6 steps beyond the 5 Whys - AMMJ

Conduct the Root Cause Analysis
Use the completed cause and effect
chart to assist you in searching for
solutions. If you can eliminate a cause -
you break the link between causes and
the effect won’t happen. By eliminating
just one cause you can demonstrate to
everyone the effect that it will have by
referring to your cause and effect chart.
If you do end up with a large number
of possible solutions, consider how to
achieve the desired outcome with the
least amount of time, effort, or money.
Prioritise your options and implement
the best of them. Establish a set of
criteria by which you can objectively
judge which are the better solutions.
Top tips
• Follow the RCA process
• You don’t have to be the subject matter expert, so don’t
profess to be one
• Teamwork is key – value all participants’ contributions
• Keep asking “why” or “caused by” questions for as long as
you need to
• Don’t stop too soon with your questioning