TAIICHI OHNO'S 5 WHY ANALYSIS

Taiichi Ohno was one of the key individuals who shaped the Toyota Production System that later became known as Lean. A key technique in Lean is the "5 why analysis" that is also known as the "Why why why analysis." Although templates have been created to support it, in our experience they are unnecessary. You do not need a template, you need a certain mindset, a critical, curious mindset.

The 5 Why Analysis just is a technique that prompts you to go beyond the superficial root cause analysis and keep digging deeper by asking yourself "why," by being critical and curious. The "5" in "5 why analysis" is arbitrary and derived from a famous example that involved Mr. Taiichi Ohno himself. The video below takes you through that example.