Root-Cause Analysis for Recurring SLA Breaches

Recurring SLA misses are usually multi-cause problems. Teams often fix symptoms and then wonder why breaches return.

A Better RCA Sequence

1. Identify immediate trigger (what happened now).
2. Identify process contributor (why the workflow allowed it).
3. Identify systemic driver (why it keeps recurring).

Without step three, the same breach pattern repeats.

What to Include in Every RCA

• data point that confirms the issue,
• owner for corrective action,
• validation window,
• evidence of closure.

Humanizing the Work

Frontline input matters here. Agents usually see failure patterns earlier than dashboards do.

If You Do One Thing This Month

Run RCA on your top recurring breach pattern and require one systemic fix, not just one immediate patch.

What This Looked Like in Practice

On most teams, KPI discussions improve when metrics are tied to named decisions and owners. The conversation shifts from “what happened” to “what changes next week.”

Common Mistakes We See

• Tracking too many KPIs without action ownership.
• Analyzing breaches without confirming systemic root causes.
• Reporting trends without remediation tracking.

If You Do One Thing This Month

Take your top recurring KPI miss and add a simple action tracker: owner, due date, and validation check. Review it weekly until the pattern moves.

Where This Advice Doesn’t Fit Perfectly

If your data model is still unstable, focus first on definition consistency before adding more metrics or dashboard layers.