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Hidden Conditions Keep Problems Coming Back
In complex operations, failures rarely result from one isolated decision. Failures usually happen because the conditions ...
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Explore Our Latest Thinking
Practical ideas, perspectives and industry experience from IPA, our members and specialists.
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The Problem with “Just Ask Why” (and What to Do Instead)
“Have you tried the Five Whys?” It’s usually the first thing people reach for when something goes wrong. And to be fair, ...
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The Problem Usually Gets Messy After the Meeting
The first problem-solving conversation is often the easiest part. Everyone is in the room. The issue is fresh. People ...
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Human Error Is Often Where the Investigation Stops Too Soon
“Human error” is one of the easiest explanations to write down after something goes wrong. It sounds reasonable. It is ...
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The Problem With Wanting RCA to Be Fast
In most workplaces, speed is rewarded. A breakdown happens. Production is interrupted. Customers are waiting. Leaders want ...
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Why Your Corrective Action List Keeps Growing But the Risk Stays the Same
A long corrective action list can look like progress. More training. More checks. More meetings. More procedure updates. ...
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The Problem Is Rarely Where The Noise Is Loudest
When something goes wrong, the visible failure usually gets all the attention:
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The Mistake Teams Make When Investigating Pipeline Failures
Let’s talk about a situation that comes up more often than it should.
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What is Root Cause Analysis?
Root Cause Analysis - What It Is, Why It Matters, and How It Works Root cause analysis (RCA) is a structured, evidence-based ...
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Breaking the Cycle of Non-Conformance: A Manufacturer's RCA Success
Quality issues don’t just cost time — they erode confidence. A manufacturing plant was struggling with repeated ...
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The Swiss Cheese Effect in Industrial Safety
We’ve all heard the phrase“close call.”In reliability and safety, though, a near miss is more than that. It’s your system ...
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Lessons in Decision-Making: Insights from the Flint Water Crisis
The Problem No One Wanted to See Sometimes, the data says everything’s fine — until it isn’t. In Flint, Michigan, a decision ...
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When Customers Tell You There’s a Problem — Listen
Not all problems are mechanical. Sometimes, the loudest signal comes directly from the people who buy your product.
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When Risks Hide in Plain Sight: Lessons from the Ghost Ship Fire
Some tragedies don’t come out of nowhere. They build slowly, in plain sight, until the day everything collapses.
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Uncovering Hidden Dangers: The Power of Root Cause Analysis
When an accident happens, it’s tempting to pin the blame on the most visible trigger — the “spark” that set things off. But ...
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Near Misses Aren’t Lucky Breaks — They’re Warnings
Every industry has them: those close calls where disaster was narrowly avoided. The machine shuts down just in time. The ...
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Problem-Solving Is a Team Sport
Most plant problems don’t live in silos — but too often, the investigation does. Maintenance thinks it’s mechanical. ...
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What Makes a Great Problem Solver? It's Not Just Technical Skills
In industrial environments, it’s easy to assume that the best problem solvers are the ones with the most technical ...
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