CIRC 2024 Summer Root Cause Analysis Challenge
Overview
The root cause analysis aspect of CIRC is intended to help develop analytical skills among participants, while providing a framework for teams to improve their rovers and team operations for future competitions. Root cause analysis is a systematic process used to identify the underlying causes of problems or incidents, utilizing various tools and techniques.
Why Participate
Beyond the benefits of completing a proper root cause analysis to improve your design, Protospace Mfg. will provide additional manufacturing services to the highest-graded reports. There are two opportunities to receive this:
Judges’ Choice
All teams that submit a report are eligible
The selected report receives a $750 manufacturing credit.
ProtoSpace Mfg. Choice
Only teams that agree to share their root cause analysis report on a public drive for other participants to see are eligible.
- $1000 for the best report.
- $750 for the second-best report.
Timeline
Report submission deadline: September 13, 2024
Selected reports announced, and reports shared for viewing: October 14, 2024
Submission
Submit reports by completing out this form entry. If you are unable to access this form or upload your report, please contact [email protected] and we’ll be happy to help!
Report Format
Reports are encouraged to cover more than one root cause analysis. Examples of scenarios you may want to analyze include:
- The wheel stopped turning during the task.
- The arm broke.
- We could not connect to the rover.
- The rover was not following our commands.
- We were unable to start the task on time due to setup delays.
- We were unable to complete all actions within a task.
Root cause analysis should be applied to both catastrophic failures and scenarios where performance did not meet expectations.
Each report should identify:
- The scenario, system, or operational failure being evaluated.
- The method used to identify the fundamental reason for the issue.
How to Complete a Root Cause Analysis
There are several methods of completing a root cause analysis. Here are some methods to consider:
Five Whys
Description: Ask “Why?” repeatedly (typically five times) until the root cause is identified.
Use Case: Best for straightforward problems.
Fishbone Diagram (Ishikawa or Cause-and-Effect Diagram)
Description: Categorizes potential causes to identify root causes, visually resembling a fishbone.
Use Case: Effective for complex problems with multiple potential causes.
Pareto Analysis
Description: Based on the Pareto Principle (80/20 rule), prioritizes issues that will have the greatest impact if resolved.
Use Case: Useful when there are many potential causes and prioritization is needed.
Fault Tree Analysis (FTA)
Description: A top-down approach using boolean logic to trace back the causes of system failures.
Use Case: Suitable for complex systems with interrelated factors.
Report Evaluation
Reports will be evaluated based on the following criteria:
- Clarity and Structure: Is the report well-organized and easy to follow?
- Identification of Issues: Does the report clearly identify the scenarios or failures being analyzed?
- Use of Root Cause Analysis tools: Are the appropriate tools used effectively to identify root causes?
- Depth of Analysis: How thoroughly does the report explore the underlying causes of the issues?
- Recommendations: Does the report provide actionable recommendations for improvement based on the analysis?
- Presentation: Is the report professionally presented, with clear visuals and explanations where necessary?
Ultimately the reports are not being evaluated on a quantity basis, but quality and a demonstration of clear reflection on the performance of your team and rover. The report should be clear, intentional, and concise.