The 5 Whys is a simple problem-solving technique that involves asking 'why' five times to get to the root cause of a problem.
The 5 Whys model suggests that by continually asking 'why' about an issue or a problem, you may be directed to the underlying, fundamental cause. This approach, pioneered by Sakichi Toyoda, the founder of Toyota Industries in the 1930s, is commonly used in problem-solving and quality management for a wide variety of issues. For example, suppose a machine in a production line breaks down. Why? Because a component failed. Why did it fail? Because it was not maintained. Why was it not maintained? Because the maintenance procedure was not followed, and so on until resulting in a systematic or strategic failure.
Asking 'Why?' may be a favorite technique of your three year old child in driving you crazy, but it could teach you a valuable Six Sigma quality lesson. - Peter T. Pande and Larry Holpp
