Cause and Effect

Introduction

The Cause and Effect analysis template is a visual tool for identifying, exploring, and displaying the possible causes of a specific problem. This tool is often combined with the Five Whys, a simple problem-solving technique involving asking the question “Why?” five times (or as many times as needed) to drill down to the core root cause of a problem. The goal of using this template and the Five Whys is to uncover the fundamental root cause of a problem you may be experiencing, which is important as it often significantly differs from the initial symptom. ​​

Instructions

Please use the color-coded sticky notes (located in a box below the diagram) and either drag them across to the template or copy and paste them into the relevant section to conduct your own cause and effect analysis.

The darkest color represents your second why (the furthest left sticky note), and the lightest color (the furthest right sticky note) represents your fifth why, the "root cause" of the problem.

Visit the link here to view an illustration of the template in action!