 |
In the IT world, problems are not lacking: systems that crash, bugs that reappear, sudden slowdowns, security incidents, or services that become unavailable. Often, we limit ourselves to solving the symptom, without addressing the real cause.
The 5 Whys method is a simple but extremely effective technique for getting to the root of a problem and preventing its recurrence.
What is the 5 Whys method?
The 5 Whys method is a root cause analysis technique that originated in the industrial sector (Toyota Production System), but is now widely used in IT, DevOps, cybersecurity, and service management.
The principle is simple:
When faced with a problem, ask "Why? several times (usually five times) until you identify the root cause.
It's not the number that's important, but the depth of the analysis.
Application of the 5 Whys in IT
Let's look at a practical example related to an IT incident.
Initial problem
The company website went offline.
- Why did the website go offline?
Because the web server stopped responding. - Why did the web server stop responding?
Because the CPU was at 100% and the system couldn't handle the requests. - Why was the CPU at 100%?
Because an application process was consuming resources abnormally. - Why was the process consuming resources abnormally?
Because a new release contained a bug that generated an infinite loop. - Why wasn't the bug caught before the release?
Because there are no automatic load tests in the deployment process.
Root cause
Lack of load testing in the software release process, not simply "server overload."
Why the 5 Whys are useful in IT
In the IT context, the 5 Whys help to:
- Avoid temporary solutions or "quick fixes"
- Improve development and release processes (DevOps)
- Reduce recurring incidents
- Improve system security and reliability
- Foster a culture of continuous improvement
Without a structured analysis, you risk restarting servers, applying hotfixes, or increasing resources without solving the real problem.
IT areas where you can use the 5 Whys
The 5 Whys method can be successfully applied in many IT contexts. Its strength lies in its simplicity, which makes it usable by both technical teams and non-IT professionals.
Incident Management (ITIL)
In Incident Management, the goal is not only to restore service as quickly as possible, but also to prevent the incident from recurring.
Applying the 5 Whys after resolution allows you to:
- Identify systemic causes (processes, configurations, tools)
- Improve escalation proceduresion
- Reduce recurring incidents
Example:
A service frequently stops. Analyzing with the 5 Whys reveals that the real problem is not the technical failure, but the lack of proactive monitoring and automatic alerts.
Software debugging
In debugging, we often fix the visible bug without understanding why it was introduced.
Using the 5 Whys helps to:
- Identify design flaws
- Improve code quality
- Strengthen development practices
Example:
An app crashes due to a null pointer exception. By continuing to ask "why," you discover that:
- There are no input controls
- There are no unit tests
- The functional specifications are incomplete
The root cause is not a single bug, but a weakness in the development process.
DevOps Post-mortem
In DevOps contexts, the 5 Whys are often used in post-mortems after a production incident.
Post-mortems means structured reports created after an incident or system failure.
Benefits include:
- Blameless post-mortem
- Continuous improvement of CI/CD pipelines
- Increased system reliability
Example:
A deployment causes downtime. The analysis reveals that:
- The deployment was not gradual
- There were no feature flags
- The rollback was not automated
The problem was not "the wrong deployment," but an insufficiently mature pipeline.
Security Incident Analysis
In the field of cybersecurity, the 5 Whys allow us to go beyond the visible event (attack, breach, malware).
They are used to:
- Identify organizational and technical flaws
- Improve security policies and controls
- Strengthen user awareness
Example:
An account is compromised. Asking "why" reveals that:
- Multi-factor authentication was not enabled
- Passwords were not rotated
- There was no security training
The root cause is not the user, but an incomplete security system.
Performance and scalability
When a system is slow or doesn't scale properly, the 5 Whys help distinguish the symptoms from the real causes.
Typical Application:
- Bottleneck Analysis
- Architectural Optimization
- Growth Planning
Example:
An application slows down as users increase. Analysis shows that:
- The database is a single point of failure
- Queries are not optimized
- Horizontal scalability has not been planned
The problem is not "too many users," but an architecture not designed for growth.
Database Management
In the context of databases, problems such as data loss, slowness, or inconsistency can have root causes.
The 5 Whys help you:
- Improve backup and recovery strategies
- Strengthen data governance
- Prevent operational errors
Example:
A backup is not recoverable. Analysis reveals that:
- Backups were not tested
- Procedures were not documented
- Responsibilities were unclear
The problem is not a single failed backup, but an inadequate data management process.
Common Mistakes in Using the 5 Whys
In the IT world, it's important to avoid some typical mistakes:
- Stopping at the first "why"
- Looking for culprits instead of causes
- Giving vague or superficial answers
- Using the 5 Whys without technical data (logs, metrics, monitoring)
The method works best when supported by objective evidence.
Conclusion
In all these areas, the value of the 5 Whys lies in the ability to transform a technical problem into a systemic lesson.
In the IT world, where complexity is high, this method helps build more robust, sustainable, and long-term solutions.
Systematically asking "why" allows you to go beyond the technical symptom and improve processes, architectures, and skills.
Ultimately, it's not just about fixing a system, but about make it more robust over time.
Follow me #techelopment
Official site: www.techelopment.it
facebook: Techelopment
instagram: @techelopment
X: techelopment
Bluesky: @techelopment
telegram: @techelopment_channel
whatsapp: Techelopment
youtube: @techelopment
