Investigation methods compared
The six root cause frameworks TruStar Connect supports, and when to use each.
Different incidents and different industries call for different analysis frameworks. TruStar Connect lets you pick the one your team already uses, with no proprietary lock in. You choose the framework when you start an investigation, and the AI prompting, the on screen categories, and the report all follow it.
TruStar Method
Our own modern framework, and the default. Five Stars: People, Conditions, Systems, Leadership, and Defenses. Built to weigh organizational and leadership factors as heavily as individual actions, with an AI bias audit and closed loop verification baked in. Best when you want a thorough, modern analysis without committing to a heavier legacy methodology. See the dedicated article for the full breakdown.
SCAT
Systematic Cause Analysis Technique, from the Bird and DNV loss causation model. Categories: Substandard Acts, Substandard Conditions, Personal Factors, Job and System Factors, and Lack of Control. A long established, widely recognized model. Best for organizations already trained on Bird based loss causation.
ICAM
Incident Cause Analysis Method, common in resources and oil and gas. Categories: Individual and Team Actions, Task and Environmental Conditions, Absent or Failed Defenses, Organizational Factors, and Organizational Influences. Best for major hazard industries that expect an ICAM aligned report.
HFACS
Human Factors Analysis and Classification System. Categories: Unsafe Acts, Preconditions for Unsafe Acts, Unsafe Supervision, and Organizational Influences. Best when human and organizational factors are the focus, for example aviation derived programs.
5 Whys
A sequential drill down from the immediate cause through to the systemic root, in up to five steps. Best for quick, lower severity investigations where a full framework would be overkill.
Bowtie
Maps Threats to a Top Event to Consequences, with preventive barriers on the left and recovery barriers on the right. Best for visualizing how multiple barriers combine to prevent or mitigate a hazard.
Pick the framework your team knows. The structured workflow, AI assistance, corrective action tracking, and PDF report work the same way regardless of which one you choose.
Related articles
Our modern investigation framework: the five Stars, an AI bias audit, and verified closed loop actions.
Work through a structured root cause analysis and produce a finalized report.
Track every fix from creation to verification.