The Five Whys is a Tool for Root Cause Analysis

The Five Whys is a simple but powerful tool for getting to the root cause of a problem. It was developed by Taiichi Ohno, the father of the Toyota Production System, and it is a key component of the Lean Startup methodology.

The Five Whys works by asking "why" five times. Each time you ask "why," you get closer to the root cause of the problem. The goal is to uncover the underlying human problem that is causing a technical problem.

For example, if a machine stops working, you might ask:

1. Why did the machine stop? (The fuse blew.)
2. Why did the fuse blow? (The bearing was not lubricated.)
3. Why was the bearing not lubricated? (The lubrication pump was not working.)
4. Why was the pump not working? (The shaft was worn.)
5. Why was the shaft worn? (Metal scrap got in.)

By asking "why" five times, you can see that the root cause of the problem is not a technical fault, but a human error (someone forgot to attach a strainer).

Once the root cause of a problem has been identified, you can then take steps to fix it. This will help to prevent the problem from happening again in the future.

The Five Whys is a powerful tool for building an adaptive organization. It helps to create a culture of continuous improvement, where everyone is focused on finding and fixing problems.