Track issues from cause to resolution
A practical, table-based workspace for documenting issues, investigating likely root causes, and tracking solutions through to review. The board provides a clear visual structure, while the linked tracker table makes it easy to capture consistent information, assign ownership, and follow progress over time.
What’s included
The template follows a simple three-part workflow:
Issue — describe what happened, where it started, and assess its impact.
Root cause — identify the likely underlying cause, rate its likelihood, and record the evidence needed to confirm it.
Solution and follow-up — define an action, consider risks and mitigations, set a success measure, and assign an owner.
Use the built-in ratings to support consistent decisions:
Impact: Low, Moderate, or Critical
Likelihood: Unlikely, Possible, or Likely
How to use it
Add one row for each issue you want to investigate.
Describe the issue and source, then rate its impact and explain why it matters.
Identify the most likely cause and record the evidence that would confirm or challenge it.
Define a practical action, possible risks, and how those risks will be reduced.
Set a clear success measure, target, review date, and owner.
Add an extra row if an issue has several possible causes or requires more than one solution.
Update the table as evidence is gathered and actions are tested.
Suggested 45-minute workshop
5 min — Set the scope: Agree which issue or issues the group will review.
10 min — Describe and rate: Add the issues, sources, and impact ratings.
10 min — Diagnose: Identify likely causes and discuss the evidence available.
10 min — Plan: Agree actions, risks, mitigations, and success measures.
5 min — Assign ownership: Confirm who will take each action and when it will be reviewed.
5 min — Close: Identify missing evidence, escalation needs, and the next check-in date.
Who it’s for
Ideal for operations, project, product, service, and leadership teams that need a simple, repeatable way to manage recurring issues, customer complaints, delivery delays, process failures, quality problems, or operational risks.
