Root cause analysis template: free, and an AI agent that makes sure the actions get closed
A root cause analysis (RCA) form for quality, safety, breakdowns or delivery: what happened, the immediate cause, contributing causes with their evidence, the root cause and the corrective and preventive actions. Fill it in by hand, snap a photo and your AI agent reads it and tracks it.
How to fill it in.
1 · What happened, with facts
Where, when and what the impact was. And the immediate cause: what directly triggered it.
2 · Causes with evidence
Each contributing cause with its category (6M) and the evidence behind it. Without evidence it's an opinion.
3 · Root and actions
The root cause and the actions, marked corrective (C) or preventive (P), with owner, due date and verification.
RCA, 5 whys, fishbone or 8D.
| Tool | When |
|---|---|
| 5 whys | Simple problem, a single chain of causes |
| Fishbone | Lots of possible causes to sort out |
| Root cause analysis | An event with several combined causes that must be proven with evidence |
| 8D | Customer complaint with containment, a team and formal closure |
An RCA isn't done when it's written: it's done when it's verified.
The agent reads every analysis and keeps track of the actions: the ones coming due, the ones nobody verified and the events that come back with the same root cause.
Events by type
Quality, safety, breakdowns: where they cluster and whether they're increasing.
Unverified actions
Closed on paper but with no effectiveness check marked.
Repeat roots
The same root cause in events from different areas.
What it does with your sheets.
Reads the whole RCA
Event, causes with evidence, root cause and every action with its type, owner and due date.
Tracks the actions
Alerts you when one comes due without being closed.
Answers
«What safety events have we had in the warehouse this year, and why?»
What people usually ask.
Does it work for incidents and near misses?
Yes. The event type is marked on the sheet; adapt the fields to what your safety procedure requires.
How is it different from an 8D?
The 8D is a full report for customer complaints; the RCA is its core, useful for any event.
Can I use my own form?
Yes: snap a photo and the agent learns it from the first one.
How much does it cost?
The template is free and trying the reading is free too, no sign-up.
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