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Updated
5 Whys template
The 5 Whys is a way to find the cause of a problem by asking why it happened, writing one answer, checking that answer against the facts, and asking why again about it until you reach a cause you can remove. Taiichi Ohno described it in Toyota Production System (1988) with a machine that stopped because a fuse blew, which he traced through an overloaded bearing and a worn lubrication pump to a missing strainer. Five is a rule of thumb, not the rule. This template has a problem statement in four parts, a why chain where each row has its evidence, a verified or disproved mark and a branch letter (a why with two true answers is followed both ways), the root causes, and countermeasures with an owner and a date. The Excel version checks the chain for you: answers built on an unchecked or disproved answer, a why that names a person, a root cause outside your control, and a root cause with no permanent fix. The PDF has the blank worksheet, a filled-in example and a page on how to run it.
Free to use: print it, copy it and edit it for your team. Enter your name and work email once to download.
Fields for area, date, team and facilitator, a four-part problem statement, a why chain table with branch, why number, explains, answer, evidence, verified and root cause columns, and boxes for root causes and countermeasures.Problem statement in four partsBranching why chainEvidence and verified columnRead-back sentencesChecks for weak linksCountermeasures by typeEffectiveness checkWorked example
When to use it
When to use the 5 Whys
- A problem with a traceable chain of cause and effect: a machine stoppage, a defect, a missed shipment.
- Soon after the problem happens, at the line, while the evidence is still there to check.
- Inside a bigger method: the root cause box of an A3, the root cause step of an 8D, or the analysis in a root cause analysis report.
- On the most likely branches of a fishbone diagram, once the team has narrowed the possible causes.
- Not on its own for problems with many interacting causes or no facts yet: start with a fishbone diagram, an is / is not analysis or the data.
How to fill it in
- 1
Write the problem statement in four parts
What happened, where, when, and how big against normal. No cause and no name in it. The Excel flags a statement with a part missing.
- 2
Ask why, and write one answer per row
Each answer is a fact about the process or the equipment, not an opinion. Write the row it explains in the "Explains" column (blank for the first why).
- 3
Check each answer before you go on
Go to the gemba and write what confirms it: a measurement, a record, a photo. Mark it verified, not yet, or disproved. Do not build the next why on an answer that is not verified.
- 4
Branch when there are two true answers
Give the second answer its own branch letter and follow both chains. The example below has two.
- 5
Read the chain back
Say each answer with "therefore" and the answer it explains. If the sentence does not hold, the link is wrong. The Excel builds these sentences for you.
- 6
Stop at a verified cause you can act on
Removing it should stop the problem coming back. If the next why is outside your control, such as a customer's demand, the answer before it is your root cause.
- 7
Act, then check that it worked
Contain the problem first, give every root cause a permanent fix with an owner and a date, carry the fix to similar lines, and measure the problem again after a set time.
The checks
What the Excel checks on every row
The checks answer the known weak points of a single why chain: one cause where there are several, answers nobody verified, and stopping at a person.
| Check | Flags | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Evidence | Verified with no evidence written; built on an answer not yet verified or disproved | One unchecked answer sends the rest of the chain the wrong way. |
| Blame words | An answer with "operator", "forgot", "human error" and similar words (the list is editable) | People make mistakes the process allows. Ask why it allowed it. |
| Links | An answer that explains a row that does not exist or a later row; a why number out of step | The chain must run from the problem to the cause without gaps. |
| Root cause | Not verified, outside your control, or has another why after it | You can only remove a cause you have proved and can change. |
| Countermeasures | A root cause with no permanent fix; an action late or done without a date | Containment alone lets the problem come back. |
Evidence
- Flags
- Verified with no evidence written; built on an answer not yet verified or disproved
- Why it matters
- One unchecked answer sends the rest of the chain the wrong way.
Blame words
- Flags
- An answer with "operator", "forgot", "human error" and similar words (the list is editable)
- Why it matters
- People make mistakes the process allows. Ask why it allowed it.
Links
- Flags
- An answer that explains a row that does not exist or a later row; a why number out of step
- Why it matters
- The chain must run from the problem to the cause without gaps.
Root cause
- Flags
- Not verified, outside your control, or has another why after it
- Why it matters
- You can only remove a cause you have proved and can change.
