Root cause analysis is the work of finding the underlying reason a problem happened, as opposed to the most visible symptom, so the fix stops it from coming back. A root cause is one that, if removed, prevents the problem; there can be more than one. Common methods include the 5 Whys, fishbone (cause-and-effect) diagrams, fault trees and is/is-not comparisons. A good analysis also asks why the problem was not caught, and it tests the suspected cause, for example by turning the defect on and off, before acting on it.
Example: Paint is peeling on some panels. A fishbone lists possible causes under people, method, machine, material, measurement and environment. Is/is-not shows the defect only on panels washed on the night shift, where the rinse tank was being topped up without a concentration check.
Fixes aimed at symptoms, such as extra inspection or retraining, cost money every day and rarely stop the defect. A proven root cause lets the plant make one permanent change and close the problem for good.
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