Innovation and Design Thinking – Course

INNOVATION AND DESIGN

Content

THINKING
23IDTC18

MODULE – 3

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Innovation and Design Thinking – Course
Content
MODULE 3- Analyze Phase: 5-Whys and
1How
Recognize the difference between symptoms and root
causes, overcoming common challenges during “5Whys”
process. Understanding the purpose “1How” technique.
Connecting 1How to the insights from the 5Whys analysis.
Creating a problem-solving framework using both
techniques, aligning problem-solving with user needs and
empathy

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Introduction
What is meant by 5Whys” process?
• 5 Whys is an iterative interrogative
technique used to explore the cause-
and-effect relationships underlying a
particular problem. The primary goal
of the technique is to determine the
root cause of a defect or problem by
repeating the question "Why?"
• This was coined by Toyota in the 70s
and became very popular on the shop
floor. It’s a very kid-like method,

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Introduction

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Example – 5 Whys

Example
“5 Whys” process

The vehicle will not

start. (the problem)

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Example – 5Whys

EXAMPLE
• The vehicle will not start. (the problem)
1.Why? - The battery is dead. (First why)
2.Why? - The alternator is not functioning. (Second why)
3.Why? - The alternator belt has broken. (Third why)
4.Why? - The alternator belt was well beyond its useful service life and not
replaced. (Fourth why)
5.Why? - The vehicle was not maintained according to the recommended
service schedule. (Fifth why, a root cause).
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 5 Whys - continued

• The key is to encourage the trouble-shooter to avoid assumptions and logic traps
and instead trace the chain of causality in direct increments from the effect
through any layers of abstraction to a root cause that still has some connection
to the original problem.
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Benefits
Benefits of the 5 Whys:
 It helps to quickly identify the root cause of a problem.
 It helps to differentiate between the contributing factors of a
problem and its root cause(s).
 It helps determine the relationship between different root causes
of a problem.
 It can be learned quickly and doesn't require statistical analysis to
be used.

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Importance of 5 Whys

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 Process
How to Use the 5 Whys 3 Ask the First "Why?"

1. Assemble a Team

2. Define the Problem 4. Ask "Why?" Four More Times

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Process:
Rules of performing 5 Whys:
To carry out the 5-Why analysis properly, the following advice should
be followed
1. It is necessary to engage the management in the 5Whys process in the
company. For the analysis itself, consider what is the right working group.
Also, consider bringing in a facilitator for more difficult topics.
2. Use paper or whiteboard instead of computers.
3. Write down the problem and make sure that all people understand it.
4. Distinguish causes from symptoms.

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 Process:
ules of performing 5 Whys:
5. Pay attention to the logic of cause-and-effect relationship.
6. Make sure that root causes certainly lead to the mistake by reversing the
sentences created as a result of the analysis with the use of the expression
"and therefore".
7. Try to make our answers more precise.
8. Look for the cause step by step. Don’t jump to conclusions.
9. Base our statements on facts and knowledge.
10. Assess the process, not people.
11. Never leave "human error", "worker's inattention", "blame John" etc., as
the root cause.
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 Process Cntd:

ules of performing 5 Whys:

12. Foster an atmosphere of trust and sincerity.
13. Ask the question “Why” until the root cause is determined, i.e. the
cause the elimination of which will prevent the error from occurring
again.
14. When you form the answer to the question "Why" - it should happen
from the customer's point of view.

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Technique - Root Cause Analysis

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 Technique - RCA cntd
oot cause analysis (RCA) :
It is a method of problem-solving used for identifying
the root causes of faults or problems. A factor is
considered a root cause if removal thereof from the
problem-fault-sequence prevents the final undesirable
outcome from recurring; whereas a causal factor affects
an event's outcome, but is not a root cause. Though
removing a causal factor can benefit an outcome, it does
not prevent its recurrence with certainty.
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Technique

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Tool – Problem tree

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Example - Problem Tree

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Tool - RCA

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 Principles - RCA
RCA) principles
• Define and describe properly the
event or problem ('five whys'
technique).
• Establish a timeline from a normal
situation until the final crisis or
failure.
• Distinguish between root causes
and causal factors.
• Once implemented (and with
constant execution), RCA is
transformed into a method of
problem prediction. TEAM IDT- DSATM
Case study

EXAMPLE:

For example, imagine a fictional

segment of students who received
poor testing scores.

