The ‘5 Whys’ is a very important Six Sigma analysis tool that can be used to answer a broad range of questions. Just think of every time you have been asked the question “why” and what questions your answers have spawned. The 5 Whys works in much the same way.

Though it is called the ‘5 Whys’, you can actually ask the question, “Why?” less or more than five times to reach the answers you desire. This is important to recognize because the answer to one question may actually bring up another and the process could conceivably continue to reveal a number of root causes for various problems. The idea behind the ‘5 Whys’ is to get to the real root of a problem. You will even be able to identify multiple causes if they exist.

One important aspect of the ‘5 Whys’ is completing it correctly. Once you understand how this is to be accomplished, you will be able to use this Six Sigma tool very effectively. It is also important here to note that use of the ‘5 Whys’ does not require any statistical data. This makes it a simple preliminary solution that works in many different areas for a number of purposes.

The first step to using this process is to write down the specific problem. This not only helps you identify exactly where things are not gong as they should, but it will also helps a team focus on the same problem.  The second step is to ask “Why?” the problem occurs. Write the answer down just below the problem. This keeps both very visible and places them near each other.

If the answer you wrote down fails to identify the root cause of the problem you wrote down, ask the question “Why?” once more. Write that answer down as well.  Continue asking “Why?” until all team members are in agreement the root cause has been identified.  Remember, there may be more than one root cause, so look for aspects that may show up in some of your answers to identify multiple root causes.

The ‘5 Whys’ are very important and should be used whenever there is a cause to identify.  As most Six Sigma tools are considerably more complex, it doesn’t hurt to start with this process to see if there is an easy ‘fix’ to your current problem. It’s easy to ask “Why?” and you can glean a lot of vital information from the answers you receive. After all, you never know, the answer just might be only one “Why?”  away.