5 Whys

The 5 Whys is a technique used in the Analyze phase of the Six Sigma DMAIC (Define,
Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control) methodology and it can be used to determine the Root
Cause of a problem. Asking Why? may be a favorite technique of a three year old child for
driving you crazy, but it is a great Six Sigma tool for quality lessons. The 5 Whys does not
involve data segmentation, hypothesis testing, regression or other advanced statistical tools, and
in many cases, it can be completed without a data collection plan.
By repeatedly asking the question Why (five is a good rule of thumb), you can peel
away the layers of symptoms which can lead to the root cause of a problem. Very often the
ostensible reason for a problem will lead you to another question. Although this technique is
called 5 Whys, you may find that you will need to ask the question fewer or more times than
five before you find the issue related to a problem.
5-Why analysis is more than just an iterative process or a simple question asking activity.
The purpose behind a 5-why analysis is to get the right people in the room discussing all of the
possible root causes of a given defect in a process. Many times teams will stop once a reason
for a defect has been identified. These conclusions often do not get to the root cause. A
disciplined 5-why approach will push teams to think outside the box and reach a root cause
where the team can actually make a positive difference in the problem, instead of treating
symptoms.
The 5-Why method of root cause analysis requires you to question how the sequential
causes of a failure event arose and identify the cause-effect failure path. Why is asked to find
each preceding trigger until we supposedly arrive at the root cause of the incident, but
unfortunately it is also easy to arrive at the wrong conclusion. A Why question can be
answered with multiple answers, and unless there is evidence that indicates which answer is
right, you will most likely have the wrong failure path.
Most root causes are due to a lack of a robust system or process, or that there is no
process in the first place. Once the root cause has been highlighted, the team or individual can
then go about rectifying the problem and remove it for good. The 5-Why method can separate
the symptoms from the causes of a problem. This is critical as symptoms often mask the causes
of problems. As with effective incident classification, basing actions on symptoms is worst
possible practice. Using the technique effectively will define the root cause of any non-
conformances and subsequently lead you to defining effective long term corrective actions.
The Five Whys approach to root cause analysis is often used for investigations into
equipment failure events and workplace safety incidents. The apparent simplicity of the 5-
Whys leads people to use it, but its simplicity hides the intricacy in the methodology and people
can unwittingly apply it wrongly. They might end up fixing problems that did not cause the
failure incident and miss the problems that led to it, when they work on the wrong things,
thinking that because they used the 5-Whys and the questions were answered, they must have
found the real root cause.
Benefits of the 5 Whys
Simplicity It is easy to use, easy to complete and requires no advanced mathematics
statistical analysis statistical analysis or special tools.
Effectiveness It truly helps to quickly separate symptoms from causes and identify the
root cause of a problem and determine the relationship between different root causes of a
problem.
Comprehensiveness It aids in determining the relationships between various problem
causes.
Flexibility It works well alone and when combined with other quality improvement and
troubleshooting techniques.
Engaging By its very nature, it fosters and produces teamwork and teaming within and
without the organization.
Inexpensive It is a guided, team focused exercise. There are no additional costs.
When Is 5 Whys Most Useful?
When problems involve human factors or interactions.
In day-to-day business life; can be used within or without a Six Sigma project.
How to Complete the 5 Whys
1. Write down the specific problem. Writing the issue helps you formalize the problem and
describe it completely. It also helps a team focus on the same problem.
2. Ask Why the problem happens and write the answer down below the problem.
3. If the answer you just provided doesnt identify the root cause of the problem that you wrote
down in Step 1, ask Why again and write that answer down.
4. Loop back to step 3 until the team is in agreement that the problems root cause is identified.
Again, this may take fewer or more times than five Whys.