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Set Up Root Cause Analysis Categories

availability
Platform:WebMobile
Plan Type:BasicEssentialPremiumEnterprise
User Type:RequesterFull UserAdministrator

Create structured root cause analysis categories to help your maintenance team consistently document and analyze asset failures. Each category represents a general problem area.

For example:

  • Mechanical
  • Electrical
  • Environmental
  • Human Error

Within each category, you set up the following groups of options:

GroupDescription
Problem TypesThe kind of problem, but not the specific point of failure (e.g., component wear, vibration, temperature extremes).
FailuresThe specific component or system that failed (what broke).
CausesThe underlying reason or condition that led to the failure (why it broke).
ActionsThe work you do to repair the asset and get it back online (how it was fixed).

When a technician starts a root cause analysis for an asset failure, they document the problems that occurred by choosing from the categories and options you set up.

Example: Documenting a Bearing Failure

Let's say a machine goes offline due to a bearing issue, a technician would document the failure by selecting options from a preconfigured category:

  • Category: Mechanical
    • Problem Type: Component Wear
    • Failure: Bearing surface degraded
    • Cause: Contaminated lubricant
    • Actions: Cleaned lubrication system, Replaced bearing

This structured approach lets technicians capture complete and consistent data for every asset failure, which helps your organization:

  • Identify recurring issues.
  • Make data-driven maintenance decisions.
  • Prevent future failures.

Create and Manage Root Cause Categories​

Set up the root cause analysis categories for your organization from the Root Cause Analysis section of the asset settings.

Open the Root Cause Categories Editor​

  1. From the sidebar, select Settings > Features.
  2. Navigate to the Assets section and select Set Preferences.
  3. On the Assets preferences page, navigate to the Root Cause Analysis section.
  4. Select Set Up Root Cause Categories.

The Root Cause Analysis configuration screen opens.

Add a Root Cause Category​

From the Categories section 1 of the Root Cause Analysis configuration screen, do one of the following:

  • Select the (Add New) icon to create a new root cause category. Give it a name, and press Enter to add it.
  • Select one of the Suggested Items to add it.
Screenshot of the settings page for configuring root cause analysis categories in the MaintainX web application
Settings for configuring root cause analysis categories in the web application

After you add a category, add its Problem Types 2, Failures 3, Causes 4, and Actions 5 in their respective columns.

  • To add a new option to any group, select the (Add New) icon, and enter the option name.

  • If you started with a suggested category, MaintainX® also suggests options for its Problem Types, Failures, Causes, and Actions. Select any suggested option to add it.

note

Suggested categories are only available in English. If you use another display language for your organization or user profile, these items are not translated.

For recommendations for setting up categories, see Tips for Setting Up Root Cause Categories.

Edit a Root Cause Category​

After you create a root cause category, you can add or remove Problem Types, Failures, Causes, and Actions.

  • To add an option, do one of the following:

    • Select the (Add New) icon, and enter the option name.
    • Select from the Suggested Items (if available).

  • To remove an option, select its (More Options) icon, then select Delete.

    If the option was originally a suggested option, MaintainX adds it back to the Suggested Items list. If the option was created manually, MaintainX deletes it permanently.

    Deleting an item doesn't affect existing root cause analysis reports, but the item is no longer available for new reports.

note

Suggested options are only available in English. If you use another display language for your organization or user profile, these items are not translated.

Copy Items from Another Root Cause Category​

You can copy Problem Types, Failures, Causes, and Actions from an existing category.

  1. Select the (More Options) icon in the column head, then select Copy from another category.
  2. In the Copy from Other dialog, select the category to copy from, and the items you want to copy.
  3. Select Copy Items.

Delete a Root Cause Analysis Category​

You can delete root cause categories that you're no longer using. Deleting a category doesn't affect existing root cause analysis reports, but the category is no longer available for new reports.

warning

Deleting a category also deletes all of its options. If you add the category back later, MaintainX doesn't restore the options—you have to add them back yourself.

To delete a root cause analysis category:

  1. Hover over the category, and select the (More Options) icon.
  2. From the More Options menu, select Delete.

Tips for Setting Up Root Cause Categories​

Name Categories and Options Carefully​

Create general categories with clear scopes. Choose clear, specific, and jargon-free option names. A category should have a clear scope so it's obvious when a technician should choose it. But it should also be general enough to include all of the options you need for Problem Types, Failures, Causes, and Actions.

tip

Involve experienced technicians when you create categories and options. They'll be able to suggest names that resonate with the maintenance team, and spot potential sources of confusion.

Start With Common Asset Failures​

Instead of trying to come up with a comprehensive set of categories and options right away, start small. Add the ones you need to document the most common issues in your facility, and make sure they work for technicians before adding more.

Limit the Number of Choices​

Try to keep the number of options per column as low as you can. Technicians should be able to easily choose the right Problem Types, Failures, Causes, and Actions to document a problem. Too many options can be overwhelming, and lead to inconsistent reporting for the same asset failures.

note

An organization can have a maximum of:

  • 50 root cause analysis categories.
  • 500 options per category.

Audit Your Categories and Options​

Review and refine categories periodically based on usage patterns. Remove unused categories and options. It won't affect historical reports, but it will streamline the process of creating new ones.

Troubleshooting​

Suggested Items Aren't Displayed​

If you don't see Suggested Items for a particular column, it's for one of the following reasons:

  • You used all the available suggestions.
  • You hid them. To display the Suggested Items again, select the (More Options) icon in the column head, then select Show Suggested Items.