Maybe, main task in the decision-making process is the search for the root cause of the need to make a decision. Where did it all start? Where did the problem or issue that needs to be addressed come from?

A simple and surprisingly effective model method can serve this purpose. Five whys.

To effectively solve a problem, it is necessary to find not just one of the causes of the failure, but the root cause, that is, the root cause. Otherwise the problem will arise again and again.

To find the root cause, the Five Whys method suggests asking the question “Why?” until we can get to the root cause. At the same time, the question “Why?” must be asked at least five times. According to the creators this method, fewer “Why?” will not allow you to get to the depths of the problem.

By the way. The Five Whys method, or root cause analysis, was developed and became widely popular in Japanese corporations in the second half of the 20th century. But the technique itself seems to have a long history. Benjamin Franklin is the author of a famous parable that is very close to the analysis of the “Five Whys”:

« There was no nail - the horseshoe was gone,

There was no horseshoe - the horse went lame,

The horse went lame - the commander was killed,

The cavalry is defeated, the army is fleeing.

The enemy enters the city, not sparing prisoners,

Because there was no nail in the forge ».

Let's look at an example of using the Five Whys method that is closer to our daily practice. This real example solving a problem that arose at a factory producing kitchen utensils.

Symptom: Although in general the stocks of parts in production are quite large, we are always short of the necessary parts.

Why?

Symptom: The enamel process is unpredictable, and the press shop is slow to respond to our needs for parts.

Why?

Symptom: The process of readjusting equipment to produce a new part takes a lot of time from the pressing shop. Therefore, they produce too many of the same parts, and often not the right ones.

Why?

Symptom: The same stamping dies are used to produce multiple parts. Their changeover in the locksmith shop takes eight hours.

Why?

Symptom: During the construction of the plant, the cost of constructing the building itself exceeded the budget. In order to fit into the initial budget, it was decided to save on the number of matrices purchased.

Why?

Root cause: The plant management decided to cut equipment costs in order to fit into the budget when building the plant. However, this led to a decrease in production efficiency and the loss of significantly greater funds during the operation of the plant. The miser pays twice, as everyone knows. A mistake was made in the area of ​​strategic management.

Here is a simple example of using the Five Whys method in everyday life.

Usually, when any malfunction occurs, the first thing we do is look for someone to blame. It is very easy to find a switchman, but will this stop the problem from repeating itself again and again? According to Edward Deming, in 93% of cases the root cause of problems and failures is a system error, most often at the level of strategic management.

The Five Why method allows you not to patch holes, but to solve the problem once and for all by identifying the root cause of the malfunction.

..."Muda" as any actions that do not add value cannot and should not be inevitable, which means they must be continuously eliminated...
Masaaki Imai "Gemba Kaizen"

Having observed, you can see that in everyday life we ​​are dealing with “value chains”, i.e. We carry out various actions aimed at achieving goals. Very often our goals are starting points for achieving other goals. Often we perform actions without even meaning “why?”, thus wasting time and energy on actions that do not bring value (Muda) or wasting energy and time on results that are not worth it...

In this article we will talk about an easy-to-use technique that allows you to organize the process of identifying the goals underlying the actions of people within the framework of the work process being studied (for example, the process within which it is planned to use a software product).
In other words, this technique will allow us to form an understanding of the “value chain” within which “our future/current product” should perform its functions.

5 Whys - What is it?

A technique for analyzing the cause-and-effect relationships underlying problems that have arisen, the purpose of which is to clarify the key problem.
The technology was developed by Sakichi Toyoda and used within the Toyota Motor Corporation.

The essence of the technique is to ask the question “Why?” five times, each subsequent question is asked in relation to the answer received. WITH typical example you can find it here: Example.

Why 5 times? It is believed that in 90% of cases this is enough to find out the root cause, but practice shows that everything depends on the quality of the questions and answers, i.e. You can get to the key problem earlier, or you can completely go astray.

