How to Analyze Potential Causes of System Malfunctions

When systems fail, the consequences can be costly. In fact, downtime costs businesses an average of $5,600 per minute, according to Gartner. Whether you're dealing with a software crash, machinery breakdown, or a failed product launch, identifying why the failure occurred—and how to prevent it in the future—is critical.

But here's the challenge: System malfunctions are rarely caused by a single issue. Most failures result from a web of interconnected problems. If you don’t untangle that web with care, you risk treating symptoms instead of root causes.

That’s where Fault Tree Analysis (FTA) comes in.

In this article, we'll show you how to analyze the potential causes of system malfunctions step-by-step—and how our Fault Tree Analysis Template can simplify the process for your team. Let’s dive in.

Why System Malfunctions Happen: It's Complicated

First, let’s acknowledge a hard truth: systems are becoming more complex than ever.

• Today’s software products can have millions of lines of code.
  
  
• Hardware systems are deeply integrated with sensors, software, and user interfaces.
  
  
• Cross-functional dependencies make it harder to spot where one system ends and another begins.
  
  

As a result, malfunctions are often systemic, involving human error, technical failure, communication breakdowns, or misaligned processes.

Traditional troubleshooting methods don’t always work. If you’re just asking, “What failed?” without exploring why, you’re only scratching the surface.

What is Fault Tree Analysis?

Fault Tree Analysis (FTA) is a top-down, deductive method used to determine the root causes of system failures.

FTA helps you:

• Visually map out failure logic
  
  
• Break complex issues into understandable chunks
  
  
• Spot patterns, dependencies, and combinations that led to failure
  
  
• Identify areas of risk to fix before they escalate
  
  

Imagine a tree:

• The top event is the malfunction you’re analyzing.
  
  
• Each branch represents a possible cause.
  
  
• These causes may split further into basic events, which are root-level failures like human error or component defects.
  
  

By following the tree down, you can systematically trace how and why a failure occurred—and how to prevent it.

When to Use Fault Tree Analysis

FTA is particularly useful in the following scenarios:

• After a critical system failure
  
  
• When launching a new system or process
  
  
• During risk assessments for complex projects
  
  
• When dealing with compliance or safety standards (e.g., in aerospace, manufacturing, healthcare)
  
  

But even beyond these fields, FTA is useful any time you need structured, collaborative problem-solving.

Step-by-Step: How to Analyze Causes of System Malfunctions

Here’s a clear, repeatable process to investigate a malfunction using Fault Tree Analysis.

1. Define the Top-Level Failure

Start by identifying the failure you're investigating. This could be:

• A product that failed in the field
  
  
• A system that crashed unexpectedly
  
  
• A process that didn’t deliver the expected results
  
  

Be specific and measurable.

Example: “The inventory management system failed to update stock levels after checkout.”

This becomes your Top Event in the Fault Tree.

2. Gather the Right Team

This isn't a solo exercise. Involve people from different disciplines:

• Engineers and developers
  
  
• Product managers
  
  
• QA or testing teams
  
  
• Support teams (if customer issues were involved)
  
  

Each person can help identify different parts of the tree—and working together reduces blind spots.

3. Use the Fault Tree Analysis Template

Here’s where our Fault Tree Analysis Template comes in handy.

The template gives your team a structured format to:

• Start with the top-level failure
  
  
• Add cause-and-effect relationships using AND/OR logic gates
  
  
• Map branches based on known events or hypotheses
  
  
• Add probabilities and impact levels for each branch (if needed)
  
  

This visual structure helps everyone stay on the same page—literally.

‍

4. Identify Intermediate and Basic Events

Ask: What could have caused this failure?
For each potential cause, dig deeper:

• What sub-events would have had to happen?
  
  
• Could multiple things have gone wrong simultaneously?
  
  
• Is human error involved? A missing process? A hardware fault?
  
  

Break each intermediate event down until you reach the basic events that can’t be divided further.

Example:

• Intermediate Event: “Database update failed”
  
  
• Basic Events: “Server memory overload,” “Incorrect query syntax,” “Permissions misconfiguration”
  
  

Use the logic gates to show whether a failure required just one event (OR gate) or multiple conditions (AND gate).

5. Validate Your Tree

Don’t assume the first tree is correct. Validate your findings:

• Compare with incident logs or error reports
  
  
• Review relevant documentation
  
  
• Interview stakeholders involved
  
  
• Replicate the error in a safe test environment (if possible)
  
  

Validation ensures your analysis isn't built on assumptions.

6. Prioritize Risks and Causes

Not all causes are equally dangerous or likely.

• Which basic events are most probable?
  
  
• Which have the highest potential impact?
  
  
• Which are hardest to detect before failure?
  
  

Some teams use quantitative FTA to assign probabilities and calculate overall risk. Others use a more qualitative approach—both work depending on your goals.

7. Take Corrective and Preventive Action (CAPA)

Now that you’ve identified the real causes, use your findings to:

• Fix the current failure
  
  
• Update training, processes, or systems to prevent recurrence
  
  
• Adjust documentation and checklists
  
  
• Communicate learnings across the team or company
  
  

FTA isn’t just a diagnostic tool—it’s a blueprint for continuous improvement.

8. Document and Share the Tree

Store your completed Fault Tree somewhere accessible—especially if similar issues might crop up in other systems.

Teams using the Conference Room Fault Tree Analysis Template can easily duplicate past trees, edit them for new events, and track patterns across multiple projects.

Why Use the Fault Tree Analysis Template?

Our template helps you:

✅ Work collaboratively in real time
✅ Use visual tools instead of scattered notes
✅ Organize complex causes clearly and cleanly
✅ Track learnings for future system design
✅ Meet industry standards (great for audits or quality reviews)

Whether you're running a post-mortem or proactively testing systems before launch, this tool gives you a clear head start.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Even experienced teams sometimes fall into these traps:

• Stopping too early: Don’t stop at intermediate causes—dig until you find the root cause.
  
  
• Jumping to conclusions: Let data guide your tree, not opinions.
  
  
• Not involving the right people: Missing input = missing causes.
  
  
• Failing to act on insights: The tree is only as valuable as what you do with it.
  
  

Final Thoughts: Prevention Starts with Understanding

Every system failure tells a story. If you rush past it without understanding the full chain of causes, you’re bound to repeat the same mistakes.

Fault Tree Analysis helps your team pause, ask better questions, and dig deep into the why behind malfunctions. It’s one of the most reliable ways to uncover hidden flaws—and build more resilient systems.

So next time a system fails, don’t just patch it. Analyze it.
Use the Conference Room Fault Tree Analysis Template to trace the issue from the top down—and prevent it from happening again.

‍