/five-whys

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

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