A method and apparatus for determining when to close a problem case associated with a machine that includes identifying at least one failure condition associated with the problem case, determining whether the failure condition is repeated after a recommended fix instruction is executed and closing the problem case if the failure condition does not repeat within a predetermined amount of time after the fix instruction has been executed. The machine may be a remote machine such as a locomotive and electronic data indicative of the failure condition may be transmitted from the remote machine to a control center over a telecommunications medium such as the Internet. The control center may include a processor for managing the electronic data that may be transmitted from a plurality of remote machines. The control center processor may be adapted to request downloads from the remote machines and monitor downloaded data to determine whether the failure condition are repeating after the fix instruction has been executed.