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 Case study
RCA for the example
• After initial investigation, it was
verified that students taking tests in
the final period of the school day
got lower scores. Further
investigation revealed that late in
the day, the students lacked the
ability to focus. Even further
investigation revealed that the
reason for the lack of focus was
hunger. So, the root cause of the
poor testing scores was hunger,
remedied by moving the testing
time to soon after lunch.
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RCA- CLASSIFICATIONS
RCA comprises many different tools, processes, and philosophies. However,
several very broadly defined approaches or "schools" can be identified by their
basic approach or field of origin

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Symptoms and Root cause
Difference between symptoms and root causes, overcoming common
challenges during the “5Whys” process.
Symptoms:
- Symptoms are the visible or tangible
manifestations of a problem. They are often the
initial issues that catch your attention and cause
concern.
- Symptoms are usually the easiest aspects of a
problem to identify because they are readily
apparent.
- Addressing symptoms alone doesn't eliminate
the underlying issue but might provide temporary
relief. Eg symptoms of the common cold

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 Analysis – root cause
Root Causes:
- Root causes are the underlying,
fundamental reasons that give rise to the
symptoms. They are the real source of the
problem.
- Identifying and addressing root causes
is essential for sustainable problem-solving
because it prevents the issue from
recurring.
- Root causes can be hidden or obscured
by the symptoms, requiring a deeper
understanding and analysis.
Eg Causes of the common cold
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Common challenges
Overcoming Common Challenges during the "5 Whys"
Process:
1. Prematurely Settling on 3. Focusing on
Superficial Answers: One Root Cause:

2. Blaming Individuals:

4. Not Digging Deep

Enough:

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Framework – 5W and 1H
Connecting 1How to the insights from the 5W analysis. Creating a
problem-solving framework using both techniques,

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Framework – 5W 1H

W + 1H : An Effective Approach to Collecting and

Presenting Key. Information
One of the most universally used tools for information gathering, analysis,
organization and presentation is the 5W1H framework. This method is used
across a range of professions, from process analysts to quality
engineers to journalists, to understand and explain virtually any
problem or issue. The same method can be used to organize the writing of
reports, articles, white papers, and even whole books.

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Basic Approach
The Basic Approach
This approach seeks to answer six basic questions in
gathering information about nearly any subject: Who,
What, When, Where, Why, and How. Sometimes,
depending on the context, a second "H" might be used:
How Much.
In journalism, news story writing requires that the
questions to be answered take a basic form:
1. Who is it about?
2. What is it about?
3. When did it happen?
4. Where did it happen?
5. Why did it happen?
6. How did it happen?

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Understanding 5W1H
What Where
the "what" identifies an event and is A news story reports the location at which an event took place.
often stated in the "lead

Why
Who The "why" is usually the most neglected of the questions in
A news story identifies who an event involves. the framework

When How
A key part of a news story is describing when an For journalists, determining how an event took place may be
event happened nearly as challenging as explaining the "why," although more
effort is usually put to satisfying the question.

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 How to apply
How to Apply the 5W1H Method
Step 1: Ask the Right Questions Step 3: Analyze the Information

Step 5: Implement the

Solution

Step 2: Gather Information Step 4: Develop Solutions

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Aligning problem-solving with user needs and empathy

1. Understand User Needs:

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Aligning problem-solving with user needs and empathy

2. Define the Problem:

Clearly define the

problem or challenge
you're trying to solve.
This problem statement
should be based on your
research and user
insights

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Aligning problem-solving with user needs and empathy
3. Empathize with Users:

Put yourself in the shoes of your users to

truly understand their feelings,
motivations, and experiences. This can be
achieved through empathy maps, journey
maps, and user stories.

4. Ideation:
- Brainstorm creative solutions to the
defined problem. Encourage diverse
perspectives and innovative thinking within
your team.

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Aligning problem-solving with user needs and
empathy

5. Prototyping:
- Create low-fidelity
prototypes of your ideas.
These could be sketches,
wireframes, or basic
models. Prototyping allows
you to quickly test and
iterate on your solutions.

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 Aligning problem-solving with user needs and empathy

6. Test with Users:

- Involve users in the testing process.
Collect their feedback and observe how they
interact with your prototypes.

7. Iterate:
- Continuously refine your solutions based
on user feedback and testing results. Iteration
is a key component of design thinking, as it
ensures that your solutions evolve to better
meet user needs and expectations.
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Innovation and Design Thinking – Course
Content
8. Communication:
- Clearly communicate the progress and
findings of your project to stakeholders. Use
storytelling techniques to convey the user's
perspective and the impact of your solutions.

9. Measure Impact:
- Define key performance indicators (KPIs)
that align with your problem statement and user
needs. Regularly measure and evaluate the
impact of your solutions against these KPIs.

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Aligning problem-solving with user needs and empathy
10. Stay Open to Feedback:
- Embrace feedback from users, team members,
and other stakeholders. Be willing to pivot or
make significant changes if necessary to better
address user needs and demonstrate empathy.

11. Empower Cross-functional Teams:

- Encourage collaboration among cross-functional teams, including designers,
developers, marketers, and business strategists, to ensure a holistic approach to problem-
solving.

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 Innovation and Design Thinking - Assessment

Activity -5 “Role-Playing to Perform Root Cause Analysis”

Create fictional scenarios where students take on different roles to explore various perspectives in
identifying root causes.

15 different sectors have been defined for 15 teams

• The team has to identify a problem,

• Assign roles,
• Perform 5WHY – root cause analysis through role play,
• Demonstrate how they used RAC 5WHY to identify the cause of the given problem

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