Root cause analysis template

One of the best ways to identify the root cause of a problem is working collaboratively as a team. When teams build trust, work together to identify problems, and generate actionable solutions, even stubborn, recurring problems can be solved permanently. The Confluence root cause analysis template supports team collaboration, content organization, knowledge management, integration and customization, and security.

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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. It uses the well-documented 5 whys process to help the team find a meaningful root cause.

Why use a root cause analysis template?

A problem may occur repeatedly because a team does not fully understand its cause. In fast-paced environments, applying a quick fix and continuing with the work may be tempting. But by using root cause analysis and Confluence templates, teams can demystify complex problems and ensure the problem doesn’t happen again.

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.

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.

Featured products:

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 to the 5 Whys, 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.

Jira

Jira's powerful shared platform allows teams to create reports and gather important insights for root cause analysis. Reviewing issues across projects and teams is essential to making data-driven decisions. Jira also makes it easier for teams to implement solutions from root cause analysis sessions by quickly pulling content from Confluence into tasks in Jira.

Jira Service Management

With Jira Service Management, teams can group incidents by problem. This can be valuable information to help the team prepare for a root cause analysis and connect action items after the fact. Linking root cause analysis problem statements to incidents also provides service members with more information and the status of its solution.

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 5 whys 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. After five rounds of analysis—5 whys—add the final problem statement to the template.

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 pull the action items into Jira Service Management or Jira tasks for completion.

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