Operations and planning
Analysing problems with the five whys and AI
The same fault keeps coming back? With the five whys and AI as a critical questioner, you find the cause rather than the symptom.
5 min read
A delivery that's late again, a complaint that keeps returning, a machine that stops again. Often you fix the symptom, and the problem resurfaces a week later. The five whys method helps you find the real cause. AI makes a good critical questioner.
The method
Start with the problem and keep asking "why?":
- The delivery was late. Why?
- The order was passed on too late. Why?
- The salesperson didn't know the item was out of stock. Why?
- The stock list is only updated once a week. Why?
- Nobody is responsible for the daily update.
The solution then isn't "deliver faster", but a clear owner for the stock list.
Where AI helps
- Pushing further when you're inclined to stop too soon.
- Suggesting alternative causes at each level. There are often several.
- Proposing measures for the cause you find, for you to assess.
Watch out for
- Facts, not blame. The aim is to improve the process, not to find a culprit.
- Do it together with the people doing the work. They know the real causes.
- AI doesn't know your business. Suggested causes are hypotheses to check.
Exercise
Choose a problem that has come back at least three times in recent months.
Your answers stay only in this browser.
Prompt to copy
Help me find the cause of this problem using the five whys: [problem]. Ask me one "why" question at a time and wait for my answer. At each level, also suggest a possible alternative cause. After five rounds, summarise the root cause and suggest three measures. Don't look for someone to blame; focus on the process.
