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Lean Definition: 5 Whys

The definition of the 5 Whys is that it is a basic problem solving tool used to find the root cause of a problem.

The 5 Whys, as the name implies, has the problem solver ask ‘Why’ 5 times. Each time gets the questioner closer to the root cause of the problem.

The 5 Whys is powerful because of its simplicity; it is easy to learn the 5 Whys and put the tool to immediate use.

The 5 Whys, however, does have some drawbacks. It is not data driven. Consequently, the results of the 5 Whys tool tend to gravitate toward causes the user is familiar with, potentially skewing the results.

Click on the link to see a short, animated 5 Whys video on how to use this easy-to-implement problem solving tool.

By Jeff Hajek

More information on this term is available in our Lean Encyclopedia.

5 Whys

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Jeff Hajek.

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