Root Cause

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Overview

This article provides insight into using Root Cause and suggestions about its content.

Using Root Cause

When contemplating the initial content of your Root Cause listing, stay focused. Remember that Root Cause should identify WHY the ticket was created. Do not confuse it with Configuration Item, which identifies WHAT the ticket is regarding. For example, a ticket was created for user John D User with regards to Outlook. Outlook is the Configuration Item because it is the WHAT. During the course of troubleshooting you discover that the reason the user was experiencing problems with Outlook was because of a network outage. Network Outage is your Root Cause because it tells you WHY.

List of Root Causes

Symbol		Description
Hardware
	Communication Error	Failure of one piece of hardware to communicate with another.
	Depleted Consumable	Empty/low/worn ink cartridges, toner cartridges, or ribbon.
	Hardware Failure	A failed piece of hardware.
	Minimum Requirements Not Fulfilled	Failure to function properly due to minimum hardware requirements not being met.
	Needs Cleaning	Item needing cleaning in order to function properly.
	Paper Jam	Paper Jam in a printer or fax caused an error
	User Induced Damage	Damage caused by the user.
Network
	IP Address Conflict	Conflicting IP Addresses on the company network.
	ISP Issue	Problem's associated with Home user's Internet Service Provider.
	Lag	A problem resulting from a slow network.
	Outage	Network unavailability experienced by two or more machines in close proximity.
None
	Unavailable Function/Feature	The function or feature desired is not available in the application.
	Company Policy	Corporate or Department Policy dictates the functionality that is reported.
	Works as Designed	The reported problem actually works as designed.
Other
	Access Restricted	Access has been intentionally restricted.
	Backup Overage	Backups exceeded the anticipated duration.
	Change in Roles & Responsibilities	Changes in Roles and/or Responsibilities are the causes of the observed behavior.
	Environmental Conditions	Primary cause is the environment. For example, excessive moisture caused a circuit card to short circuit.
	Misleading	Observed behavior is not necessarily wrong, but it is misleading and should be changed.
	Misspelling/Typo	Problem caused by a misspelling or a typo.
	No Longer Employed	User is no longer employed by the company and is the cause for the observed behavior.
	Scheduled Server Outage	Host Server is unavailable and was scheduled to be down.
	Unscheduled Server Outage	Host Server is unavailable and was not scheduled to be down.
	Side-Effect	Side-effect from making a previous change.
	Unfamiliar with Product/Process	User is unfamiliar with a product or process and has requested assistance or HOW TO instructions.
	Unknown Cause	The single root cause of the problem cannot be identified.
	Unsupported Software	Software not supported by IT.
	User Error	User mistake.
	Vendor Error	Vendor is responsible for item failure.
Software
	Beyond Software Capabilities	Software is not capable of producing the desired result.
	Database	Database issue causing software problems.
	Device Not Mapped	Missing Printer, Fax, or Scanner mapping results in error or inability to use device.
	Failed Install	A failed, incomplete, or improperly installed application.
	Incorrect Permissions	Needed account permissions are incorrect.
	Licensing	Licensing issues causing software problems.
	Minimum Requirements Not Fulfilled	Failure to function properly due to minimum software requirements not being met.
	Missing Drivers	Item cannot be used due to missing software driver(s).
	Missing Files	Essential files are missing.
	Missing Function/Feature	A function or feature that should be present is missing from an application.
	Missing Patches	Required patches are missing.
	Out of Sync	Devices are unable to establish or maintain synchronization.
	Outdated Drivers	Outdated software drivers.
	Outdated Software	Software is not at the currently supported level.
	Password (Administrative)	Requiring a password reset that is NOT the result of a user error.
	IT Design Flaw	Problem attributed to IT scripting error.
	Service Outage	An outage of an individual service, not necessarily an entire server.
	Software Bug	A defect in the software.
	Software Needed	Software needs to be installed in order for user to perform necessary function.
	Virus	A virus, worm or Trojan Horse.
	Wrong Configuration/Setting	Problems resulting from something being improperly configured or set wrong.