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.