The 5 Whys is a simple yet powerful tool for uncovering the underlying cause(s) of a problem or undesirable event. It’s called “5” whys because you usually ask why five times to get to the root cause, but this can vary depending on the situation.
Notes
Info
The 5 Whys is a question-asking technique used to explore the root causes of a defect or problem. It was developed at Toyota by Sakichi Toyoda in the early 20th century.
TakeAways
- 📌 Main Point: The 5 Whys is a simple yet powerful technique for getting to the root cause of problems.
- Ask ‘why’ repeatedly until you’ve identified the underlying issue.
- 💡 Important Information:
- It was developed at 🌐 Toyota by Sakichi Toyoda in the early 20th century.
- The number ‘5’ refers to how many times you typically ask ‘why,’ not a limit.
- 🌱 Initially used for quality control and manufacturing processes. Now widely applied across various industries, including software development.
Process
- Identify the problem or issue.
- Ask ‘Why?’ and record the answer.
- Keep asking why until you’ve identified the root cause (usually around 5 times).
- Implement solutions based on the root cause(s).
Thoughts
- 💡 Simple yet powerful: The technique is easy to understand and use, making it accessible for everyone.
- 🌳 Root causes matter: Focusing on symptoms may lead to temporary fixes; digging deeper leads to lasting solutions.