Root Cause Analysis

' The first answer is almost never the real cause. Most organizations stop at Why 2 or Why 3 and fix the symptom instead of the source. Run this drill separately for each distinct symptom you identified during problem scoping. Your Root Cause Drill Symptom: _________________________________ Why Question Answer Why 1 Why is this happening? Why 2 Why is that happening? Why 3 Why is that happening? Why 4 Why is that happening? Why 5 Why is that happening? True root cause: _________________________________ ...

Diagnose before you retrain. The most expensive fix in AI is the one that solves the wrong problem. Use this framework every time someone says “the model is wrong” — before agreeing to any fix. How to use this framework Run the three layers in sequence. Do not skip ahead. Layer 1 — Horizontal scan: Map the full problem landscape before going deep. Layer 2 — 5 Whys drill: Find the true root cause for each distinct symptom. Layer 3 — Design Thinking check: Confirm your fix will actually be adopted. Critical rule: Complete all three layers before recommending any fix. The most expensive mistake in AI diagnostics is solving the wrong problem — and the wrong problem almost always looks like the right problem at Layer 1. ...