Five Whys Analysis

Apply the Five Whys root cause analysis technique to investigate issues.

Description

This command implements the Five Whys problem-solving methodology, iteratively asking "why" to drill down from symptoms to root causes. It helps identify the fundamental reason behind a problem rather than just addressing surface-level symptoms.

Usage

five [issue_description]

Variables

• ISSUE: The problem or symptom to analyze (default: prompt for input)
• DEPTH: Number of "why" iterations (default: 5, can be adjusted)

Steps

1. Start with the problem statement
2. Ask "Why did this happen?" and document the answer
3. For each answer, ask "Why?" again
4. Continue for at least 5 iterations or until root cause is found
5. Validate the root cause by working backwards
6. Propose solutions that address the root cause

Examples

Example 1: Application crash analysis

Problem: Application crashes on startup
Why 1: Database connection fails
Why 2: Connection string is invalid
Why 3: Environment variable not set
Why 4: Deployment script missing env setup
Why 5: Documentation didn't specify env requirements
Root Cause: Missing deployment documentation

Example 2: Performance issue investigation

Systematically trace why a feature is running slowly by examining each contributing factor.

Notes

• Don't stop at symptoms; keep digging for systemic issues
• Multiple root causes may exist - explore different branches
• Document each "why" for future reference
• Consider both technical and process-related causes
• The magic isn't in exactly 5 whys - stop when you reach the true root cause