In the context of incident response, what does 'root cause analysis' aim to achieve?

Root cause analysis is a critical component of incident response, focused on uncovering the underlying problems that lead to incidents. By determining the root causes, organizations can implement corrective actions to address these issues effectively, thereby preventing recurring incidents in the future. This proactive approach is essential for improving system reliability and operational stability.

Identifying the most recent changes made to the service may provide context for an incident but does not address the deeper issues that might be causing recurring problems. While understanding employee errors can be useful in evaluating performance and training needs, it does not directly target the systematic issues that generate incidents. Similarly, evaluating customer satisfaction levels does not contribute to resolving the underlying technical problems that lead to service disruptions. Each of these areas can be important for overall service management, but they do not encapsulate the primary objective of conducting a root cause analysis in incident response.