Root Cause Failure Analysis
Root Cause Failure Analysis is a method for learning from past events so you don’t repeat past mistakes.
What is Root Cause Failure Analysis?
Root Cause Failure Analysis (RCFA) is a method to change those causes (events or conditions) that lead to major (acute) problems, or frequently occurring (chronic) minor problems. Many of those little problems eventually add up to be big drains on your productive resources.
Equipment failure usually happens when the equipment is needed. It is disruptive , and in some cases, it can lead to safety or environmental problems.
Any failure has a business impact – some minor, some major. We want to minimize or eliminate the worst of those impacts by dealing with the failures that led to them. RCFA can have a high payback on the effort because you are targeting known problems with a eye to solving them once and for all.
RCFA gives you the full picture behind problems in operations and production. The old “tip of the iceberg” analogy applies: You can’t know much about the ice under the surface by just looking at the tip that is above the waterline. Using our expertise from over 40 years in the reliability industry, Conscious Asset will use our proprietary analysis to identify:
- What is the problem to be solved?
- Why did it happen?
- What can be done to prevent it from happening again?
RCFA method
There are several RCFA methods available, some are more complex than others. Some come with software tools that are helpful, some have software tools. Those tools can be helpful, or they can turn a simple analysis into a big job. At Conscious Asset, we prefer to keep our analyses simple and as quick as possible. We turn to the complex methods and fancy tools, only if the simple and direct methods have failed.
We keep it simple
Most problems we’ve encountered have been resolved with a quick analysis involving participation of just a few key players from your team.
Identification of the root causes of failures is actually built into our RCM-R methodology. In fact we prefer to use RCM-R training to introduce the concepts to those who are new to RCFA. RCM-R is used to develop entire reliability and maintenance programs, while RCFA targets only specific events that have occurred. Even without training, our facilitators can help your team identify underlying root causes quickly.
Software
We team with RLT Smart Asset for those clients who desire RCFA software. It can used on the cloud (subscription) or it can be purchased for use on your own servers.
RCFA is a part of your reliability program
RCFA is an enhancement to your existing reliability program. It is an excellent tool for Continuous Improvement.
Do you have big or recurring problems that have defied solution?
Next step:
Contact Us to schedule a conversation with our Subject Matter Expert.
