This is a very important topic. One of the most important aspects of RCA is to gather all the relevant information. The task here is to separate FACT from OPINION. Ask the relevant questions: 1. What happened? Provide (or find) the evidence. 2. Who was involved? Provide (or find) the evidence. 3. What effects will result if this problem is not solved--diagram this and provide reference material and relevant data. 4. How soon should we solve this problem? Why? Provide data to support your conclusion. 5. Once the problem is clearly defined, then a solution can be proposed--this also involves a multi-step process: a. Is the solution practical? b. Will this solution work within the timeframe needed to solve the problem? c. Will this solution be applicable to every instance in which this problem occurs, or will it only work for this particular instance? 6. Finally, and MOST important...did the solution work? If not, the solution should be scrapped, and the entire process begun anew. I welcome any input! Richard--