2. • Introduction
• The Five Why’s In Action
• Why Five?
• Test It! Does It Hold Up Backwards?
• Summary
• Foundations of Project Success
Agenda
3. • Root cause analysis is a fundamental
aspect of continuous improvement
• It’s how we figure out the difference
between defects and errors – errors
cause defects
• There are many forms of root cause
analysis:
• Descriptive frameworks
• Statistical packages
• Investigative methods
• The Five Whys is a simple and proven
method for reaching the same
conclusions
Introduction
4. A two-week old washing machine suddenly stops working . . .
The Five Why’s In Action
Why did the machine
stop working?
1st Why:
The fuse blew
Why did the fuse blow?
2nd Why:
The motor overheated
Why did the motor
overheat?
3rd Why:
The shaft was misaligned
Θ
5. A two-week old washing machine suddenly stops working . . .
The Five Why’s In Action – Cont’d
Why was the shaft
misaligned?
4th Why:
The shaft bearing was
damaged
Why was the bearing
damaged?
5th Why:
Θ
The shaft seal was
missing
6. • Obviously, most causes of defects won’t be exactly five whys deep
• “Five” promotes persistence, rather than the assumption of simple cause
and effect
• Don’t stop until you get to the root cause, but once you’ve reached the root
cause, stop
Why Five?
7. Test It! Does It Hold Up Backwards?
Shaft seal was missing
Did that cause…?
The shaft bearing to be damaged
Did that cause…?
The shaft to be misaligned
Did that cause…?
The motor to overheat
Did that cause…?
The fuse to blow
Did that cause…?
Event: Washing machine to suddenly stop
working
8. • Root cause analysis is an important aspect of continuous improvement
because it helps us to identify the errors that cause defects
• We use the five whys to ensure that we drill down to the root causes of
problems
• “Five” promotes persistence; most root causes will not be exactly five levels
deep
Summary
9. Foundations of Project Success
Scope and Requirements
Schedule
Project Success
Quality
Cost
Integrity and Safety
