RootCause Decorator¶

Structures the response to systematically analyze underlying causes of problems or situations. This decorator applies formal root cause analysis methodologies to identify fundamental factors rather than just symptoms or immediate causes.

Category: Reasoning

Parameters¶

Parameter	Type	Description	Default
`method`	`enum`	The specific root cause analysis methodology to apply	`fivewhys`
`depth`	`number`	Level of detail in the analysis (for fivewhys, represents number of 'why' iterations)	`5`

Method Options¶

fivewhys: Use the '5 Whys' technique by repeatedly asking why to drill down to the root cause(s). For each identified factor, ask 'why' to go deeper until reaching fundamental causes.
fishbone: Apply the Fishbone (Ishikawa) diagram approach by categorizing potential causes into major categories (e.g., People, Process, Equipment, Environment, Management, Materials) and analyzing each systematically.
pareto: Use the Pareto principle (80/20 rule) to identify and focus on the vital few causes that likely contribute to most of the problem, prioritizing them by impact.

Examples¶

Basic 5 Whys analysis of a business problem¶

+++RootCause
Why is our website's bounce rate increasing?

Performs a systematic 5 Whys analysis to trace the increasing bounce rate back to its fundamental causes

Fishbone diagram approach to a technical issue¶

+++RootCause(method=fishbone)
Why do our application servers crash under moderate load?

Analyzes the server crashes using the fishbone (Ishikawa) methodology, categorizing potential causes into major categories like People, Process, Equipment, etc.

Pareto analysis with deeper investigation¶

+++RootCause(method=pareto, depth=7)
What factors are causing our manufacturing defects?

Uses Pareto principle to identify the vital few causes responsible for most manufacturing defects, with an exceptionally thorough analysis

Model-Specific Implementations¶

gpt-4-turbo¶

Instruction: Perform a systematic root cause analysis using the {method} approach. Don't stop at surface-level causes - keep investigating until you find the fundamental underlying factors. Be methodical and thorough in your analysis.

Notes: This model benefits from more explicit instruction about the need to go beyond superficial causes

Implementation Guidance¶

Five Whys analysis of a business problem¶

Original Prompt:

Why is our website's bounce rate increasing?

Transformed Prompt:

Please analyze the problem using formal root cause analysis to identify the underlying fundamental causes rather than just symptoms or immediate factors. Use the '5 Whys' technique by repeatedly asking why to drill down to the root cause(s). For each identified factor, ask 'why' to go deeper until reaching fundamental causes. Conduct the analysis with 5 levels of depth, ensuring a thorough investigation of causal chains.

Why is our website's bounce rate increasing?

Fishbone analysis of a technical issue¶

Original Prompt:

Why do our application servers crash under moderate load?

Transformed Prompt:

Please analyze the problem using formal root cause analysis to identify the underlying fundamental causes rather than just symptoms or immediate factors. Apply the Fishbone (Ishikawa) diagram approach by categorizing potential causes into major categories (e.g., People, Process, Equipment, Environment, Management, Materials) and analyzing each systematically. Conduct the analysis with 5 levels of depth, ensuring a thorough investigation of causal chains.

Why do our application servers crash under moderate load?

Transformation Details¶

Base Instruction: Please analyze the problem using formal root cause analysis to identify the underlying fundamental causes rather than just symptoms or immediate factors.

Placement: prepend

Composition Behavior: accumulate

Parameter Effects:

method:
When set to fivewhys: Use the '5 Whys' technique by repeatedly asking why to drill down to the root cause(s). For each identified factor, ask 'why' to go deeper until reaching fundamental causes.
When set to fishbone: Apply the Fishbone (Ishikawa) diagram approach by categorizing potential causes into major categories (e.g., People, Process, Equipment, Environment, Management, Materials) and analyzing each systematically.
When set to pareto: Use the Pareto principle (80/20 rule) to identify and focus on the vital few causes that likely contribute to most of the problem, prioritizing them by impact.
depth:
Format: Conduct the analysis with {value} levels of depth, ensuring a thorough investigation of causal chains.

Compatibility¶

Requires: None
Conflicts: None
Compatible Models: gpt-4o, gpt-4-turbo
Standard Version: 1.0.0 - 2.0.0

FirstPrinciples: Enhances RootCause FirstPrinciples complements RootCause by providing a philosophical foundation for the causal analysis
StepByStep: Enhances RootCause StepByStep can help organize the progressive analysis of causes in a clear sequence