Countermeasures
- Flags
- A root cause with no permanent fix; an action late or done without a date
- Why it matters
- Containment alone lets the problem come back.
A filled-in example
Illustrative, not a benchmarkAn example (illustrative): hydraulic hose assemblies leaking at the end-of-line pressure test on line 2. 38 of 1,200 assemblies failed from Monday to Wednesday (3.2%), against 0.3% the month before. The Excel Example sheets and PDF page 2 hold the same rows.
The example chain: one problem, two branches
- A: crimped above the upper limit: 31 leaking assemblies
- B: within limits, hose short of full insertion: 7 leaking assemblies
- ProblemBranch A: 38 of 1,200 assemblies leaked at the pressure test (3.2%)
- Why? (1)31 of the 38 leaking fittings had a crimp diameter above the upper limit.
- Why? (2)The die set was worn.
- Why? (3)Nobody checks die wear: 61,000 crimps since it was fitted.
- Why? (4)The crimper is not on the PM schedule.
- Why? (5)Root cause A, after five whysTools bought under the capital threshold are never registered as assets.
- ProblemBranch B: the same 38 leaks
- Why? (1)The other 7, crimped within limits, had the hose short of full insertion.
- Why? (2)There is no insertion-depth mark on the hose.
- Why? (3)The marking gauge was not put back after the line move in May.
- Why? (4)Root cause B, after four whysThe line-move checklist has no item for station gauges.
38 of 1,200 hose assemblies leaked at the end-of-line pressure test, 3.2 percent against 0.3 percent the month before. Why 1 has two true answers: 31 fittings were crimped above the upper limit and 7 had the hose short of full insertion. Branch A ends after five whys: tools bought under the capital threshold are never registered as assets. Branch B ends after four: the line-move checklist has no item for station gauges.
- Why 1 has two true answers, so the chain branches. A: 31 of the 38 leaking fittings had a crimp diameter above the upper limit. B: the other 7, crimped within limits, had the hose short of full insertion when cut open (31 + 7 = 38).
- Branch A: the operator setting was checked against the log and disproved. The die set was worn; nobody checks die wear (61,000 crimps since it was fitted); the crimper is not on the PM schedule; tools bought under the capital threshold are never registered as assets. Root cause after five whys.
- Branch B: there is no insertion-depth mark on the hose; the marking gauge was not put back after the line move in May; the line-move checklist has no item for station gauges. Root cause after four whys.
- Six countermeasures: contain (re-test all 1,200), two fixes now (new die set, gauge back), a permanent fix for each root cause, and a check of lines 1 and 3 for other unregistered tools.
10 answers, 9 verified and 1 disproved, 2 branches, 2 root causes, each with a permanent fix. One permanent fix is 1 day late and the Excel flags it. The effectiveness check is a leak rate of 0.5% or less, down from 3.2%, measured for 4 weeks after the permanent fixes.
Common mistakes
Stopping at a person
"Operator error" ends the search too early. In the example the operator's setting was checked and disproved; the real causes were a missing PM routine and a missing checklist item.
Guessing answers in a meeting room
Every answer needs evidence next to it. An unchecked answer sends the whole chain the wrong way.
Following one path when there are several causes
If a why has two true answers, follow each one. It is the main point of A J Card's 2017 critique of the method.
Counting to five
Stopping at five because the form has five rows is as wrong as stopping at three. Stop at a verified cause you can remove.
Jumping to a favorite fix
The countermeasure should remove the root cause on the sheet, not the first idea someone had.
Containment with no permanent fix
Sorting parts protects the customer this week. Without a fix for the root cause, the problem comes back.
In LeanSuite
Use this as a Lean Studio board
The same method is one of the 30 ready-made board templates in Lean Studio, LeanSuite's whiteboard: 5 Whys, drill from a symptom to its root cause in five steps.
- Start from the 5 Whys template: the problem sits at the top and five stickies hang below it, joined by arrows.
- Type each answer on its sticky; add a branch with a second column of stickies when one why has two causes.
- Put the countermeasure on a coloured sticky at the bottom and save the board to My templates for the next problem.
