Root cause analysis (RCA) refers to a structured process used to investigate and uncover the underlying causes of incidents, failures, or process issues. Over time, many RCA techniques have been developed to support organisations in identifying why problems occur and how to prevent recurrence. Each method offers its own way of approaching complex problems, and many organisations have applied a combination of these tools as part of their safety, quality, assurance, compliance, and operational improvement programmes.

Explore COMET for Investigations & RCA

Earlier generation root cause analysis methodologies

5 Whys
This approach involves asking “why” multiple times, typically five, to explore deeper causes of a problem. Each answer leads to the next layer of inquiry, often revealing contributing factors that are not immediately visible.

Fishbone Diagram (Ishikawa Diagram)
Also known as a cause-and-effect diagram, this visual method helps categorise potential contributing factors into key areas such as people, processes,equipment, environment, or materials. It allows teams to explore multiple potential influences behind a particular issue.

Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA)
FMEA focuses on identifying ways a process, system, or component could fail, evaluating the severity, likelihood, and detectability of those failures. The technique helps organisations prioritise risks and focus attention on the most critical vulnerabilities.

Fault Tree Analysis (FTA)
FTA takes a top-down approach, starting with the undesirable event and mapping the pathways that could lead to that outcome. Using a tree structure, it enables investigators to visualise how multiple factors interact to trigger incidents.

Process Mapping
Process mapping lays out the step-by-step flow of a system or operation, allowing investigators to pinpoint where failures, inefficiencies, or gaps maybe occurring. By breaking down complex processes, it helps teams visualise where improvements may be needed.

Pareto Chart
Using a bar graph format, Pareto charts rank causes or contributing factors based on frequency or impact, helping teams focus efforts on the areas that have the greatest influence.

Scatter Diagram
Scatter diagrams plot two variables against one another to help visualise correlations, patterns, or relationships that may point toward potential contributing factors.

Change Analysis
This method looks at what changed compared to normal operating conditions prior to the problem occurring. Identifying shifts in process, personnel, materials, or conditions can often reveal contributing elements that triggered the issue.

The evolution of RCA approaches: where COMET fits

Earlier generation solutions like TapRoot, Kelvin TOP-SET and others have played an important role in advancing investigation practices over the past decades. These frameworks introduced structure, repeatability, and useful thinking models that many organisations still rely on.

However, the challenges faced by modern organisations have shifted. Incidents today rarely occur due to a single failure or isolated breakdown. Increasingly, failures emerge from a complex combination of factors: human decisions, system design, cultural influences, technical weaknesses, leadership gaps, and shifting operational conditions. Traditional standalone methodologies are not always designed to fully capture this level of complexity, often requiring investigation teams to switch between tools, apply disconnected models, or rely heavily on individual experience to interpret outcomes.

What organisations require now is not simply a toolkit of isolated methods, but a consistent system that brings together structured investigation logic, data-driven insight, human factor evaluation, and organisational learning, all within a fully integrated investigation platform.

How COMET advances root cause analysis

COMET was specifically designed to address these growing demands, building on established investigation principles while resolving many of the limitations common in earlier-generation systems. Rather than relying on static diagrams or fragmented tools, COMET enables organisations to take a fully integrated, end-to-end approach to investigations across their enterprise.

In fact, COMET’s origins trace directly to solving these exact industry frustrations. Back in 2012, the engineering group Senior PLC identified major gaps in existing root cause analysis solutions. Available systems at the time were often too narrow, too health and safety focused, overly complex, or unable to fully support business-wide learning and improvement.

Working in partnership with Senior PLC, what was then STC Global, now COMET, assembled a team of professional investigators, industry practitioners, and investigation experts with over 400 years of combined experience to create a fundamentally different approach. Over an intensive 18-month development and testing period, COMET’s investigation methodology, root cause spectrum, taxonomy, and investigation process were established, alongside the supporting technology platform and training programme. This foundation set COMET apart from the outset, focused on performance improvement, systemic learning, and consistent investigation quality across multiple disciplines.

Today, COMET continues to evolve that original vision, providing organisations with:

• Fully embedded investigation methodology applied consistently across sites and teams
• Advanced timeline recording to accurately reconstruct event sequences
• Causal factor analysis addressing technical failures, human factors, cultural contributors, and latent organisational weaknesses
• Visual root mapping to capture full cause-and-effect relationships
• Taxonomy-based coding to support global pattern detection and systemic learning
• Seamless integration with existing EHS, quality, compliance and operational systems
• Enterprise-level reporting, multi-incident analytics, and data-driven leadership insight
• Global deployment and implementation expertise through its partnership with Arcadis
• AI-powered digital investigation support with COMET Companion

Rather than replacing investigator expertise, COMET strengthens it through structure, transparency, and defensibility across every investigation.

Summary steps in the RCA process

While investigation tools may differ, most effective RCA processes follow common stages:

1. Problem definition - Clearly identify the issue under investigation.
2. Data collection - Gather all evidence, records, witness accounts, and operational data relevant to the event.
3. Identify contributing factors - Map the technical, human, organisational, and systemic influences that contributed to the outcome.
4. Analyse causal relationships - Use appropriate investigation models to determine how different factors combined to cause the event.
5. Develop corrective actions - Design interventions that address the identified root causes and prevent future recurrence.
6. Verify and sustain improvements - Monitor the effectiveness of corrective actions and embed learning into operational practice.

Addressing modern investigation complexity

Failure is rarely the result of a single breakdown. More often, incidents emerge from small, accumulating weaknesses across processes, teams, leadership decisions, system design, and operational pressures that eventually align to create failure. This complexity requires investigation systems that are capable of seeing the full picture, not simply isolating technical or procedural errors.

COMET was purpose-built to help organisations operate with this level of transparency. By combining structured RCA methodology, multi-disciplinary analysis, robust system integration, and enterprise-level learning, COMET gives organisations the capability to investigate effectively at scale, drive genuine improvement, and strengthen resilience across their operations.

To see how COMET supports advanced root cause analysis across your organisation, explore COMET’s free guided trial.