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5 Whys: Simple Root Cause Analysis

There is a simple but effective technique for determining the root cause without resorting to the more complex tools and techniques included in the Analyse section of the Six Sigma DMAIC methodology - covered in depth on our Root Cause Analysis course as well as our Lean Six Sigma Green Belt, Black Belt & Yellow Belt courses:

The 5 Whys

A question every parent and teacher will be very familiar with, asking why is a great way of winding people up. Every time you ask why, someone has to explain the last reason they gave - narrowing down or opening up the original statement until the asker is happy - which can go on for a long time with children.

What makes asking why a workable solution for determining the root cause of a problem?

It is an easy tool that requires little statistical analysis
You document each step of the analysis so you always know the path to the root cause
The root cause is found more often that not
Multiple root causes are often stumbled upon during the process

Why 5?

5 has been identified as the optimum number of ways needed to find the root cause of a problem. Most root causes are identified around the 5th question but some more complex problems lead to more questions being asked.

user Andy Trainer