5-Why Analysis

MBIL/Fastrack/YB/Pre-reading Release 1: 1/11/2005

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5-Why Analysis

What is It
The 5-Why analysis method is used to move past symptoms and understand the
true root cause of a problem. It is said that only by asking "Why?" five times,
successively, you can delve into a problem deeply enough to understand the
ultimate root cause. By the time you get to the 4th or 5th why, you will likely be
looking squarely at management practices. This methodology is closely related to
the Cause & Effect (Fishbone) diagram, and can be used to complement the
analysis necessary to complete a Cause & Effect diagram.

Here is a real world example from a kitchen range manufacturer:

There is too much work in process inventory, yet we
never seem to have the right parts.
Symptom:
Why?
The enameling process is unpredictable, and the
press room does not respond quickly enough.
Symptom:
Why?
It takes them too long to make a changeover
between parts, so the lot sizes are too big, and
often the wrong parts.
Symptom:
Why?
Many of the stamping dies make several different
parts, and must be reconfigured in the tool room
between runs, which takes as long as eight hours.
Symptom:
Why?
The original project management team had cost
overruns on the building site work, so they skimped
on the number of dies - they traded dedicated dies
and small lot sizes for high work-in-process (which
was not measured by their project budget).
Symptom:
Why?
Root Cause:
Company management did not understand lean
manufacturing, and did not set appropriate project
targets when the plant was launched.

By asking Whys five times, it is clear that the problem had its origins in
management.




5-Why Analysis
MBIL/Fastrack/YB/Pre-reading Release 1: 1/11/2005
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Historical Perspective
Although the 5-Why problem solving technique has been popularized by the
Japanese, this common-sense concept has been around for quite some time:
Benjamin Franklin's 5-Why Analysis:
For want of a nail a shoe was lost,
for want of a shoe a horse was lost,
for want of a horse a rider was lost,
for want of a rider an army was lost,
for want of an army a battle was lost,
for want of a battle the war was lost,
for want of the war the kingdom was lost,
and all for the want of a little horseshoe nail.

The text above is a common extension of the original theme from Poor Richard's Almanac

Hybrid Tools
A Japanese transplant automobile manufacturer uses a hybrid form that includes
a trend chart and pareto chart to guide the 5-Why thinking of its problem-solving
teams. On one piece of paper, the form captures historical data, problem
priorities, root cause analysis, corrective action, and verification. An
example of the form is shown below with a hypothetical example from an
appliance manufacturer.