Root cause failure analysis for repeat equipment failures
Evidence, a causal chain, and corrective actions you can verify — not a pre-selected cause.
Root cause failure analysis (RCA/RCFA) is for the failure that has already cost you — or the one that keeps coming back. The job is to follow the evidence to a causal chain you can act on, and to define how you will know the corrective action held.
How an investigation runs
We start with a problem statement that is specific and observable, then gather physical, documentary, and human evidence before any cause is locked in. The analysis traces the causal chain — physical mechanisms and the latent conditions that allowed them — and separates what is demonstrated from what is still a hypothesis. Recommended actions are tied to those causes, with a verification step so the file does not close on a hope.
When the component itself has to be examined, bench failure analysis can be part of the same engagement.
What you leave with
- A written investigation report: evidence, causal chain, and open items
- Corrective and preventive actions, with a suggested verification method
- A short briefing format you can take to operations or leadership
If the same names keep appearing on the downtime report, start with a bad-actor analysis to choose which failure deserves the next investigation. For funding a broader fix, use the calculator or a business case. A Reliability Assessment is the better starting point when you need a plant-level priority list rather than a single investigation.
Scoped per job. No retainers, no mystery.
- A conversation, freeYou describe the asset, the pain, and what “fixed” looks like. You get an honest answer on whether the work is a fit and what it takes.
- A scoped proposalDeliverables, timeline, and price in writing before anything starts. You approve the scope, not a blank check.
- The work, with your teamSessions and analysis done alongside your people, so the method stays in the building when the engagement ends.
- Deliverables you can act onA task list, a business case, or an investigation report — in your format, ready to use.
Work can be purchased by purchase order or invoice. A W-9 is available on request. Use the PO / invoice form, or email inquiry@apexreng.com.
Everything you share stays yours. Plant data, failure history, drawings, and production numbers are never disclosed without your express written permission.
Questions that usually come up
RCA or RCFA — which is it?
This service is structured root cause failure analysis for repeat equipment failures (RCFA). The same discipline applies to broader root cause analysis. The investigation follows the evidence, not a pre-selected cause.
What do you need from us?
Access to the failed parts when they still exist, the work-order and process history, and time with the people who were there. Photographs, trends, and prior investigations help. We will say so if the evidence is too thin to support a strong cause statement.
How is it priced?
Per investigation, as a fixed scope. On-site days are $1,200 plus travel. A written report with the causal chain, recommended actions, and verification steps is the typical deliverable.