Root cause analysis

Root cause analysis (RCA) is compared to Plan-Do-Study-Act, a more in-depth analysis that identifies true root causes of events (a special cause may itself be a root cause, but is more readily pinpointed).

Definition

According to Juran's Quality Handbook by Defeo (7th edition),

Root cause analysis (RCA). Compared to Plan-Do-Study-Act, a more in-depth analysis that identifies true root causes of events (a special cause may itself be a root cause, but is more readily pinpointed).

According to the BABOK Guide (3rd edition),

Root cause analysis. A structured examination of an identified problem to understand the underlying causes.