Incident Post-Mortem Builder

What is a Post-Mortem?

A post-incident review (post-mortem) is a structured analysis conducted after an incident to understand what happened, why, and how to prevent recurrence. It focuses on learning, not blame.

Why Document Incidents?

Documenting incidents creates institutional memory, helps identify patterns across multiple incidents, and ensures action items are tracked to completion. It builds a culture of continuous improvement.

Key Components

• Timeline - Chronological sequence of events
• Root Causes - Underlying factors that led to the incident
• Impact - Business and technical consequences
• Action Items - Specific tasks to prevent recurrence

Best Practices

• Conduct the review within 48-72 hours
• Focus on systems and processes, not individuals
• Assign owners and deadlines to action items
• Share learnings broadly across the organisation