Five Whys Analysis

Use the "Five Whys" root cause analysis technique to deeply understand problems.

Process:

1. Define the Problem

Clearly state the issue or symptom

2. Ask "Why?" Five Times

• Why did this problem occur? → Answer 1
• Why did Answer 1 happen? → Answer 2
• Why did Answer 2 happen? → Answer 3
• Why did Answer 3 happen? → Answer 4
• Why did Answer 4 happen? → Answer 5 (Root Cause)

3. Validate Root Cause

• Verify the logical chain
• Check if addressing root cause prevents recurrence
• Consider multiple root causes if applicable

4. Develop Solutions

• Address the root cause, not just symptoms
• Create preventive measures
• Consider systemic improvements

Example:

Problem: Application crashes when processing large files

1. Why? → The application runs out of memory
2. Why? → It loads entire file into memory at once
3. Why? → The file parser wasn't designed for streaming
4. Why? → Initial requirements only specified small files
5. Why? → Requirements gathering didn't consider future growth

Root Cause: Incomplete requirements gathering process Solution: Implement streaming parser and improve requirements process

Best Practices:

• Focus on process, not people
• Look for systemic issues
• Document the analysis
• Involve relevant stakeholders
• Test solutions address root cause