The five whys (or 5 whys) is an iterative interrogative technique used to explore the cause-and-effect relationships underlying a particular problem. The primary goal of the technique is to determine the root cause of a defect or problem by repeating the question “Why?” five times. The answer to the fifth why should reveal the root cause of the problem. The technique was described by Taiichi Ohno at Toyota Motor Corporation.

Here are the steps involved in the five whys technique:

1. Identify a problem.
2. Ask “Why?” five times, following each answer with another question of “Why?”
3. Document the answers to each question.
4. Identify the root cause of the problem.
5. Develop a plan to address the root cause.

The five whys technique can be used to troubleshoot a wide variety of problems, including technical problems, process problems, and organizational problems. It is a simple and effective technique that can help you get to the root cause of a problem quickly and efficiently.

Here is an example of how the five whys technique can be used:

• Problem: The company’s website is not generating enough leads.
• Why? The website is not visible in search results.
• Why? The website’s keywords are not optimized.
• Why? The website’s content is not relevant to the target audience.
• Why? The website was not designed with the target audience in mind.
• Why? The company did not do enough research on the target audience before designing the website.

In this example, the root cause of the problem is that the company did not do enough research on the target audience before designing the website. This led to a website that was not relevant to the target audience and therefore not visible in search results. By using the five whys technique, the company was able to identify the root cause of the problem and develop a plan to address it.

The five whys technique is a powerful tool that can help you get to the root cause of any problem. If you are facing a problem that you cannot seem to solve, try using the five whys technique to see if you can identify the root cause.