Root cause analysis template for equipment failures
Updated · Reviewed by Israel Margulies, founder and CEO of High Point GPS
A root cause analysis (RCA) template for a breakdown or repeat failure: what happened, when, the possible causes by category, the root cause you confirmed, the actions to fix it and stop it coming back, who owns each one, and how you'll check it worked.
Fixing the broken part gets the machine running; finding the root cause keeps it running. An RCA is worth doing for failures that are expensive, dangerous or keep coming back, not for every flat tire.
Work from facts: the work order history, meter readings, oil samples, photos and what the operator saw. Group possible causes under people, machine, method, materials and environment, then test each one against the evidence until one is left that, if removed, would have prevented the failure.
Root cause analysis
Fields: Machine / asset · Failure date · Work order no. · Downtime (hours) · Cost of the failure · RCA lead · Team
Log columns: Action · Type (corrective / preventive) · Owner · Due date · Done
Problem and evidence
- Problem statement written (what, where, when, how big)
- Timeline of events written
- Evidence collected (history, readings, photos, parts)
- Operator and technician interviewed
Possible causes
- People (training, fatigue, procedure followed?)
- Machine (wear, design, previous repairs)
- Method (procedure, PM interval)
- Materials (parts, fluids, quality)
- Environment (heat, dust, load, terrain)
Root cause and follow-up
- Root cause confirmed by evidence
- Actions agreed with owners and dates
- PM schedule or procedure updated
- Result checked after the next interval
Fill it in the right way
- Write a clear problem statement: which machine, what failed, when, and what it cost.
- Build a timeline from the work order history, meter readings and the operator's account.
- List possible causes under each category and cross off the ones the evidence rules out.
- Confirm the root cause: the one that, removed, would have prevented the failure. A 5 Whys sheet helps here.
- Agree corrective and preventive actions with an owner and a due date for each.
- Check after the next service interval that the failure hasn't come back, then close the RCA.
Tips
- Pick failures for RCA by cost and repeat rate, not by who complained loudest.
- "Operator error" is rarely a root cause; ask why the error was possible.
- Keep the failed part until the RCA is closed.
- Share the result with the people who run and fix the machine, or the same failure happens on its twin.
Do it in FleetZap
- FleetZap keeps every work order on the machine's history, with parts, labor, photos and comments, the evidence an RCA starts from.
- Its reports show downtime and MTBF for every machine, so repeat failures stand out.
- Changes from the RCA can go straight into the machine's PM schedule and its checklist.
FleetZap Maintenance
Work orders, PM, parts, compliance, assets and KPIs. Explore FleetZap Maintenance.
Frequently asked questions
What is root cause analysis?
A structured way to find the underlying reason a failure happened, so you can fix that instead of only replacing the broken part.
When should you do an RCA?
For failures that are costly, unsafe or repeat. Many teams set a threshold, such as any failure over a certain downtime or cost.
What tools are used in root cause analysis?
Common ones are 5 Whys, a fishbone (cause-and-effect) diagram, a timeline, and FMEA for looking at failures before they happen.
How do you know the root cause is right?
The evidence supports it, and removing it would have prevented the failure. Check that the failure stops after the fix.