Worked example · sample data
The sample board starts with a 40-minute stoppage on press 2 on Tuesday. Why? The clamp lost pressure. Why? A hydraulic hose split. Why? The hose had been rubbing on the guard. Why? The guard was refitted without its clip. Why? The refit instruction does not mention the clip. Each answer is something the maintenance technician could see or check, and read backwards with 'therefore' the chain holds. Stopping at the hose would have meant a new hose and the same failure in a few months; the fifth why reaches a document the team can change. The countermeasure at the bottom is to update the refit instruction and add the clip to the CILR check, so the next operator inspecting the press looks for it.
Open this board in LeanSuite
5 Whys is one of the 30 ready-made boards in Lean Studio, LeanSuite's whiteboard. Try LeanSuite in your browser, or run it on your own lines for 90 days.
What Lean Studio isHow to run a 5 Whys session
- 1Start from one problem, one occurrence: 'Press 2 stopped for 40 minutes on Tuesday', not 'press 2 keeps stopping'.
- 2Go to where it happened with the people who were there, and answer each why with something they saw or can check, not with an opinion.
- 3Write each answer on its own sticky and read the chain backwards: 'therefore' should link every step. If it does not, the chain has a gap.
- 4Stop when the answer is a process, standard or system the team can change. Five is a guide; some chains need three, some seven.
- 5Write the countermeasure against the last why and give it an owner and a date. Then check, weeks later, that the problem has not returned.
Common mistakes
- Stopping at the first cause that suggests a fix: a new hose is a repair, not a countermeasure.
- Answering a why with a person's name. 'The operator forgot' asks for a next why: why was it possible to forget?
- Branching into three causes at each level, which is a fishbone, not a 5 Whys. Pick the likeliest branch and follow it.
- Doing it at a desk from memory. Each answer should be checkable on the floor.
- Not verifying. A chain that reads well is a hypothesis until the countermeasure holds.
Where it goes next in LeanSuite
- Add a 5 Whys section to any phase of a Kaizen project and push its countermeasure into the action plan with an owner and a due date. Kaizen & Projects
- A tag raised on the floor that keeps coming back can be escalated into a Kaizen or A3 project in one click, keeping the tag's history. Daily Issue Management
- The RCA Agent drafts the 5 Whys from a problem description and attached manuals, for the team to edit. AI Root Cause Analysis
Download the template
Free to use: print it, copy it and edit it for your team. Enter your name and work email once to download.
Run this template in LeanSuite
In LeanSuite you describe the problem in plain words and attach what you know, the RCA Agent drafts the 5 Whys, 5W1H and fishbone from it, and you edit the result and send the countermeasures to the action plan.
See it in a 45-minute demoIn the lean glossary
Free tools
Guides
- What is the 5 Whys Root Cause Analysis Method?
- 5 Whys: When It Works and When It Doesn't
- 5 whys examples: worked chains with the evidence for each why
- Fishbone Diagram: A Root Cause Analysis Visual Tool
- 5W1H Method: Defining Problems for Root Cause Analysis
- Best root cause analysis software: 4 tools compared
Put it on the wall
FAQ
5 Whys template: common questions
No. Five is a rule of thumb from Ohno's example. In the worked example one branch takes five whys and the other four. Stop when you reach a verified cause you can remove, or when the next why is outside your control.
Follow each true answer as its own branch. In the Excel, give the second answer a new branch letter and write which row it explains; the sheet counts the branches and checks each chain separately.
Check it with evidence at the gemba before asking the next why, then read the chain back with "therefore": the die set was worn, therefore the crimp diameter was above the limit. If an answer cannot be confirmed, mark it not yet and do not build on it.
On problems with many interacting causes, or when nobody has the facts. A 2017 paper in BMJ Quality and Safety by A J Card criticises the single chain for exactly this. Start with a fishbone diagram, an is / is not analysis or the data, and use the 5 Whys on the likely branches.
A fishbone diagram lays out many possible causes in categories; the 5 Whys follows a few of them in depth. The root cause analysis report is the full record around the analysis, with containment, timeline and sign-off. Use them together.
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- Gauge calibration logA gauge register with next due dates and status, a calibration record with as-found and as-left readings, and the steps when a gauge fails.
