Key Points
- Use a standardized lightweight IT post-incident review template to keep RCAs concise and efficient.
- Reconstruct incident timelines using monitoring alerts, ticketing system timestamps, and escalation logs.
- Automate the collection of RCA inputs (e.g., evidence and timeline data) to reduce manual effort and speed up post-incident reviews.
- Prioritize prevention instead of running exhaustive technical deep dives.
- Present findings to clients using clear, plain language to ensure clarity and build trust.
- Share incident review insights during governance meetings and QBRs.
- Archive RCA reports for analysis, compliance, and continuous service improvement.
Whenever a major incident occurs, whether it’s a service outage or a ransomware attack, MSPs are focused on one thing and one thing only: resolving the issue and restoring client operations.
Once the dust settles, they get torn between moving on to their next task or conducting a full-blown investigation on what went wrong.
Although traditional root cause analyses (RCA) can help them prevent these incidents from happening again, they’re too time-consuming for most SMBs and MSPs to perform on minor issues, where the time and effort it requires outweighs the impact of the problem. The same thing can be said for situations that don’t require forensic evidence handling or formal post-incident analyses for legal or regulatory compliance.
This is where light root cause post-incident reviews can make all the difference. It’s a simple, fast, and practical way to capture lessons, making it the perfect complement to traditional RCAs.
In this guide, we’ll show you how to create a framework for conducting light RCAs. Keep reading to learn more about the main purpose of running RCAs.
Simplifying post-incident reviews with a light root cause analysis (RCA)
With the right framework, you can apply a lightweight RCA approach for quick and insightful post-incident reviews. Here’s how:
📌 Prerequisites:
- A defined threshold for major incidents that aligns with your organization’s internal policies (e.g., downtime exceeding 2 hours, breach of high-priority SLA, and widespread client impact)
- Access to key incident timeline data points, such as monitoring alerts, ticketing system timestamps, and escalation notes
- A standardized RCA template that technicians can use to document the problem, its causes, possible solutions, and preventative measures
- An explicit agreement on the roles and responsibilities of those who will participate in the analysis
Step 1: Establish a lightweight RCA template
Start by building an easy-to-complete RCA template your techs can use to document major incidents. It should include the following:
| Component | Purpose/Value |
| Incident summary | Outlines what happened, when it occurred, and to whom |
| Root Cause | Identifies the underlying causes that triggered the incident |
| Resolution | Describes how the issue was resolved, including the steps taken to restore service |
| Prevention | Specifies the measures that will be implemented to prevent recurrence |
Keep the scope of your post-incident review template narrow so that your technicians can focus on providing actionable insights.
Deliverable
A standardized one-page RCA template for documenting all major incidents
Step 2: Capture the timeline quickly
Next, use the following data points to reconstruct the incident timeline:
- Monitoring alerts
- Ticketing timestamps (for example, creation, escalation, and resolution)
- Communication logs with client or vendor escalations.
Understanding the flow of events will help you spot delays, miscommunications, or missed alerts that occurred during the incident response.
Automating RCA input and evidence collection
To make the data collection process easier, consider implementing an automation workflow like below:
- Incident Trigger: A ticket in NinjaOne or your chosen PSA platform is tagged as a “Major Incident”.
- System Action: The system automatically gathers monitoring alerts, relevant patching data (when applicable), and resolution timestamps.
- Template Auto-fill: The collected data is used to populate the sections of the RCA template.
- Expert Review: The service manager or incident lead adds context to the incident and prevention notes.
Deliverable
A timeline summary to be attached to the RCA template
Step 3: Focus on “Why Once, How to Prevent Twice”
Avoid conducting in-depth technical dissections unless absolutely necessary or when required by the incidents impact. Instead, focus on providing actionable insights.
Identify the primary contributing factor to the incident and recommend one to two preventive measures. For example, if human error caused a recent patch failure, consider automating the deployment process and implementing a pre-deployment checklist before execution.
Shifting the focus from exhaustive analyses to prevention promotes continuous improvement and reduces the chances of repeat incidents.
Deliverable
Prevention notes logged into SOPs or the knowledge base
Step 4: Share findings with clients in plain language
Use clear and concise language to communicate to your clients what happened and what’s being done to prevent the incident from happening again.
Avoid using technical jargon and focus on reframing your post-incident review around client outcomes. For instance, instead of saying, “A configuration change was not fully tested, which caused downtime,” tell your clients, “We’ve updated our SOP to include pre-change testing and added automation to prevent this from recurring.”
The goal here is to assure your clients that you’re taking all the necessary precautions to avoid another incident, not overwhelm them.
Deliverable
A client-facing RCA summary slide for QBRs or incident debriefs
Step 5: Integrate RCA into governance and improvement cycles
Finally, integrate all the insights you’ve gathered from your lightweight RCAs into your long-term planning.
Archive all your RCA reports for audit and service improvement. Review any recurring themes or trends during quarterly meetings. Use your findings to prioritize automation, SOP updates, or training.
This step ensures that RCAs are not just one-off exercises, but are tools for improvement and growth.
Deliverable
RCA trend analysis included in internal governance documents and QBRs
Summary of best practices for conducting light post-incident reviews
| Component | Purpose/Value | Deliverable |
| Lightweight RCA template | Reduces burden while ensuring accountability | One-page RCA template |
| Quick timeline reconstruction | Provides clarity without conducting a deep forensic investigation | Timeline summary with key data points |
| Focus on primary cause + prevention | Drives improvements with minimal overhead | Prevention notes to be attached to SOP documentation |
| Plain-language client summary | Reinforces client trust and builds transparency | Client-facing post-incident summary |
| Governance integration | Turns relevant RCA insights into long-term improvements | RCA trend analysis |
What is root cause analysis (RCA) and how does it work?
Root cause analysis (RCA) is a systematic process that involves uncovering the fundamental causes of an issue and preventing its recurrence. It enables organizations to develop and implement effective, long-term solutions instead of simply addressing symptoms.
It typically involves defining a problem, collecting data to determine its root cause, and developing a preventative solution.
Conducting effective RCAs allows MSPs to:
- Avoid repeating the same mistakes and errors.
- Identify underlying issues and potential vulnerabilities.
- Increase productivity by minimizing downtime and delays.
- Improve processes and prepare for future challenges.
Leveraging NinjaOne to run smarter post-incident reviews and light RCAs
NinjaOne takes the manual work out of running post-incident reviews by:
- Supporting the tagging for major incidents based on predefined rules for streamlined RCA follow-up.
- Collecting monitoring alerts and relevant patching data to support accurate incident timeline reconstruction.
- Storing RCA templates and completed post-incident reviews within NinjaOne Documentation for easy access.
- Supporting the creation of concise RCA summaries for client QBR decks.
- Providing visibility into recurring RCA themes across clients for better incident oversight.
Prevent future delays with light root cause post-incident reviews
You don’t always need to conduct full-blown RCAs to uncover valuable insights from major incidents.
By adopting a light post-incident review framework and focusing on implementing preventative measures, you can turn every incident into a learning opportunity without spending hours dissecting every technical detail.
Related topics:
