There are facts in all failures which tell whether the analyst is on the road
to the root cause or to results. These facts are nicknamed "road signs"
because they often tell not only that the damaged part is a result, but also
help the analyst know which way to go to find the cause. Following
results leads to false conclusions, mistakes, and unhappy customers, while
identifying root causes leads to accurate conclusions, problem solution,
and satisfied customers. So in failure analysis work the analyst must
constantly evaluate the road signs to be sure he stays on the root cause
path.