Root cause analysis training is a practical program that teaches teams to find and remove the real causes of recurring problems. It covers precise problem definition, collecting facts before opinions, cause-and-effect diagrams, the five whys, simple fault trees, testing causes with data, choosing lasting actions, blameless review meetings and checking that the fix held.
- Recommended: 1.5 days in person, or 4 × 3-hour live virtual sessions, plus a 60-day live problem
- Level: Foundation to Intermediate · In person · Live virtual · Blended
- Designed with the ADDIE model and customised to your context
- Offered by Bodhih since 2008 to 2,000+ organisations across 7 regions
Also known as: RCA training, root cause problem solving workshop, five whys training, cause and effect analysis training
Where and how: root cause analysis training as an in-person workshop in Bengaluru, Mumbai, Delhi NCR, Gurugram, Hyderabad, Chennai, Pune, Kolkata, Ahmedabad and Jaipur; as a live online course; or delivered overseas in Dubai, Singapore and across the Middle East, Asia and Africa.
Last reviewed by Siddharthan VGJ, Founder · Bodhih Training, Bengaluru
Why teams keep solving the same problem
Busy teams are rewarded for getting things running again, so they patch the symptom, close the ticket and move on. The cause stays put, and the problem returns next month with a new ticket number and the same frustrated customer.
As automation and AI take over routine tasks, the problems left for people are the messy, cross-team ones. Root cause analysis training builds a shared, simple way of thinking so supervisors and analysts can separate symptoms from causes, test ideas with data and fix things once.
Seven in ten companies see analytical thinking as essential, making it the most sought-after core skill in 2025.
Employers expect 39% of workers' core skills to change by 2030.
What participants will be able to do
Define the problem precisely
Write a problem statement that says what, where, when, how much and since when, without a cause or a solution hidden inside it.
Collect facts before opinions
Gather data, records and first-hand observation before the team starts debating theories.
Map possible causes
Use a cause-and-effect diagram and a simple fault tree to lay out causes systematically rather than chasing the first idea.
Ask why with care
Apply the five whys so each answer is backed by evidence and the chain stops at a cause the team can act on.
Test causes and choose lasting fixes
Confirm the cause with data, then pick actions that remove it, not just contain the symptom.
Run blameless reviews and check the fix
Lead a review that focuses on process, not people, and verify weeks later that the problem has not returned.
Who should attend
- Production, process and shift supervisors in manufacturing
- IT service desk, application support and service delivery teams
- Customer service and contact centre team leads handling repeat complaints
- Warehouse, transport and logistics operations teams
- Finance operations and shared-services teams dealing with recurring errors
- Continuous improvement leads who facilitate problem-solving sessions
Program outline
Recommended design, customised to your context after a short needs analysis.
01Symptoms, causes and the cost of patchingModule 1 · 90 min+
- Why recurring problems survive quick fixes
- Symptom, direct cause and root cause, with examples from operations and service
- When a problem deserves a full root cause analysis
- Choosing one recurring problem from your own work
02Defining the problem and collecting factsModule 2 · 2 hours+
- A problem statement: what, where, when, how much, since when
- Is and is-not comparisons to narrow the search
- Collecting data, records and observation before opinions
- Practice: rewriting five vague problem statements
03Mapping causesModule 3 · 2 hours+
- Building a cause-and-effect diagram with the team
- Five whys done well: evidence at every step, stopping at an actionable cause
- A simple fault tree for problems with several paths
- Common traps: blaming people, stopping too soon, one-cause thinking
04Testing causes with dataModule 4 · 90 min+
- Turning likely causes into checks the team can run
- Simple data views: tallies, timelines and before-and-after comparisons
- Changing your mind when the evidence points elsewhere
- Case: three plausible causes, one real one
05Choosing fixes that remove the causeModule 5 · 90 min+
- Containment now, permanent fix next
- Ranking actions by strength: remove, redesign, standardise, remind
- Owners, dates and the evidence that will show the fix worked
- Writing a one-page root cause summary
06Blameless reviews and checking the fix heldModule 6 · 90 min+
- Running a review that focuses on process and conditions, not individuals
- Questions that help people share what really happened
- Checking results at 30 and 60 days and closing the loop
- Simulation: facilitating a review after a missed customer deadline
Sample training plan: 1.5-day hands-on design
This one-and-a-half-day design teaches teams to fix recurring problems once. Participants separate symptoms from causes, rewrite vague problem statements and gather facts before opinions. They build a cause-and-effect diagram, apply five whys with evidence and draw a simple fault tree, then test three plausible causes against data to find the real one. The half day ranks fixes by strength and rehearses a blameless review. Each team leaves with a live problem to solve over 60 days.
Participants can define a problem precisely, map its causes and test them with data.
