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Technical Post-Mortems

A technical post-mortem is a structured analysis conducted after a system failure, security incident, or significant technical issue to understand what happened, why it happened, and how to prevent it in the future. These reviews are common in software development, IT operations, cybersecurity, and engineering.

Key Objectives of a Technical Post-Mortem

  1. Identify the Root Cause – Determine the primary technical, process, or human factors that led to the issue.
  2. Document the Impact – Assess the scope of the failure, including affected systems, users, and business operations.
  3. Analyze Response & Mitigation – Review how the team responded, what worked well, and what could have been improved.
  4. Define Preventive Measures – Propose solutions to avoid similar issues in the future, such as code fixes, monitoring improvements, or process changes.
  5. Promote a Blameless Culture – Focus on learning and systemic improvements rather than individual blame.

Typical Structure of a Technical Post-Mortem

  1. Incident Summary – Briefly describe the issue, when it occurred, and its impact.
  2. Timeline of Events – List key timestamps from detection to resolution.
  3. Root Cause Analysis (RCA) – Use techniques like the 5 Whys, Fishbone Diagrams, or Fault Tree Analysis.
  4. Impact Analysis – Detail how users, customers, and systems were affected.
  5. Incident Response Review – Evaluate how the team diagnosed and resolved the issue.
  6. Corrective & Preventive Actions – Define steps to mitigate risks and improve future responses.
  7. Lessons Learned – Summarize key takeaways for process and technical improvements.
  8. Action Items & Follow-Ups – Assign responsibilities for implementing preventive measures.

Best Practices

  • Write It Quickly – Document insights soon after the incident while details are fresh.
  • Stay Objective & Blameless – Focus on process and system failures, not individuals.
  • Use Clear, Concise Language – Make it easy for technical and non-technical stakeholders to understand.
  • Review & Iterate – Regularly assess past post-mortems to refine processes.

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