Problem solving
5 Whys Template
Download a blank PDF or build your why chain, evidence and next action online.
Your worksheet
1 · Define the problem
What happened?
Describe what happened, where and when.
Impact or context (optional)
Only in this tab. Download before leaving.
2 · Follow one cause path
Why did it happen?
Explain the statement before it.
Evidence statuses are yours to set. A recorded reference is not automatically checked, and reference links stay as text.
3 · Choose a next step
What will you check or change?
Uncertainty, action & review
Checked records your status. Review the outcome to decide whether the action worked.
A useful analysis starts with a specific problem
How to use a 5 Whys worksheet
The 5 Whys method follows a problem through repeated questions about why it happened. Each answer becomes the starting point for the next question. This template helps you record that reasoning, the evidence behind it and the action you will check afterward.
- Describe the gap you observed. Include what happened, where, when and how often. “Three of 30 labels were unreadable during a packing trial” gives you something to investigate. “Packing is unreliable” does not identify the same problem.
- Ask why that specific statement happened. Give one explanation at a time. Before moving down the chain, ask whether the next answer explains the previous one. A list of unrelated complaints is not a cause path.
- Put a check beside each explanation. Record a test result, observation, document version or reference ID in Evidence & details. Use Assumption when the explanation still needs testing. An unanswered question can remain Unresolved.
- Stop when the next answer would be a guess. Write what you still need to check. You may need fewer than five steps or more than five; this worksheet supports one to ten. The number of boxes you fill is not evidence.
- Choose an action and review its outcome. Record a proposed cause, remaining uncertainty, countermeasure, owner and check date. “Ready to check” and “Checked” are statuses you set; completion alone does not show that the problem stopped recurring.
Original worked example · Synthetic training data
5 Whys example: faint parcel labels
Problem: Three sample parcels had unreadable shipping labels during a packing trial.
Synthetic training example only. The trial involved 30 empty cartons, not customer orders. This example stops after three questions because the next explanation still needs a check.
- Why 1 · Evidence recorded
Why were the labels unreadable?
Answer: The barcode print was faint.
Evidence or next check: Trial inspection sheet: three of 30 sample labels were faint.
- Why 2 · Evidence recorded
Why was the barcode print faint?
Answer: The printer was using a low-density setting.
Evidence or next check: The setting was recorded before the second test; increasing it produced readable sample labels.
- Why 3 · Assumption
Why was the low-density setting not caught?
Answer: The packing startup checklist may not include a test-label scan.
Evidence or next check: Confirm which checklist version was in use and observe the next startup.
Proposed cause: A missing startup scan may allow an unsuitable print setting to go unnoticed.
Still uncertain: Checklist use and the reason for the original setting remain unconfirmed. Test other label stock before concluding.
Next action: Trial a startup test-label scan and record the outcome at the next three packing starts. The action starts as Not started.
Use “See an example” above to edit this record and download it. The example label stays with your edits, so it cannot be mistaken for a real incident record.
What makes a useful why answer?
A useful explanation is specific enough to check. It tells you what happened in the process, rather than ending at a judgment about a person.
An answer that stalls the investigation
“The packer was careless.”
That does not describe the condition that produced the faint barcode or tell you which observation would test the explanation.
An answer you can investigate
“The printer used a low-density setting.”
Check the saved setting and compare a label scan after one controlled setting change. Whether the startup check would have detected the problem is a separate explanation to investigate.
If a why has two plausible answers, investigate each path separately. This page records one linear chain. For a wider set of possible causes, a cause-and-effect diagram can help you organize the alternatives before investigating them.
5 Whys questions & downloads
Do I need exactly five whys?
No. ASQ and the Lean Enterprise Institute both describe questioning beyond the first symptom; five is not a required stopping count. Use the evidence to decide whether another question is useful. This online worksheet supports one to ten steps, while the printable blank PDF has five spaces.
What do I get in the PDF and text downloads?
The blank PDF gives you writing space for a problem, five whys, evidence and next actions. The filled PDF includes the entries and statuses from your current worksheet. The text file retains the same analysis in an editable plain-text format. Empty fields are marked “Not entered”. Word and Excel downloads are not provided.
What is the difference between an assumption and evidence recorded?
An assumption is an explanation you still need to check. Evidence recorded is a status you choose when you have support such as a test result or record reference. The worksheet does not require or verify that support; add the reference beside your answer. The tool does not inspect a reference, verify its content or automatically promote an explanation to a confirmed cause.
Can I save an unfinished analysis?
Yes. Download a draft at any point, including unanswered questions and unresolved evidence. Your entries stay only in this browser tab; there is no automatic saving or upload. Closing or reloading the tab clears them. Download the text version if the PDF cannot represent a character you entered.
When is one why chain not enough?
A chain can follow the wrong explanation or leave out interacting causes. When several paths are plausible, compare them rather than forcing them into one answer. A fishbone diagram organizes possible causes by category; observations and tests are still needed to decide which explanations hold.
What are the worksheet limits?
Use one to ten why steps and up to 5,000 characters per text field. Reordering moves each question, answer, evidence reference and status together. Removing a step can be undone before another step edit. Downloads preserve your selected statuses; a filled form is not a verified investigation or proof that an action worked.
Method resources
ASQ: Five Whys and Five Hows
Guidance on repeated questioning, including when fewer or more than five questions are needed.
Lean Enterprise Institute: 5 Whys
A worked cause chain and the connection to countermeasures, checks and follow-up.
ASQ: Fishbone diagrams
A way to organize several possible causes when one linear chain is too narrow.
Original worksheet and parcel-label example by BiznTools. Method and input rules checked . These sources explain the method; they have not reviewed or endorsed this worksheet.
Investigating a stock availability problem?
First use the worksheet to check which process conditions could explain the stockout. Then, if demand or lead-time assumptions need review, compare your measured inputs with the Reorder Point Calculator. If ordering costs and batch sizes are part of the proposed change, use the EOQ Calculator to compare those costs. A numerical result does not establish the cause of the original incident.