How can you use the 5 Whys technique to effectively solve problems as a BA?

For me as a consultant, “5 why” methodology is a great way to dig deeper insights on issues. Most of the time, the issues we observe are root cause of deeper problems. The only way to surface the problems is through “5 why”

In my experience, using 5 WHYs technique helped in understanding followings: - The source and the core reason for specific issue - Real requirement of the stakeholder rather than what he/she actually says - The main reason why problem occurred in the first place.

Combining the "5 Whys" and Fishbone diagram techniques is valuable because it offers a holistic problem-solving approach. The Fishbone diagram helps identify potential causes broadly, while the "5 Whys" method delves deep into each cause to uncover root issues. This combination ensures a thorough analysis and better problem resolution.

Apart from being a method for problem solving, the 5 Whys technique is an important RCA i.e. Root Cause Analysis methodology that helps us to drill down to the actual cause by repeatedly asking Why.

It may not be very easy to use 5 Whys technique as a Business Analyst, because the repeating the same root cause may block BA from getting the real answer. Sometimes trying to understand the root cause of the problem is more difficult than finding the solution. Asking "whys" for 5 times is good, but try to use some paraphrasing until you get to the bottom of any issue. It's also important to validate the root cause logically.

Q. Why were you late to school? Ans. I had to walk the whole way. Q. Why? And: My bike broke down. Q. Why? Ans: Because the front tube was filled with too much air. Q. Why? Ans: The bicycle repair shop did not fill it as per the recommended limit Q. Why? Ans: They had a new employee who wasn't aware of the recommended limit. Root Cause Analysis: Untrained employee

The most important idea around this technique is: You don't have the answer, it lives out there, you are just uncovering it. Many times, you will be asked to "use your expertise" to get the answer, don't fall for this, your job is to listen to stakeholders and make the connection between them, using the privilege you have to listen to multiple perspectives to find the truth.

This technique helps to distinguish problem from the imposed solution and to go out from the outdated notion of "that's how we've always done it"

Remember that problems are always complex and usually involve issues in more than one department, and every time, you will need to go back and forth talking to stakeholders and analyzing your data, sharing your findings with them, so they might elaborate on their answer. One important thing to remember is building trust, which only happens over time, remember that people care for their job and usually do it to the best of their abilities, so unless there is a troublesome individual, problems usually lie in processes rather than people.

Every solution must always have margin for improvement, and every new process will have their own flaws and challenges, this is an ever-changing landscape, new hires or transfers, new technologies, new policies will always have an impact on your workflows. Be ready to tackle them, preferably before they happen by asking how change will impact your status quo.

In my experience, the main challenges of the 5 Whys: 1. It may lead to irrelevant direction. Sometimes when BA asks why to understand the root cause of the issue, the answer may not be correct and lead to irrelevant path that doesn't align with the cause itself. 2. Important factors may be neglected.

Using flowcharts or process maps is a great way to visualize your thought process and analysis, most importantly, go back to the stakeholders and interviewees and share your diagrams with them, this could help them visualize better and clarify their responses, leading to additional details or insights that could lead to your root answer. In this process it is key you leave some time in between, I would not recommend trying to draft something during the interview, this time allows both, you and the stakeholder to settle the idea.