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The Five Whys is a simple problem‐solving technique that helps to get to the root of a problem quickly. The Five Whys strategy involves looking at any problem and drilling down by asking: “Why?” or “What caused this problem?” Invented in the 1930s by Toyota Founder Kiichiro Toyoda’s father Sakichi and made popular in the 1970s by the Toyota Production System, the 5 Whys strategy involves looking at any problem and asking:

“Why?” and “What caused this problem?”

The idea is simple. By asking the question, “Why” you can separate the symptoms from the causes of a problem. This is critical as symptoms often mask the causes of problems. As with effective incident classification, basing actions on symptoms is worst possible practice. Using the technique effectively will define the root cause of any non‐conformances and subsequently lead you to defining effective long‐term corrective actions.

While you want clear and concise answers, you want to avoid answers that are too simple and overlook important details. Typically, the answer to the first “why” should prompt another “why” and the answer to the second “why” will prompt another and so on; hence the name Five Whys. This technique can help you to quickly determine the root cause of a problem. It's simple and easy to learn and apply.

The 5‐Why analysis is the primary tool used to determine the root cause of any problem. It is documented in the Toyota Business Process manual and practiced by all associates.