- Escalation matrix templateWho is called for each type of issue and after how long, with severity rules, contacts and an escalation log.
- Visual management audit checklist29 checks of whether anyone can tell normal from abnormal at a glance, scored by group, with a trend and actions.
- Quality alert formA quality alert to post at the line, a sign-off sheet for every shift, and a log of open, expired and closed alerts.
- TQM self-assessment templateThe eight TQM principles in 24 statements you can check on the floor, scored 0 to 4 by several people, with the spread, the top 3 gaps and an action plan.
- Employee recognition program templateDesign a recognition program on one page, then run it: points per action, prizes, budget, a points ledger, a monthly leaderboard and a fairness check by team and shift.
- Lean transformation roadmapA plant-wide lean program on one sheet: six phases with exit criteria, six workstreams by quarter over 24 months, the model line, metrics with baseline and target, cadence and risks.
- Obeya room plannerPlan the walls, owners, cadence, agenda and rules of an obeya, then run the weekly review of KPIs, problems, actions and milestones.
- Paper forms inventory (paperless manufacturing worksheet)Every paper form, checklist and log in one list: hours a month, who acts on it, how long the paper waits, and which forms to move first.
- Continuous improvement software evaluation scorecardCompare CI software vendors: a must-have gate, eight weighted criteria scored 1 to 5, points out of 100 and a rank, with a demo script and reference questions.
- Lean principles assessment templateThe five lean principles as 25 things you can see on one value stream, answered yes, partly or no on a walk, with a score per principle, the next step and a trend over walks.
- Employee engagement survey templateA short anonymous pulse survey for shop floor staff: 14 statements in six drivers, two open questions, results by driver and team, and the actions.
- Hansei reflection sheet (lessons learned)A written look back at one finished project, event or launch: goals against results in numbers, causes rather than blame, lessons to keep or change, and where else they apply.
- Safety cross calendarA month drawn as the green cross, colored each day by the most serious safety event, with totals and days since the last injury.
- Daily kaizen routine boardA team's 10 to 15 minute daily routine at the board: one problem from each person, small fixes with one owner, counted every week.
- Quality circle meeting recordA circle's charter, a one-page record for each meeting and a problem register that follows every problem from selected to closed or escalated.
- Weekly maintenance schedule templateNext week's maintenance jobs, scheduled only when ready, loaded against each craft's hours by day, with schedule compliance and break-ins at week end.
- Operational excellence assessment templateThe ten principles of operational excellence as 30 behaviors and practices you can see, scored 1 to 5 by several people, with the spread, the three lowest principles and an action plan.
- Scrum meeting agenda templateTimed agendas for the five scrum meetings, a sprint planning sheet, a retrospective sheet, and an Excel sprint backlog with a burndown.
- Toyota Production System (TPS) house templateThe TPS house for one plant or value stream: roof, two pillars and foundation, with what you do today, the evidence, a status and the next step for each element.
- EPEI and batch size calculatorHow often each part can come round on a shared machine (EPEI) and how big each batch must be, from demand, cycle times and changeovers, now and after SMED.
- People, process, technology (PPT) assessmentCheck one change before go-live: 18 people, process and technology statements scored 1 to 4 by the people who will use it, the lowest element and the actions.
- Process capacity sheet templateEach machine in a part's routing with manual, auto and tool change time, its capacity per shift, and the step that limits the cell against demand.
- Jidoka worksheet (stop at abnormality)For one line or cell, every abnormality that should stop the work: how it is detected, how the work stops, who is called, the immediate fix and the root cause step, plus a log of real stops.
- Team charter templateA one-page charter for a standing team: purpose, scope, roles, the KPIs it owns, which decisions it makes itself, norms and cadence.
- Chaku-chaku line plannerPlan a load-load cell: time each machine, load and walk, check that every machine is ready when the operator comes back, compare the cell cycle with takt and size the crew.
- Standard operating procedure (SOP) templateA full SOP in the hierarchical step format, from purpose and scope to the steps, records, revision history and approvals, with review checks and an SOP register.
- X-bar and R control chart template25 subgroups with means and ranges, control limits from A2, D3 and D4, signal flags, both charts and a reaction log.
