Root cause analysis form

  • Release version: Australia
  • Updated March 12, 2026
  • 2 minutes to read
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    Summary of Root Cause Analysis Form

    The Root Cause Analysis Form is designed to document and analyze the underlying causes of issues within an industrial facility. It allows users to capture critical details about the problem, helping teams to identify and resolve the root cause effectively.

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    Key Features

    • Field Descriptions: The form includes fields such as Short Description, Detailed Description, Functional Location, Equipment, and Origin to provide a comprehensive understanding of the analysis.
    • Types and Impact: Users can classify the analysis type (e.g., Breakdown, Safety) and specify the impact segment (e.g., Safety, Quality) to prioritize effectively.
    • Assignment: The form allows for assigning tasks to specific users or groups and includes an additional assignee list for notifications.
    • Urgency and Priority: Users can indicate urgency and priority, which are automatically set based on the impact and urgency levels defined in the form.
    • Work Notes: Internal notes for tracking checks and findings related to the issue support better communication among team members.

    Key Outcomes

    By utilizing the Root Cause Analysis Form, ServiceNow customers can systematically document incidents, streamline investigations, and enhance collaboration among stakeholders. This structured approach ultimately leads to quicker resolutions and improved operational efficiency within their facilities.

    The following tables describe the field values for the Root cause analysis form.

    Table 1. Root cause analysis form
    Field Description
    Short description Brief description of the root cause analysis that you’re creating.
    Description Detailed description of the root cause analysis that you’re creating.
    Functional location Industrial facility work area where the root cause analysis is required. This field is defined using the ISA-95 standard. This field is automatically set based on the logged-in user's worker profile.
    Equipment Machine to which the root cause analysis relates.
    Origin Task from which the root cause analysis originates.
    Found in Origin or source of the root cause analysis. Options are:
    • Deviation
    • Defect
    • Loss
    • Other
    Type Type of root cause analysis. Options are:
    • None
    • Breakdown
    • Safety
    • Quality
    • Performance
    • Other
    Assignment group Team or department responsible for completing the task.
    Assigned to User to which the root cause analysis has been assigned. If not selected, this field is populated by the user who opened the root cause analysis.
    Additional assignee list List of users to be notified or contributing to the task, but not as the primary assignee. Available options vary depending on the selected functional location or assignment group.
    Impact Segment that the root cause analysis has impact on. Options are:
    • 1 - Safety
    • 2 - Quality
    • 3 - Reliability
    • 4 - Operations
    • 5 - Other
    Urgency Measure of how long the root cause analysis can be delayed until there's a significant impact on an industrial process. Options are:
    • 1 - Critical
    • 2 - Important
    • 3 - Routine
    Priority Priority of the analysis. This field is automatically set based on impact and urgency. Options are:
    • 1 - Direct
    • 2 - This shift
    • 3 - Today
    • 4 - Within 7 days
    • 5 - Within 30 days

    For more details, see Priority matrix for root cause analysis.
    Work notes Internal notes about checks, tests, and findings that help identify the cause of the issue.
    Table 2. Information Gathering form
    Field Description
    Who

    Individuals or teams involved in the issue or affected by it.
    What Description of the problem or incident in clear, concise terms.
    When Timeline of the issue: When it was first detected, when it occurred, and the duration of its impact.
    Where Location of the issue.
    Why Underlying causes of the issue.
    How Details of how the issue occurred and how it was resolved.