- 09:30–10:15Back again this monthEnergiser
- 10:15–11:15Symptom or cause?Concept burst
- 11:30–13:00Sharpen the problem statementSkill drill
- 13:45–15:15Diagram, whys and treeDemo & practice
- 15:30–16:45Three causes, one realCase clinic
- 16:45–17:30What data would prove it?Action planning
Participants can choose strong fixes, run a blameless review and plan a check that the fix held.
- 09:30–10:15Stronger fixesGroup challenge
- 10:15–11:15The blameless reviewSimulation
- 11:30–12:30One-page root cause summaryBuild sprint
- 12:30–13:00My live problemReflection
Every session’s activity, timings, outputs and materials, plus pre-work, a 90-day reinforcement plan and how impact is measured. Free, emailed to you instantly.
Recommended: 1.5 days in person (day 1 09:30–17:30, day 2 09:30–13:00), or 4 × 3-hour live virtual sessions, plus a coached 60-day live problem. A sample design: every Bodhih program is customised after a short needs analysis.
How long is root cause analysis training?
The recommended design is one and a half days in person, a full day and a morning, followed by a coached 60-day live problem. It also runs as four live virtual sessions of three hours each.
What activities are included in root cause analysis training?
Teams sort symptoms from causes, sharpen problem statements, build cause-and-effect diagrams, five whys and fault trees on their own problems, test three plausible causes against data, rank fixes by strength and facilitate a blameless review.
How we deliver it
Your recurring problems
Teams bring a real repeat problem and work it through every step, so the program produces an actual result.
Generic, practical tools
We teach widely used, plain techniques such as problem statements, cause-and-effect diagrams, five whys and simple fault trees.
Cross-functional teams
Mixed groups from operations, service and support practise solving problems that span team boundaries.
Coached live problem
Over 60 days, each team applies the method to its chosen problem with check-ins from a Bodhih facilitator.
Tailored versions
For manufacturing and logistics
Cases on machine stops, dispatch delays, picking errors and inventory mismatches, with shop-floor observation exercises.
For IT service and customer service
Cases on repeat tickets, escalations and complaints, with a focus on blameless reviews across support tiers.
For finance operations and shared services
Cases on invoice errors, reconciliation breaks and payment delays, using process data and handoff maps.
How we measure impact
Root cause analysis training follows the Evaluate stage of the ADDIE model. Participants take an AssessAll pre-assessment and post-assessment on Fault Diagnosis: Finding the Cause Without Guessing and Critical Thinking & Problem Solving. Managers hold structured check-ins, and a 30-60-90 day follow-up reviews each team's live problem, the quality of its root cause summary and whether the problem has stayed fixed.
Pair this program with AssessAll, Bodhih’s AI assessment platform, for pre- and post-program skill measurement.
Frequently asked questions
What is root cause analysis training?
Root cause analysis training is a program that teaches teams a structured way to find and remove the real causes of recurring problems. It covers defining the problem, collecting facts, mapping causes with cause-and-effect diagrams, the five whys and fault trees, testing causes with data, choosing lasting fixes and running blameless reviews.
What is root cause analysis and how does it work?
Root cause analysis is a method for finding why a problem happens, not just what happened. You define the problem precisely, gather facts, map possible causes, test them with data and act on the confirmed cause. Then you check that the problem does not return. It works for machines, processes and services alike.
How do you use the five whys correctly?
Start from a precise problem statement, ask why it happened and support each answer with evidence. Keep asking until you reach a cause the team can act on, often around the fourth or fifth answer. Avoid stopping at a person's mistake. If a step branches, follow each branch or switch to a fault tree.
What is the difference between a symptom and a root cause?
A symptom is what you see, such as a late shipment or a failed machine. A root cause is the underlying reason that, if removed, stops the problem from recurring, such as an unclear cut-off rule or a missing check. Root cause analysis training helps teams tell them apart with evidence.
How do you run a blameless review?
Set the tone first: the aim is to understand the process and conditions, not to find someone to blame. Walk through a timeline of facts, ask open questions about what people saw and decided, and look for system causes. Agree actions with owners and dates. The program includes a facilitation simulation.
Which root cause analysis tool should I use?
For most everyday problems, a clear problem statement, a cause-and-effect diagram and the five whys are enough. Use a simple fault tree when several paths can lead to the same failure. Data checks such as tallies and timelines confirm the cause. The training shows when each tool fits.
How long is the root cause analysis training program?
Our recommended design is one and a half days in person or four three-hour live virtual sessions, followed by a coached 60-day live problem. A one-day version suits frontline supervisors. The design is customised after a short needs analysis with your operations or service leaders.
Do you run root cause analysis training in Bangalore and online?
Yes. Bodhih is based in Bengaluru and runs root cause analysis training at client sites across India, including Hyderabad, Chennai, Pune and Delhi NCR, and in the Gulf. The live virtual version suits service and shared-services teams spread across locations.