Have you ever had a problem that kept popping up over and over again? You fix the problem, but it comes back – perhaps in a different form?
Persistent and recurring problems are often symptoms of deeper problems. A quick fix might fix the problem this time, but not permanently.
To solve such a problem permanently, you need to find out the underlying reason why it occurs. You can do this using Sakichi Toyoda's 5 x Why technique. It's a simple but effective technique that will quickly help you find the root cause of your problem so you can fix it once and for all.
About the method
Sakichi Toyoda, one of the main men behind Japanese industrialization, developed the method in the 1930s. Part of the LEAN methodology that was developed by Toyota and is still used today.
The method is most effective when the answers come from those who have practical experience with the process under investigation. Then, if there is a problem on the factory floor, the employees who operate the machine, which constantly makes mistakes, are involved. If there are errors in delivered orders, warehouse workers, drivers and others who have a hand in the delivery of the company's goods are involved.
The method is surprisingly simple. Just see below example
Company ABC receives far too many returned goods. To find the cause, the relevant employees go through 5 x Why:
Problem:
We receive far too many returns from customersWhy No. 1:
Many of the returns are due to the warehouse sending the wrong goods.Why No. 2
We have investigated that the error is often that incorrect item numbers have been entered.Why No. 3
Many employees in sales do not have a good enough system and product knowledge.Why No. 4
They have had very little trainingWhy No. 5
We have never had new sellers. Only recruited internally.Temporary countermovement:
Create a crash course and product overviewPermanent counter-pull:
Internal course for new sellers, must be completed for all sellers.
As a result of 5 x Why, the company here initiates both a temporary and a permanent counter move. Not sure it's relevant to your problem.
When do you use the tool?
The method works best in relation to simple or moderately complicated problems.
If you are faced with a more complex problem, where there are several different causes, it makes better sense to use a more comprehensive method. This method, like 5 x Why, is rooted in Toyota and the Lean methodology, but handles complex issues better than 5 x Why.
Here's how you do it
When a problem arises, you simply keep asking "Why" until you find the root cause of the problem and until a solid countermeasure or countermeasure becomes apparent.
5 X Why use the term countermeasures rather than solutions. For a countermeasure an action or a series of actions to prevent the problem from occurring again, while a solution easily comes to simply focus on "solving" the situation.
Every time you ask "Why", you must find an answer that is factually correct. It must be a representation of things that actually happened, and not events that could have happened.
Keep asking “Why” until you are convinced that you have identified the most fundamental cause and cannot move forward. By now an appropriate counter move should be apparent.
Fill out the form to book a 30-60 minute session.
We will respond within 24 hours
Contact us today and hear about your options
