2. Problems & Root Cause Analysis Flashcards | Quizlet

What are symptoms?

Observable effects or outcomes that signal an issue within the system.

What are problems (root causes)?

Fundamental underlying reasons or flaws in design, process, or people that generate symptoms.

Frequent application crashes: symptom or root cause?

Symptom.

A software bug causing crashes: symptom or root cause?

Root cause (technical).

What does a problem statement clearly describe?

What is wrong; where/when; who is affected; why it matters.

What must a problem statement NOT describe?

The solution.

Name four characteristics of a good problem statement.

Clear, evidence-based, solution-neutral, grounded in organizational goals.

What are the five required problem-statement components?

Context, Issue, Evidence, Impact, Consequences.

Name the three types of root causes.

Technical, Human, Organizational.

What is the purpose of root cause analysis?

Correct root causes rather than symptoms and reduce the likelihood of recurrence.

What are the five steps of root cause analysis?

Define problem; collect data; identify possible causes; identify root causes; evaluate solution/solve.

What is the first step of root cause analysis?

Define problem.

What is the second step of root cause analysis?

Collect data.

What is the third step of root cause analysis?

Identify possible causes.

What is the fourth step of root cause analysis?

Identify root causes.

What is the fifth step of root cause analysis?

Evaluate solution/solve.

What is the Five Whys technique?

Repeatedly asking why to uncover an underlying root cause.

What is a Fishbone Diagram used for?

Investigating causes and effects and identifying possible causes of a problem.

What is a Mind Map?

An organizational structure that radiates from the center.

What does the acronym ECFA stand for?

Event and Causal Factor Analysis.

When is Event and Causal Factor Analysis (ECFA) commonly used?

Major, single-event problems, such as a site outage.

What is an example of a major, single-event problem where ECFA is used?

A site outage.

In an ECFA diagram, what does a diamond represent?

Incident (the adverse outcome).

In an ECFA diagram, what do rectangles represent?

Events/actions.

In an ECFA diagram, what do ovals represent?

Conditions/circumstances.