Do you recognize the issue but are unable to resolve it? The 5 Whys method will help you swiftly analyze a problem and uncover its underlying reasons.
Unexpected difficulties can arise in any team or process. However, difficulties are only symptomatic of underlying disorders. Quickly resolving a problem may be a convenient option. It does not, however, safeguard your work process against repeating errors. Your team must concentrate on identifying and addressing the fundamental problem.
The 5 Whys approach is one of the most successful root cause analysis strategies in the Lean management toolbox. Every team encounters challenges in their everyday job. Using the 5 Whys, on the other hand, can help you uncover the core cause of any problem and safeguard the process from repeating errors and failures.
Origin of 5 Whys
The Toyota Production System includes the 5 Whys technique. The approach was developed by Sakichi Toyoda, a Japanese inventor, and manufacturer, and became a fundamental element of the Lean ideology.
“The scientific approach of Toyota is to ask why five times whenever we uncover an issue… The nature of the problem and its solution become obvious after five repetitions of why.” Ohno, Taiichi
Making an informed decision is one of the most important components in the technique’s effective implementation. This means that decision-making should be based on an in-depth grasp of what is actually happening on the job.
In other words, people with practical experience should be included in the root cause analysis process. Logically, they can provide you with the most useful knowledge on any topic in their field of competence.
5 Whys Analysis in Action
When using Bernard Gagnon’s 5 Whys approach, you want to go to the root of the problem and then repair it. The 5 Whys may reveal that the cause of the problem is fairly surprising.
Frequently, difficulties thought to be technological problems turn out to be human and process issues.
Identifying and addressing the core cause is critical to avoiding failure iteration.
Here’s an example of how to use the 5 Whys.
Problem: We should have sent out the newest software update email in time.
- Why did we fail to send the newsletter on time? Updates were not made until after the deadline.
- Why weren’t the upgrades rolled out on time? Because the developers were still working on the new features.
- Why were the developers continuing to work on the additional features? One of the new developers needed to familiarize themselves with the methods.
- What was the new developer’s lack of familiarity with all procedures? He needed to be better trained.
- Why he wasn’t adequately trained? Because the CTO feels that new staff do not require extensive training and should learn on the job.
You can see that the fundamental cause of the first problem turned out to be something utterly unexpected.
Furthermore, it is a procedural issue rather than a technological one. This is common because we frequently focus on the product side of the problem while ignoring the people element.
As a result, the 5 Whys analysis tries to thoroughly examine a specific problem until it reveals the true reason.
Remember that “5” is only a number. As often as necessary to finish the process and take appropriate action, ask, “Why?”
How to Use the “5 Whys” Ultimate Root Cause Analysis Tool
The model is built in seven simple steps:
- Assemble a Team
Bring together people knowledgeable about the problem’s intricacies and the process you are attempting to improve. Include someone to be a facilitator, keeping the team focused on identifying viable countermeasures.
- Define the Problem
Witness the issue in action. Discuss it with your team and create a succinct, unambiguous problem description on which everyone can agree. “Team A isn’t reaching its response time objectives,” for example, or “Software release B resulted in too many rollback failures.”
Then, write your assertion on a whiteboard or sticky note, allowing enough room around it to answer the repeated question, “Why?”
- Ask the First, “Why?”
Inquire with your team as to why the situation is occurring. (For example, “Why is Team A failing to achieve its response time targets?”)
The question “Why?” may appear easy, yet the answer demands careful consideration. Look for replies based on facts: they must be explanations of what actually happened, not educated guesses about what may have happened.
This keeps 5 Whys from devolving into a process of deductive reasoning, which can yield many plausible reasons and, at times, create even more uncertainty as you pursue hypothetical difficulties.
