RCA TRAINING

Root Cause Analysis training by Sologic provides the tools, skills, and knowledge necessary to solve complex problems in any sector, within any discipline, and of any scale.
Learn More
 

SOFTWARE

Sologic’s Causelink has the right software product for you and your organization. Single users may choose to install the software locally or utilize the cloud.  Our flagship Enterprise-scale software is delivered On Premise or as SaaS in the cloud.
Learn More


5 Whys is a well-established ‘stripped back’ method of Root Cause Analysis (RCA).  It’s a quick and easy to use form of visual analysis that helps us move beyond the symptoms of stubborn and recurrent problems.
 
Using 5 Whys the problem solver asks “WHY” 5-times in order to drill-down into a problem to uncover the root cause.  By doing this they reveal the underlying causes and once uncovered, they can better solve the problem once and for all.

5 Whys RCA Template:

5-Whys-Template-RCA-1.png
 
 
Benefits of 5 Whys:
 

  • 5 Whys is easy! Practically anyone can learn it and use it.
  • 5 Whys is quick! How long can it take to ask and answer the same question 5 times?
  • 5 Whys is helpful! By examining precursors, 5-Whys provides a deeper understanding of a problem and the possible solutions.
 
 
When to use a 5 Whys
 
Problem solvers acknowledge that 5 Whys is best for simple problems.  More complex problems are better suited to a more comprehensive visual analysis such as Cause and Effect Charting. 
 
However, many problem solvers will use 5 Whys as an initial RCA tool, and then expand this out to Cause and Effect charting if the problem’s complexity demands it.  It is this simplicity and flexibility that is the great strength of 5 Whys.
 
How to do a 5 Whys RCA
 
The 5 Whys Technique is similar to many Root Cause Analysis tools, with established steps taking you from beginning to completion.
 
5 Whys Step 1: Gather & Manage Data
Assemble a team to collect the necessary intelligence related to the problem you wish to analyse.
 
5 Whys Step 2: Create a Problem Statement
A good problem statement includes a clear definition of the problem combined with its direct impacts and notable frequency.
 
5 Whys Step 3: Ask Why x5
Take your problem definition and ask ‘WHY’ Take ‘baby steps’ and allow the facts and the evidence to be your guide. 
 
For example, if our problem definition was ‘Engineer injured his hand’ the answer to ‘WHY’ would not be ‘He wasn’t paying attention’ even if this was an eventual cause.  However, it could be ‘A heavy toolbox lid closed on his hand’ followed by ‘He wasn’t paying attention’ but of course we’d still want to know ‘WHY’ he wasn’t paying attention. Was he ‘under instruction’, ‘distracted by a colleague’, ‘looking at his phone’ or ‘exhausted’ and if so, ‘WHY’ was this, and so on…
 
Remember, facts enable us to follow the causal logic and not get tied up in knots by multiple strands of deductive reasoning and hypothetical causes.
 
5 Whys Step 4: Uncover Your Root Cause(s)
Although the name is 5 Whys, in most cases 5 is only an arbitrary number.  It is suggested that 5 often gets you to a root cause but sometimes there is value in asking ‘WHY’ more than 5 times.
 
5 Whys Step 5: Generate Solutions
Now there is an opportunity to look at your causes and consider ways in which they can be changed, controlled or even eliminated altogether. Be careful that your interventions are realistic and do not have unintended consequences.
 
5 Whys Step 6: Measure & Monitor
It’s important that your interventions are both measured and monitored. Did they have the intended impact and have they remained effective with no negative impacts?
 
The limitations of 5 Whys
 
5 Whys has many benefits but also many limitations:
 
  • The number 5 cannot be appropriate for all problems
  • 5 Whys is linear suggesting a single path of causality
  • It implies there is a single root cause to uncover
  • It tends to focus on ‘actions’ and not ‘conditions’
  • It leaves a lot of room for deduction and opinion
  • The method doesn’t repeat well
  • It struggles to reveal the unknowns in an event
 
Conclusion
 
There are 5 key points to remember.
 
  1. The 5 Whys RCA method is easy to learn and quick to use
  2. Using 5 Whys visual analysis is usually better than conducting no analysis
  3. But, you have to acknowledge the known limitations of 5 Whys (see above)
  4. 5 Whys is best suited to simple problems
  5. Complex problems need a more robust tool
 
 

RCA TRAINING

Root Cause Analysis training by Sologic provides the tools, skills, and knowledge necessary to solve complex problems in any sector, within any discipline, and of any scale.
Learn More
 

SOFTWARE

Sologic’s Causelink has the right software product for you and your organization. Single users may choose to install the software locally or utilize the cloud.  Our flagship Enterprise-scale software is delivered On Premise or as SaaS in the cloud.
Learn More