5 Whys - in business analysis…

We will look at adapting this technique to develop a “useful” software product.
Instead of asking “Why?” we will use the question “Why?” to consistently clarify the “value chain” within the framework of the analyzed process.

Example 1: application for laboratory research within the clinic

The doctor creates a request to conduct laboratory tests for the patient

Value chain 1 - order fulfillment

• for the laboratory technician to conduct research in accordance with the doctor’s request
• for the laboratory technician to document the results and provide them to the doctor
• for the doctor to analyze the results and draw conclusions about the disease
• for the doctor to develop a course of treatment to treat the disease
• so that the patient completes the course of treatment and recovers

Value chain 2 - control of order fulfillment

• so that the nurse can see that a request has been added for the patient she is monitoring
• so that the nurse periodically monitors the status of the application
• so that the nurse, if the request is not fulfilled for a long time, calls the laboratory
• to clarify the reasons for non-fulfillment (delay in execution) of the application
• so that the application is ultimately completed

Example 2: documenting a client meeting report

The sales manager finds the profile of the client with whom he had a meeting or conversation

• to document the results of a meeting or conversation
• so that another manager who wants to contact the same client can view this data
• to keep up to date with the latest news
• so as not to irritate clients with repeated questions
• to have a meaningful next meeting

The 5 Whys technique can be used to create different “slices” within the “value chain” analysis, since one action can have one or more goals, i.e. creating a separate branch of the “value chain”.

Conclusion

The technique is very easy to understand, but not so easy to apply.
In the process of gaining experience and with the correct initial data (knowledge subject area, within which it is necessary to clarify value chains and the ability to formulate questions). This technique becomes indispensable for creating a meaningful and concise description of the context and requirements for the product. And most importantly - you won't lose ultimate goal and you will not waste your energy and time on activities that do not bring Muda value, but will spend it on creating a meaningful product.

The idea of ​​studying cause-and-effect relationships was put forward by Socrates. But the method itself, called the “5 Whys,” was developed by Toyota founder Sakichi Toyoda. Initially, the equipment was intended to solve the company's production problems.

Asking the question “Why?” five times, you define the nature of the problem, the solution becomes clear.

Taiichi Ohno, creator of the Toyota Production System

First of all, the initial one is formulated. The researcher then asks the question, “Why did this (happen)?” Having received the answer, he asks again: “Why did this happen?” - thus finding out the cause of the cause. As a result, a logical chain leading to the root cause is built. It is assumed that it is the impact on the root cause that will be most effective in solving the original problem. Let's illustrate this with an example.

Original problem: Conflicts have become more frequent in the family, and relations between spouses are tense.

Step 1. Why is this happening? Because my husband is constantly at work and does not devote any time to his family.

Step 2. Why does he spend so much time at work? Because of the many things that require his attention.

Step 3. Why do so many things require his attention? Because no one can make them.

Step 4. Why can't anyone make them? Because there are no employees who would be competent in these matters.

Step 5. Why are there no such employees? Nobody hired them.

In this example, we went from dissatisfaction with family relationships to an insufficient number of middle managers.

You don't have to ask exactly five questions. This number is chosen empirically and is an average. Some problems can be addressed in fewer (or more) steps. For best results, it is recommended to write down all the steps so you don't miss anything important. Increases efficiency: the group is able to identify objectively more significant reasons.

The “5 Whys” method has a number of undoubted advantages. Firstly, simplicity. Its use is available to anyone. Secondly, it takes little time compared to most other techniques. Third, minimum requirements to equipment: you can even look for reasons in your mind.

But there are also significant limitations. The method is suitable only for simple problems when you need to find one, the most significant reason. The result depends greatly on the researcher's ability to find it. So, in the above example, the correct answer to the third question could be “Because he is not an employee,” and the root cause would be completely different. Some of these limitations can be overcome by allowing multiple responses to be given. Then the result of using the technique becomes a “tree” of causes. But in this case there is no way to select one as the leading one.

