Failures: How to Avoid Them

Abstract

In conjunction with Douglas C. Moorhouse in 1994, the author prepared a paper on examining the causes of "failure" in the geo-civil/environmental professional services industry. Based on this research that reviewed 53 case histories of failures and on personal experience, the author Millet reached several fundamental conclusions about professional service failures. He introduces the "fault tree construction." A simple but effective approach, it identifies weak links and critical threats that professionals can face. The article establishes some basic methodology and definitions of the fault tree construction process; and provides tailored examples of fault tree construction and application, two actual case history applications, and a conclusion and recommendation for the use of the approach.