| The 5 Whys is a method
of asking 'why' five times to get to the
root
cause
of
a problem. First
state the problem:
The machine broke down:
why did it break down?
It seized up for lack of oil
why did it run out of oil?
the maintenance person did not oil it
why didn't the maintenance person oil it?
the oil filler is impossible to access
why is the oil filler impossible to access?
The machine guard conceals it
In this case it has taken four 'whys' to
get to the root cause of the problem. The
solution might be to cut a hole in the guard,
or extend the oil filler tube.
The 5 Whys is used in
Lean Production and Six
Sigma.
|