Despite these limitations, the 5 Whys method has been used successfully in many production management concepts. For example, in , lean manufacturing and others.

“5 Whys” method

The 5 Ws (Five Whys) technique was invented by a man named Sakishi Toyoda, the founder of Toyota in 1930.

The method is used in various areas of human activity in the process of analyzing problems and searching for the root causes of their occurrence.

The purpose of the method is to search for the true causes of the problem under consideration in order to effectively resolve them.

Five "whys" - effective tool, which uses questions to explore the cause-and-effect relationships underlying a particular problem, identify causal factors, and identify the root cause. By considering logic in the direction of “Why?”, we gradually reveal the entire chain of sequentially interconnected causal factors that influence the problem.

The action plan when applying the technique is as follows:

• 1 identify a specific problem that needs to be solved;
• 2 reach agreement on the formulation of the problem under consideration;
• 3 when looking for a solution to a problem, you should start with the end result (the problem) and work backwards (towards the root cause), asking why the problem occurs;
• 4 write down the answer under the problem;
• 5 If the answer does not reveal the root cause of the problem, ask the question “Why?” again. and write down the new answer below;
• Question 6: “Why?” must be repeated until the root cause of the problem becomes obvious;
• 7 If the answer solves the problem and the group agrees with it, a solution is made using the answer.

While paying tribute to the interest shown in the “Five Whys” principle, it should be noted that this technique is not new. Starting from childhood, to find out something incomprehensible, we constantly ask the question “Why?”

The origins of the use of the question "Why?" to analyze the problem and search for the root cause of its occurrence are found in the heritage of philosophers of the 4th-3rd centuries. BC e. It is fair to note that Socrates is considered to be the author of the cause-and-effect concept used in logic for any proof.

However, he was the first to propose using the “Five Whys?” principle, which gained popularity in the 70s of the twentieth century, to reduce or eliminate costs and increase productivity. thanks to the Toyota Production System (TPS), became Sakishi Toyoda. The number “five” is arbitrary. In fact, you may find that you have to ask the question less or more than five times, building a logical chain, before you can determine the root cause of the problem. Finding answers to questions included in the logical chain allows you to structure the research situation, i.e., develop a methodology effective analysis the problem under consideration.

The process of identifying, analyzing and understanding the causes is key in structuring the problem and moving to corrective actions.

To obtain complete and accurate information, it is necessary to formulate questions correctly.

The “Five Whys” Principle can be used either independently or as a component various methods solving a wide range of tasks and problems in various areas of everyday life and activity.

The “Five Whys” Principle most useful in solving problems related to the human factor and interpersonal relationships.

This approach does not always guide researchers toward identifying the cause of problems because it does not have built-in expertise and typically only provides opinions about why a problem exists.

Because asking the question “Why?” It's just that people love using the "Five Whys" technique. However, simply asking the question “Why?” will not get you beyond your knowledge. “Complex problems cannot be solved at the same level of thinking at which we created them.” (A. Einstein).

To perform work and obtain effective solutions, it is advisable to use a computer with a built-in knowledge base.

Advantages of the method:

• 1 one of the simplest tools;
• 2 helps to determine the root cause of the problem;
• 3 defines the relationships between for various reasons Problems.

Disadvantages of the method:

• 1 solution only simple tasks;
• 2 does not consider the logical verification of the chain of causes leading to the root cause, i.e. this tool There are no rules for checking backwards from the root cause to the results.

It is the most famous applied modification of the Socratic questioning method, as it is widely used to reduce or eliminate costs, increase productivity, and reduce defects. Analysis "Five Whys" ( 5Why, 5W) or root cause analysis was developed and introduced by Sakichi Toyoda (Toyota Corporation) and became widespread in Japanese corporations in the second half of the 20th century.

The essence of the method

Five "whys" - an effective tool that uses questions to explore the cause-and-effect relationships underlying a particular problem, identify causal factors, and identify the root cause. By examining logic in the direction of “Why?”, we gradually reveal the entire chain of sequentially interconnected causal factors that influence the problem.

