A Simple Process Improvement Tool: 5W2H

5W2H stands for 5 Ws and 2Hs or Who, What, When, Where, Whey How and How much.

When working on improving a process, this is a simple tool that can help you think thorough improvement opportunities.

Who does this? This can lead to: Could we do it with fewer people?

What is done at this step? This can lead to: Can we eliminate some of the steps?

When does this start and finish? This can lead to: Can we shorten the time it takes?

Where is this work done? This can lead to: Can we do this elsewhere or in various locations?

Why are we doing this? This can lead to: Do we need to do this?

How do we do this? This can lead to: Is there another way to do this?

How much does this cost? This can lead to: How much would this cost if we made these changes?

These questions help you avoid diving right into an assumed solution. They allow us to consider the problem from a range of angles and allow us to drill down for more detail.

These are also excellent when you are stuck and are finding it hard to move forward on an improvement project.