When something goes wrong in your business—like a delay, mistake, or unhappy customer—it’s easy to fix the surface issue. But if you don’t find the root cause, the problem will likely happen again. Here are 3 simple tools to solve the issue once and for all.
The 5 Whys
What it is:
A simple technique where you ask “why?” five times (or as many as needed) to get to the root of a problem.
How to do it:
- State the problem. (e.g., “We missed a client deadline.”)
- Ask why it happened.
- Take the answer, and ask why again.
- Repeat until you reach the true root cause.
- Solve the root issue, not just the symptom.
Why it’s useful:
It’s quick, easy, and doesn’t require any tools—just critical thinking.
Fishbone Diagram (Cause & Effect)
What it is:
A visual tool that helps you explore all possible causes of a problem. It looks like a fishbone—problem at the “head,” causes as the “bones.”
How to do it:
- Draw a line with the problem at the end (the “head”).
- Draw main branches for common cause categories (People, Process, Equipment, Materials, etc.).
- List possible causes under each category.
- Review and identify the most likely root cause(s).
Why it’s useful:
Great for brainstorming with a team and seeing all possible causes in one place.
Pareto Chart (80/20 Rule)
What it is:
A bar chart that shows which causes of a problem are most common, based on data.
How to do it:
- Collect data on the problem (e.g., types of customer complaints).
- Count how often each issue happens.
- Create a bar chart with the issues in order from most to least frequent.
- Focus on the top 20% of causes that lead to 80% of the problems.
Why it’s useful:
Helps prioritize what to fix first based on real impact.
Need More Help?
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