5 whys template: free, and an AI agent that finds the root causes that keep coming back
The simplest root cause analysis technique, on one sheet: the problem, five chained «why?» boxes, the root cause and the countermeasures with owner and due date. With one photo your AI agent reads it and compares it with every analysis you've done before.
How to fill it in.
1 · State the problem with data
What, where, when and how much. A vague problem gives vague whys.
2 · Ask why until you can act
Each answer becomes the next why. Stop when the cause is something you can fix; sometimes that's three, sometimes six.
3 · Countermeasure and photo
What gets done, who and when. Photo, review, and the agent keeps an eye on it.
A why-chain done right.
| Step | Answer |
|---|---|
| Problem | Brackets with burrs at hole B (1,250 parts, lot 2209) |
| Why 1? | The punch doesn't cut clean |
| Why 2? | The punch is worn |
| Why 3? | It has 80,000 hits and should be changed at 50,000 |
| Why 4? | Nobody counts hits: there's no counter or alarm |
| Root cause | No punch life control |
| Countermeasure | Hit counter with an alarm at 50,000 and a change in the PM |
The whys get done right. What fails is remembering.
A well-done 5 whys ends up in a drawer. Six months later the same root cause comes back on another line and nobody connects them. The agent does.
Same root
Three different analyses that all end in «no punch wear control».
Open countermeasures
Actions past their due date that aren't marked done.
Did it work?
Whether the same problem showed up again after the countermeasure was closed.
What it does with your sheets.
Reads the chain
Every why in order, the root cause and every countermeasure with its owner and due date.
Connects analyses
Spots identical root causes even when they were written differently.
Alerts you
If a countermeasure is due and not closed, you get an alert on the channel you choose.
What people usually ask.
Does it have to be exactly five whys?
No. Five is a guideline: stop when the cause is something you can fix and prevent.
5 whys or fishbone?
They work together: the fishbone opens up possible causes and the 5 whys drill down to the root of the one you confirm.
What if our form is different?
Snap it anyway: the agent learns it from the first photo.
How much does it cost?
The template is free and trying the reading is free too, no sign-up.
More free lean templates your AI agent can read.
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