Reliability resources

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Most organizations don’t struggle with doing root cause analysis. They struggle with getting results from it. If your site—or enterprise—has invested in RCA training, built templates, and established investigation criteria, yet still sees repeat failures, weak corrective actions, or uneven engagement, the issue is rarely the method. It’s the RCA program design. Improving an RCA program requires stepping back from

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The Reliability Cost Curve Is Not Fixed — But Most Teams Treat It Like It Is Every reliability leader recognizes the curve, even if they’ve never plotted it explicitly. On one side:Reactive maintenanceEmergency workUnplanned downtimeQuality lossesSafety exposureOvertime and expediting On the other:Preventive maintenanceCondition monitoringRoot Cause Analysis (RCA)Engineering fixesTraining and systems In theory, investing more on the “left” reduces the “right.”

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Every January, reliability leaders inherit the same contradiction. You’re expected to deliver fewer failures, lower cost, and higher asset availability—yet you’re starting the year with the same constraints, the same backlog, and often the same RCA frustrations that existed in December. The difference between organizations that make real reliability progress in 2026 and those that won’t be new tools or

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Ask any plant, regional, or corporate reliability leader what they wish they had more of, and the answer is nearly universal: time for Root Cause Analysis. Not time for meetings, not time for another dashboard—time for structured investigation and corrective-action development that actually prevents recurrence. But across manufacturing—cement, food & beverage, chemicals, metals, packaging, paper—the pattern is the same: teams

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Logic-driven root cause analysis tools sit at the center of every high-maturity RCA program. Before any discussion about software, templates, or facilitation techniques, the real differentiator is how an organization thinks about failure. Mature teams shift from linear retroactive explanations (“the pump failed because…”) to structured branching models that forces cause exploration, not cause confirmation. Logic trees strengthen RCA quality,

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Root Cause Analysis (RCA) has long been a staple in industries aiming to enhance reliability and operational performance. But the future of RCA tools and processes is evolving—especially as organizations embrace new technologies, scale efforts, and face increasing complexity. This post delves into emerging trends, persistent challenges, and what’s next in RCA, offering a realistic view of how the practice

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PROACT® is one of the most recognized and proven methodologies in the reliability and root cause analysis (RCA) world. Developed by Reliability Center, Inc., the PROACT® approach provides a structured, repeatable, and evidence-based process that enables teams to solve problems systematically and prevent recurrence. Unlike ad hoc problem-solving or reactive firefighting, PROACT® emphasizes discipline—collecting facts before jumping to conclusions, building

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5 Whys Root Cause Analysis is one of the most popular methods for investigating problems, but it isn’t always enough on its own. For more complex issues, teams often turn to logic trees to explore multiple potential causes. So, how do you know when to use the simplicity of 5 Whys versus the depth of a logic tree? This post

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Scott Wiebold, RCFA Subject Matter Expert at International Paper, loves Root Cause Analysis. Drawing insights from his recent appearance on Reliability 4.0, we will walk through the 5 steps required for successful Root Cause Analysis. Scott’s real-world experience shows how a structured process can turn any incident into clear, actionable insights. By the end, you’ll see exactly how RCA works

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Root Cause Analysis training is vital for building a culture of reliability—not just knowing the method, but applying it effectively. Without proper training, teams risk missed opportunities, costly downtime, and a reactive mindset. With it, they gain the tools and mindset to prevent recurring failures. This post covers why RCA training matters, the gaps it closes, and how investing in

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Root Cause Analysis (RCA) has long been central to reliability engineering, helping teams identify why failures occur and how to prevent them. Traditional methods like 5 Whys, logic trees, and fault tree analysis work but are often slow, facilitator-dependent, and subjective. Now, AI is reshaping RCA by moving beyond manual checklists and brainstorming. AI-powered tools, like EasyRCA, accelerate incident analysis,

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Root cause analysis has traditionally been a reactive discipline—often only activated after something breaks. While that will always be its core, emerging AI technologies are giving reliability professionals more information before a failure occurs—data that can make post-event RCAs faster and more informed. At the recent Mainstream Reliability Conference, a standout session titled “Empowered Reliability Engineers to Predict Failures Using