RCA different from a DFMEA?
DFMEA is primarily proactive. It asks how a design could fail before those failures occur.
RCA is primarily reactive. It begins with an observed problem and investigates why it occurred.
The two should reinforce each other. RCA findings may reveal failure modes, causes, controls, or assumptions that should be incorporated into the DFMEA.
Can you review an RCA our team has already completed?
Yes.
Fortitron can independently review an existing investigation, challenge the causal logic, assess the supporting evidence, and evaluate whether the proposed corrective actions adequately address the identified causes.
This can be particularly useful before closing a significant corrective action or making an important design or manufacturing decision.
Does Fortitron perform the physical failure analysis and laboratory testing?
Fortitron's primary role is engineering investigation, technical analysis, and RCA facilitation.
When specialized laboratory testing, materials analysis, metrology, or other physical testing is required, we can help define the technical questions the testing should answer and work with the client's internal laboratories or qualified external providers.
How long does a Root Cause Analysis take?
It depends on the complexity of the problem, availability of evidence, access to hardware, and whether additional testing or analysis is required.
A focused investigation may progress quickly, while complex system, intermittent, or multidisciplinary failures may require a phased investigation.
The expected scope and timeline are discussed during the initial scoping call.
Can you work with suppliers during an RCA?
Yes.
When supplier components or manufacturing processes are involved, Fortitron can support cross-functional investigations involving the customer, supplier, engineering, manufacturing, and quality organizations.
The objective is to understand the technical cause and establish effective corrective action, not simply assign responsibility.
What happens after the root cause is identified?
The investigation should transition into corrective action and verification.
Where appropriate, lessons learned should also be incorporated into DFMEA, PFMEA, requirements, verification plans, manufacturing controls, engineering standards, and future programs.
That is how RCA becomes part of continuous engineering improvement rather than a one-time problem-solving exercise.
Find the Cause Before You Close the Problem
A problem is not fully understood simply because the failed part has been replaced, the test has passed, or production has resumed.
Fortitron helps engineering teams follow the evidence from the observed failure to the underlying causes, develop appropriate corrective actions, and capture the learning needed to reduce recurrence.
Tell us what happened, what you know so far, and where the investigation stands. The initial scoping call is free and there is no obligation.