Causal Current State Tree (CRT)

A root cause analysis tool linking multiple undesirable effects (UDEs) to identify 1-2 core system issues.

🎯 What Problem It Solves

When organizations face many daily issues (e.g., customer loss, delay, low morale), treating symptoms won't work. The CRT connects these problems to find their underlying root cause.

🧠 Thinking Logic & Core Concepts

Problems are not isolated. CRT uses 'If-Then' cause-and-effect logic. By tracing backward, you will find multiple UDEs originate from a few root causes. Resolving the root cause eliminates all downstream symptoms.

📋 Newbie Step-by-Step Guide

1. List UDEs: List 5-10 urgent pain points.
2. Connect Cause and Effect: Check if pain point A causes pain point B, and connect them with arrows.
3. Fill Gaps: Add intermediate nodes to make the logic complete.
4. Identify Root Causes: The lowest nodes you can control are the root causes.

💡 Classic Example

[Dev Team Delay Case]

• UDEs: Frequent delays, high bug count, severe burnout.
• Chain: Burnout causes bugs; bugs take up refactoring time, leading to delay.
• Root Cause: 'Uncontrolled urgent requirements insertion without a backlog gating mechanism'.