Action plan

Identify the specific problem that needs to be solved.

Come to an agreement on the formulation of the problem under consideration.

When looking for a solution to a problem, you should start with the end result (the problem) and work backwards (towards the root cause), asking why the problem occurs.

Write the answer under the problem.

If the answer does not reveal the root cause of the problem, ask the question "Why?" again. and write down the new answer below.

The question "Why?" must be repeated until the root cause of the problem becomes apparent.

According to the creators of this method, the question “why” must be repeated at least 5 times, because fewer “Why?” will not allow you to get to the depths of the problem.

If the answer solves the problem and the group agrees with it, a solution is made that uses the answer.

The "Five Whys" principle It is advisable to use it in conjunction with a cause-and-effect diagram (Ishikawa diagram).

Whether it's a problem, an opportunity, or both, Toyota emphasizes that you should always go out and see it with your own eyes and then ask yourself "why" 5 times. Seeing things first-hand helps managers understand how problems and/or opportunities manifest themselves so they can see the big picture and look beyond the obvious, allowing them to differentiate root causes and signals from symptoms when making decisions. As Taiichi Ohno, creator of the Toyota Production System, explained: “To tell the truth, production system Toyota is built on the practice and development of this scientific approach. If we ask ourselves “why” 5 times and answer this question each time, we will be able to understand the real cause of the problem, which is often hidden behind more noticeable symptoms.” There is a puddle of oil on the factory floor. Why? Oil is leaking from the car. Why? The gasket is damaged. Why? Because we bought gaskets made of cheap material. Why? Because we were given the best price for them. Why? Because purchasing agents' work is rewarded and evaluated based on short-term savings, not long-term results. So, what exactly is the problem and, accordingly, what conditions must the solution meet? In a puddle of oil on the floor that can be easily wiped up in less than two minutes and no one from management will notice? Or is it a system of rewarding purchasing agents that results in the purchase of inferior equipment and therefore needs to be changed? Wiping the oil off the floor will solve superficial issues but will not prevent the problem from recurring, whereas the new procurement rules will.

When looking for a solution to a problem, start with the end result and work from there to find out the cause, constantly asking “Why?” This question should be asked again and again until the reason becomes obvious.

Advantages of the method

One of the simplest tools.

Helps determine the root cause of the problem.

Determines the relationships between the various causes of the problem.

Disadvantages of the method

Solving only simple problems. The logical verification of the chain of causes leading to the root cause is not considered, that is, this tool does not have rules for checking in the opposite direction from the root cause to the results.

Example: The FSA group at a machine-building enterprise was asked to improve the operation of a machine for deburring after stamping. But it turned out that solving this problem did not change the situation in the workshop at all; it remained “in a breakthrough.” The analysis revealed a whole series of new problems: too big time installation of dies, the difficulty of regrinding them, high consumption, etc. The key problem turned out to be the low durability of dies due to the poor quality of their manufacture, which, in turn, was due to many years of unreasonable understatements in prices. That is, the root of the evil turned out to be in the technical specifications and contractual terms with the tool manufacturer.

To eliminate an error, it is necessary to identify the entire chain of tasks, find the key one among them and consider the possibility of solving it.

Provide a chain of 3-5 open-ended questions aimed at selling a low-noise, high-quality, expensive elevator

Provide a chain of 3-5 closed questions aimed at selling an educational service

Do you remember if manipulative techniques based on questions were used on you?

Remember, were there any cases during your studies when your teacher used the Socratic method? How did this happen?

Make a chain of Socratic questions to develop a decision on introducing a new product into the product portfolio of a company (manufacturer of auto accessories).

Make a chain of Socratic questions to develop a decision on introducing a new product into the product portfolio of a company (manufacturer of auto components).

Using the “Five Whys” method, find the cause of any of the problems that you are experiencing. this moment are bothering you.