Home › Business Investigations › Repeat Problem Investigation
Repeat Problem Investigation
Why problems repeat. And how to make them stop.
The complaint that returns every quarter. The defect "fixed" three times. The breakdown that keeps happening on the same machine. We review the earlier fixes, find the cause they missed, and give you actions that actually stop it.
Request a closed-file review
Since the 1990s
30
years investigating
250+
investigations closed, incl. HiPOs
15
countries served
20+
countries of lead seminars
100+
nationalities trained
B1 · THE FIX THAT DID NOT STICK
Five common fixes. Why each one failed.
WHY "Retrain the person" DID NOT WORK
The person already knew the procedure. The conditions that made the shortcut normal were never changed.
WHAT THE CAUSE REALLY WAS
A target that could only be met by skipping a step.
B2 · THE CLOSED-FILE REVIEW
We start where the last investigation stopped.
01
Read every earlier file
What was found, what was decided, and what the file assumed.
02
Test the actions
Were they done? Are they still in place? Did they change anything?
03
See the work as done
The process as it runs today, not as the procedure describes it.
04
Find the missed cause
The condition every earlier fix left untouched, and the action that removes it.
A problem your team has closed more than once? A first call costs nothing, and we will tell you which earlier files to pull.
B3 · THE PATTERN
If the fix names a person, the problem will be back.
Retrain, warn, remind. These are the most common corrective actions in the files we review, and the least effective. They change nothing about the target, the tools, the time or the design that made the problem likely. The actions that work change the conditions, and they apply to everyone doing the job.
The P3i approach
How we investigate a repeat problem. Fact-finding, not fault-finding.
Every P3i investigation is led by a senior investigator and supported by internationally qualified process specialists. You will not receive a list of people to blame, or a long list of generic actions. You will receive the facts, the proven causes, and a short plan that closes the gaps, in this case and across your system.
Independent
No products, repairs or contracts to sell you afterwards.
Senior-led
Thirty years of investigation, from the first call to the final briefing.
Beyond the event
Process specialists find the other cracks before they fail.
Ready to present
Written for boards, buyers, insurers and regulators.
How P3i does it for you
- 01
Pull every earlier file
How many times, and what was done each time.
- 02
Test the old fixes
Why each action did not hold.
- 03
Find the common cause
The condition behind every repeat.
- 04
Check the system
Where else the same cause is waiting.
- 05
Fix it for good
Stronger actions, and a check that they worked.
What you receive
Call us when
Free 30-minute case assessment.
Tell us what happened. In confidence, we will tell you what the investigation should cover, how long it will take and what to preserve today.
How we work with you
What happens after you call.
For a repeat problem, the first call covers how many times it has happened, which earlier files exist and what was done each time.
First hour
A call with a lead investigator. You leave it knowing what to preserve today and who to call next.
Day one
An investigator on site, anywhere in Pakistan. Scope and fixed fee agreed in writing.
Week one
A private briefing on early findings, so urgent risks are dealt with before the report is finished.
Weeks three to four
The final report, the wider system review and a remedial work plan, presented to your team.
After
We come back to check the actions were completed and actually worked.
Typical timings for a single-site event. Complex, multi-party matters take longer, and we tell you so on the first call.
What you receive
A full investigation report. This is only its first page.
The summary is what leadership reads first. Behind it sits the complete file: every witness heard, every document and record examined, and every finding tied to numbered evidence, so a board, an insurer, a buyer or a regulator can test it.
1 · Established sequence
2 · Causes
3 · Wider system findings
4 · Remedial work plan
Illustrative summary page. Report length and structure depend on the scope of each case.
Inside the full report
- 01Executive summary SHOWNThe findings and actions leadership needs, on one page. This is the page shown here.
- 02Terms of reference & scopeThe questions asked, the boundaries of the investigation and who commissioned it.
- 03MethodHow evidence was gathered, and which analysis methods were chosen for this case, and why.
- 04Verified chronologyThe sequence of events, reconstructed from records, data and accounts, minute by minute where it matters.
- 05Site & technical examinationScene, equipment, failed parts, measurements and photographs, with specialists where needed.
- 06Witness evidenceInterview schedule, accounts in summary, and where the witnesses agree and where they conflict.
- 07Documents & recordsPermits, procedures, maintenance, training, rosters, CCTV, tracker and control-system data reviewed.
- 08Causal analysisImmediate, underlying and system causes, each one tied to numbered evidence.
- 09System reviewWhere the same weaknesses exist elsewhere in the operation.
- 10Findings & conclusionsWhat is proven, what is probable, and what remains open, stated plainly.
- 11Recommendations & work planTargeted actions, each with an owner, a date and a test of whether it worked.
- 12AppendicesEvidence register, photograph log, interview records, drawings and data extracts.
Every action has an owner, a date and a test of whether it worked. The evidence stays indexed, so any reader can check how each conclusion was reached.
From our files
See all 16 cases → Client names, people, locations and dates removed.
QUESTIONS
What managers ask us first.
Why do problems keep coming back?
Usually because the fix addressed a person or a symptom, not the condition that produced the problem.
Can you review our earlier investigations?
Yes. We review closed files and actions, test whether they worked, and find the cause the earlier work missed.
Is this only for safety incidents?
No. It applies equally to repeat complaints, recurring defects, breakdowns and process failures.
Stop fixing it. Solve it.
