It is a very helpful framework in identifying the root cause of a problem. You go on with a flow of why’s and continue the process until you reach a dead end. This is where you identify the possible root cause of the problem. The nested form of this framework helps you cover multiple aspects of the problem as well.

Let’s try to understand this framework through a business case. Imagine that you are working as a development manager for a leading e-commerce company like Amazon or Flipkart. The company is facing a problem: The vendors who are selling their items are moving to the competitor platforms. You are asked to look into the problem and try to solve it. You use the 5 WHYs framework to identify the possible root causes. Check the flow of the problem below and match the blanks with a suitable option.

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However, with the 5 WHYs framework, you should always keep in mind a few points:

The 5 WHYs may take some time to reach the main problem. The reasoning may branch into multiple options (‘why else’), exploring each of which will require time.
There is always a risk of landing on a false root cause, as the branch you have explored might digress from the main issue.
The discussion should involve people from all the teams affected by the problem. This will help in covering all the aspects of the problem.

From the points above, you need to realise that a person should be well versed in the flow of the process and the activities surrounding the problem to create a 5 WHYs framework.

An extension to 5 WHYs is the 5 HOWs framework. It is a handy tool to drill down to a solution that will resolve the root cause identified using the WHYs. Once you have determined the root cause, you need to ask “How will we resolve the root cause?”. You will have a specific answer that the team comes up with. You drill down to the solution with a series of HOWs until you have a set of steps that will be needed to complete the task. Let’s look at an example.

Suppose that your company was losing multiple clients and you were asked to resolve the issue. You started with the series of WHYs and reached the root cause of why the company’s reputation has declined. Now, your very first question will be “How do we resolve this issue?”. The solution to this is: “Improve the brand reputation”. Using the 5 HOWs framework, you can break this solution down into further steps.

As you can see in the image above, the solution has been broken down into a series of steps, which will be required to overcome the existing problems.

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So What?

This framework comes in handy when you want a deeper understanding of the implications of a particular problem or scenario. It helps you quantify the impact of the case with a series of “So what?” questions. You create a flow by asking “So what?” after each level. This provides you with the flow of how things proceed. It helps you realise the problem areas or the benefits in the process that the client or team is performing.

This is very helpful when you are trying to evaluate the need for a business solution. For example, a client comes to you asking for help regarding the falling customer base for its products. The “So what” framework will help you understand the implications of this problem on the business. You begin by asking the client:

“The customer base is falling. So what?”
Due to the reduced customer base, the sales of the company has fallen.
“So what?”
The reduced revenue has impacted the profitability of the company.
“So what?”
The reduced profits are affecting the operations of the company.
“So what?”
Due to the inefficient operations, the company is losing more money and incurring higher losses.

With the help of the “So what” framework, you have mapped a path of how the problem is affecting the business. However, this framework has features similar to the 5 WHYs framework. You will need time and workforce across teams to capture all the issues.

5W

This is one of the simplest and most effective frameworks to understand the problem at hand. You just need to write down the answers to these five questions to get a clear picture of the problem:

WHO is affected by the problem?
WHAT is the problem?
WHERE is it occurring?
WHEN did it take place?
HOW are the ones involved affected by the problem?

These five questions will help you understand the context of the problem. This is generally the first step for any person to work upon and is used in combination with other frameworks to solve the problem. It is necessary to have a clear answer to all the aforementioned questions before you start solving the problem.

In the next segment, your understanding of the frameworks mentioned above will be put to test in an actual business problem.