A-Z Popular New Quality Search »
Problem Solving
 
Related Guides

Failure Cause vs Root Cause

 , updated on
A failure cause is the most direct and obvious cause of a failure.
A root cause is a fundamental, underlying or initiating cause of failure.

The Difference

A failure cause is the most direct reason that something failed. If an employee loses an unsecured laptop filled with confidential business data at a bar, the cause of the failure cause might be labeled human error.
A root cause requires analysis that looks at the fundamental reasons that a failure occurred. This considers deeper issues such as processes, systems, designs and chains of events. In the above example, a root cause might be that laptop wasn't properly encrypted or that policy didn't prevent the laptop from leaving a secure location.
Root cause is a broad concept. When different teams analyze the same incident, they often come up with different root causes. Nevertheless, addressing a root cause is often more effective at managing risks and improving things than focusing on failure cause.
Failure Cause vs Root Cause
Failure Cause
Root Cause
Definition
The most direct cause of a failure.
The fundamental issue or chain-of-events that leads to a failure.

Root Cause

This is the complete list of articles we have written about root cause.
Bugs & Defects
Cascading Failure
Data Corruption
Data Quality
Design Failure
Human Error
Human Error
Human Error
Knowledge Loss
Quality Control
Resistance To Change
Types Of Error
Unintended Consequences
Unmanaged Risk
More ...
If you enjoyed this page, please consider bookmarking Simplicable.
 

Root Cause Analysis

A list of common root cause analysis techniques.

Root Cause

A list of common root causes of problems.

Root Cause

A definition of root cause with several examples.

Five Whys

A technique designed to examine the root cause of a problem at different levels of granularity.

RCA Examples

A definition of Root Cause Analysis with several examples.

Cause And Effect

An overview of cause and effect with examples.

Determinism

The definition of determinism with examples.

Four Causes

An overview of the four causes of Aristotle with five examples of each cause.

Analytical Thinking

The definition of analytical thinking with examples.

Management

A guide to management techniques.

Strategic Planning

A list of techniques for developing and implementing a strategy.

Productivity

The basics of productivity.

Project Management

A guide to project management.

Internal Benchmarking

The common types of internal benchmarking.

Internal Customer

A definition of internal customer with examples.

Business Optimization

A definition of business optimization with examples.

Team Objectives

The common types of team objective.

Internal Stakeholders

A definition of internal stakeholder with examples.

Management Planning

An overview of the different types of management planning.

Management Examples

A definition of management with examples.
The most popular articles on Simplicable in the past day.

New Articles

Recent posts or updates on Simplicable.
Site Map