Steps to Conducting a Five Whys Analysis

  • 1. Gather the Team

    ×

    How to do this task:
    Subtasks:
  • Invite all employees affected by the issue to participate in the analysis

    ×

    How to do this task:
    Subtasks:
  • 2. Choose a Leader

    ×

    How to do this task:
    Subtasks:
  • Identify an individual to facilitate the process, guide the meeting and document all findings

    ×

    How to do this task:
    Subtasks:
  • 3. Define the Problem

    ×

    How to do this task:
    Subtasks:
  • Agree on the specific definition of the problem that you have met to discuss. The leader should document the agreed definition.

    ×

    How to do this task:
    Subtasks:
  • 4. Ask the First "Why"

    ×

    How to do this task:
    Subtasks:
  • The leader asks 'Why?' the defined problem initially occurred. As a team, discuss and explore various avenues of thought.

    ×

    How to do this task:
    Subtasks:
  • 5. Record the Answers

    ×

    How to do this task:
    Subtasks:
  • Record all answers no matter how obvious they seem. Discuss these answers and agree on the most likely systemic cause before moving to the next 'why'.

    ×

    How to do this task:
    Subtasks:
  • 6. Repeat for Each "Why"

    ×

    How to do this task:
    Subtasks:
  • Repeat the process of asking 'Why?', where each iteration is questioning the answer to the previous 'Why?'. Agree on a systematic cause at each level until you have reached a root cause. This should be clear when discussions no longer bring about productive or useful answers.

    ×

    How to do this task:
    Subtasks:
  • 7. Agree on Corrective Actions

    ×

    How to do this task:
    Subtasks:
  • Review each question/answer combination and agree on the corrective action (if required), down to, and including, the level of the root cause.

    ×

    How to do this task:
    Subtasks:
  • The "Leader" assigns responsibility for each corrective action and documents this in the analysis.

    ×

    How to do this task:
    Subtasks:
  • 8. Record and Share the Analysis

    ×

    How to do this task:
    Subtasks:
  • The leader documents and communicates the findings (including follow up actions) to the group involved in the discussion and any others affected by any of the proposed changes.

    See description
    ×

    How to do this task:
    Subtasks:
This checklist was created by harkster

242 copy saved

242 copies saved