- Gage R&R study sheet10 parts, 2 or 3 appraisers, 2 or 3 trials: EV, AV, GRR, PV, %GRR and ndc by the average and range method.
- Safety pillar 90-day model area planThirteen weeks from the incident pyramid to safety standards on one model area, a KPI board, the day-90 gate and expansion waves.
- Quality control pillar 90-day model area planThirteen weeks from the QA matrix to the QM matrix on one model area, a KPI board, the day-90 gate and expansion waves.
- Autonomous maintenance 90-day model area planAM steps 0 to 3 on one model machine in 13 weeks, a KPI board, the day-90 gate and expansion waves for months 4 to 12.
- Professional maintenance (PM) 90-day model area planThirteen weeks from breakdown analysis to a running PM calendar on one model machine, a KPI board, the day-90 gate and expansion waves.
- Environment and energy pillar 90-day model area planThirteen weeks from waste and energy maps to area standards on one model area, a KPI board, the day-90 gate and expansion waves.
- Focused improvement 90-day model area planThirteen weeks from the loss Pareto to standardized fixes on one model line, a KPI board, the day-90 gate and expansion waves.
- Logistics and customer service pillar 90-day model area planThirteen weeks from the current-state map to pull on one model value stream, a KPI board, the day-90 gate and expansion waves.
- People development pillar 90-day model area planThirteen weeks from the skills matrix to trained cover on critical tasks in one model area, a KPI board, the day-90 gate and expansion waves.
- Early equipment management 90-day model area planThirteen weeks from lessons on current machines to a tracked start-up on one model equipment project, a KPI board, the day-90 gate and expansion waves.
- Cost deployment pillar 90-day model area planThirteen weeks from the loss map to costed, ranked projects in one model area, a KPI board, the day-90 gate and expansion waves.
- Moving from Excel to one system checklistA 34-point checklist and a file inventory for moving trackers from spreadsheets to one system: keep, move, connect or retire, clean, pilot, run both, retire.
- Cost per unit worksheet (manufacturing cost per good unit)One product's cost per good unit by materials, labor, machine and overhead, the gap to target, and which cost lever is worth most a year.
- Digital manufacturing readiness assessmentScore 24 statements on process, technology and people from 0 to 4, check the balance between them and rank the gaps by what matters in your plant.
- Manufacturing KPI dashboard templateWeekly plant numbers in, 14 KPIs out: OEE and its parts, first pass yield, scrap, on-time delivery, recordable rate, cost and absence, each against a target.
- RCM worksheet (failure mode and task selection)Failure modes classed as hidden, safety, operational or non-operational, then a task chosen for each: condition-based, discard, failure-finding, redesign or run to failure.
- Error-proofing verification log (daily master-sample check)Each poka-yoke device proved every day or week with a known-bad sample, with missed checks counted and the hours and parts at risk worked out when one fails.
- Training matrix template with expiry datesPeople by required trainings with expiry dates, OK, due, expired and missing flags, compliance by person and area, cover per training and a renewal list.
- Downtime reason codes template26 starter codes mapped to the six big losses, a log with drop-downs, a Pareto by code and by loss, and a code card for the line.
- Defect catalogue template with boundary samplesEvery defect with a definition, a class and the reason for it, measured accept and reject limits by zone, boundary samples, a defect log with DPU and Pareto, and an inspector agreement check.
- I-MR chart template (individuals and moving range)Up to 100 single readings with moving ranges, limits from a baseline, five run-rule flags, both charts, a second phase and a reaction log.
- Kaizen event preparation checklistEverything that has to be ready before a kaizen event and done after it: 44 items with owners and due dates from 6 weeks before day 1 to 30 days after, five go or no-go gates and a day-by-day agenda.
- Attribute control chart template (p, np, c and u charts)p, np, c and u charts in one workbook: a chart selector, a sample size check, limits for each subgroup, signal flags and four worked examples.
- Critical spare parts list and stocking levelsAssets ranked by consequence, each part classed and given a stocking policy, and min and max worked out from usage and lead time, with the downtime each stock-out would cost.
- Tier 2 meeting agenda and escalation sheetA 15-minute tier 2 agenda in ten timed blocks, fixed roles and rules, escalation triggers with time limits, and a log that ages every escalation and sends the answer back down.
