Root cause maps: aren’t they sexy???

Cause Map - ain't it hot???

The guys from ThinkReliability are offering an Excel template that can be used to track and document any problem investigation, including the tools needed to draw a root cause and process map -yes, in Excel. As they say:

Most people think of Excel as only an application for creating spreadsheets, but it’s an excellent tool for capturing each element of a complete root cause analysis. By changing the way details are documented, a facilitator can improve the entire investigation process. The drawing tools are simple, flexible and Excel is probably already on your computer.

I must add to that: you don’t even need Excel on your computer, you can use Google Docs -it’s free and a solid tool for work teams.

It’s not specifically addressed to deal with IT problems, but it’s not really that important; after all, IT problems are problems anyway. The main advantage to me of this template is it can be used to draw a cause map easily in a few clicks; on a tab you can find a lot of basic shapes (boxes and connectors), you copy them to the tab labelled “Cause map” and you’re done. Detailed instructions can be found in the template. Worth having a look at it.

You can download The Cause Mapping Template in Microsoft Excel here for free (no money and no registration required), and the list of advantages using MS Excel brings according to ThinkReliability.

PS: have a look at their blogs, plenty of useful examples on how to perform an RCA and its deliverables.