Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1472963
July/August/September 2022 I 59 Unfortunately, in industries that include smart buildings, security, Internet of Things (IoT), and many various kinds of systems, the root cause of a fault is often a living, breathing human. While there is work to define processes and procedures that will help avoid them, human mistakes exist, regardless of intention. The root cause is something that is an origin or source, such as a condition or quality. In the smart-intelligent technology industry, look to RCA to determine the cause of downtime, systems interoperability (or lack thereof), and faults; it works for innumerable problems. The reasons to apply these root cause principles are simple: downtime is expensive, tangibly and intangibly. In addition, other types of issues, including accidents, lost time accidents, system misconfigurations, and quality improvement exercises, also benefit from RCA efforts. It is evident that while there are many contributory roots, there is one main root or for horticulturists: a tap root. Therefore, the root cause examination will highlight the other inputs (i.e., the upper roots). However, there will be one root cause if one digs far enough. In short, RCA is an exercise in digging far enough (Figure 1). The entire RCA process is triggered based on the criteria outlined in the defined procedures by the company or organization. THE BASIC STEPS OF RCA The first step is to put the structure and principles in place. While each investigation may lead in various directions, the structure and requirements must be clearly outlined. Please note that the framework and outcomes are iterative processes, meaning that some steps or processes need to be repeated to reach a desired result. Members of the team will change. Those providing input will change. What should not change is the company's commitment to the process. With the framework in place, the real work begins with the following steps: 1. Identify the Problem or What Needs to be Improved This step is where the problem or the hypothesis is defined. Therefore, it needs to be clear and concise. For example, "The generator did not come online when it was supposed to during failover. Determine the root cause of the failure and what procedures need to change to prevent it from reoccurring." This statement sets the tone for the exercise and makes sure that all involved can work toward a particular outcome. 2. Gather Information and Assemble as Much Data as Possible In this step, as many people as possible contribute. The more that participate in the factfinding, the better the outcome. Many of these exercises fail because enough people do not get involved, do not feel comfortable enough to provide input, or cannot honor the time commitments required for success. In short, anyone who is involved or will be involved with Step 1 should give his or her insights. In the case of a generator failure, look at everything that services the generator (e.g., fuel, switch- gear, service records, systems, procedures, people, onsite maintenance personnel, control systems). This step can unearth problems that are not part of the exercise but need to be addressed separately. Take care that gathered facts do not fall through the cracks. FIGURE 1: Root structures.