- HACCP plan template: hazard analysis and CCP worksheetThe Codex 12 steps in one workbook: team and product, process steps checked on site, hazard analysis with the CCP decision tree, the CCP table with completeness checks, an allergen matrix and a verification schedule.
- Forklift operator training and evaluation recordPer-operator training and evaluation record, a register with three-year due dates and refresher triggers, and a weighted practical evaluation scoresheet.
- REBA worksheet (Rapid Entire Body Assessment)Score up to six postures with REBA: body-part drop-downs, Tables A, B and C as lookups, final score and action level, and a before and after comparison.
- Mock recall template: traceability exercise worksheetTrace a finished lot back to every input lot and forward to every first customer, reconcile the quantities against a tolerance and time it against your target.
- ISO 9001 internal audit checklist (production area)46 audit questions for the production floor in 11 processes, each with its ISO 9001:2015 clause, what evidence to look for and the sample to take, plus five defined grades, a findings log, a finding report and a summary by clause.
- ISO 45001 internal audit checklist44 audit questions for the plant floor in 16 safety topics, each with its ISO 45001:2018 clause, the evidence to look for and the sample to take, plus 12 worker interview prompts, a findings log and a summary by clause.
- Plan for every part (PFEP) templateOne row per part: supplier, pack, container, usage, lead time and locations, with ABC classes, market and line kanban counts and a lineside space check.
- Food plant GMP inspection checklist (21 CFR 117 subpart B)55 checks in the order of 21 CFR 117 subpart B, each citing its paragraph and saying what to look at, with a grade, finding, owner and due date; results by section and grade, a walk route and a bakery example.
- Master sanitation schedule with pre-op verificationA master list of cleaning tasks by area and equipment with frequency, chemical, lockout, who and next due date, a weekly on-time count, and the pre-operational verification log with a release step.
- Changeover matrix templateA from-to matrix of changeover minutes with the clean each transition needs (allergen, colour, format), and a weekly planner that totals the order and suggests a shorter one.
- Overhead crane inspection checklist: frequent and periodic34 crane checks tied to OSHA 1910.179: an operator's pre-shift card, frequent and periodic inspections with signed records, a deficiency and tag-out log, and a register of next due dates.
- Measurement uncertainty budget templateA GUM uncertainty budget: Type A and B rows, divisors by distribution, sensitivity coefficients, uc, νeff, k from the t-table, U, TUR and a guard band check.
- Maintenance job plan templateOne job planned on one sheet: steps and craft hours, parts checked against stock, tools, lockout and permits, documents, a ready check for the schedule, and technician feedback.
- Video time study filming checklistA pre-shoot checklist and shot log for filming a time study on video: camera, light, people, settings, power and review.
- Reorder point and safety stock sheet (many parts)Safety stock, reorder point, order quantity and an order list for up to 500 parts, worked out from each part's own demand and lead time history.
- OSHA compliance calendar (general industry)37 recurring federal OSHA duties with the paragraph, interval, owner, next due date and an overdue flag, plus a 12-month view and counts by owner.
- TRIR and DART rate trackerMonthly hours, OSHA 300 case counts and near misses in; rolling 12-month TRIR and DART rate, a case budget against your target and a trend chart out.
- Energy use and EnPI trackerMonthly electricity, gas and fuel in one unit, a 12-month regression baseline, expected against actual energy for each month, an EnPI ratio, the running saving and the tests that say whether the model can be trusted.
- FIFO lane sizing sheetThe maximum for a FIFO lane from the stop it must cover, in whole containers, with length, refill and wait checks for up to eight lanes.
- Machine guarding inspection sheetA machine register with due dates and a status per machine, 21 checks tied to OSHA 1910.212, .219 and .147, a guard opening check against Table O-10, and an action log.
- Condition monitoring route sheetA route of measuring points with baselines, alert and alarm limits, a check interval from the P-F interval, readings with rising and overdue flags, and an exceptions list worst first.
- Fire extinguisher inspection logOne row for every portable extinguisher: hydro test interval from OSHA Table L-1, annual and 6-year due dates, a 12-month check grid and open issues.
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A shift handover sheet, a red tag log, a changeover checklist for one machine: if your team uses it on the floor, ask.