Root cause analysis, from problem to solution
Seven methods, each one end to end: the guide, a worked example, the template you hand in, and the page on facilitating the session — plus eight tools that run in your browser. Free, no login. What you type stays in the tab.
What this site is
5xWhys is an independent library of root cause analysis methods, maintained by one practitioner with ten years in operations and quality across regulated manufacturing, healthcare operations and software reliability. It covers seven methods in 68 guides, 57 downloadable template files and eight browser tools, written for whoever has to explain what went wrong and show it was fixed. You do not need a quality background: 5 Whys takes about ten minutes to learn, and the same pages are used by operations and support leads, project managers, clinicians and consultants as much as by quality and reliability engineers. Everything is free and works without an account; the tools keep nothing you type. More about who builds this and why →
Start here
Three ways in — pick the one that matches your next hour
Most people arrive mid-problem. No tour, no signup wall: go straight to the thing you need.
Run the analysis in your browser
Guided 5 Whys, fishbone builder, Pareto chart, FMEA scoring. Validation as you type, export when you are done.
See all 8 tools → 02 / Take it to a meetingTake a template into the meeting
Nineteen templates, three formats each — Excel, Word, PDF. Every one has a page that shows a filled-in example first.
Browse 57 files → 03 / Not sure which methodAnswer four questions, get the method
Timing, evidence, stakes, audience — the selector names the method, its pairing, and when you need an 8D wrapper.
Open the method selector →Seven methods, each one end to end
Every method here has the same four pieces: a guide that explains it, examples with real numbers, a template you can download, and a page on how to run the session with a team. Six of the seven also have a tool that runs in your browser; the other two tools — the Problem Statement Generator and the Cost of Poor Quality Calculator — work with any method, which makes eight. Pick the row that matches your problem.
Templates — 19 of them, 57 files
Every template comes in Excel, Word and PDF, with a page that shows a filled-in example before you download anything. No email, no signup.
8D report template
D0–D8 in the Ford AIAG layout, customer-ready
RCA report template
Findings, actions, owners, verification
5 Whys template
Why-chain plus countermeasure table
Fishbone / Ishikawa template
6M layout, print-ready A3
FMEA template
S×O×D scoring with action priority
Pareto analysis template
Data table with cumulative %
A3 template
Toyota one-pager, seven sections
CAPA form
Correction, corrective and preventive action, with effectiveness check
Blameless postmortem template
Timeline with sources, contributing factors, typed actions
Is / Is Not worksheet
Problem specification for 8D step D2
5W2H worksheet
Seven questions with an evidence column
Corrective action plan
Tracker with owners, criteria and impact-effort matrix
Incident investigation report
Nine sections plus a first-24-hours EHS checklist
Kaizen event agenda
Five-day agenda plus a role card
Control plan
Eleven columns, three phases, reaction plan
SIPOC
Process scope on one page, with output requirements
8D progress tracker
Gate criteria per discipline, owners, and the customer clock
8D pre-submission checklist
The 24 checks a customer reviewer applies before accepting a report
RCA meeting agenda
60 and 90 minutes, block by block, with the attendee sheet
Eight tools, nothing to install
Each one runs in the tab, saves your progress in the browser and exports a plain file for your own report. Nothing is sent to a server.
Root cause analysis guides, examples and comparisons
Written for people who have to run the session on Monday, not for people writing a thesis.
8D Report Examples: 5 Real Case Studies
Automotive, aerospace, medical devices, food processing, electronics — every discipline D0 through D8 filled in.
Read article → RCA · 14 min readRoot Cause Analysis: A Complete Guide for Teams
The six-step process, five methods compared, and how to turn findings into fixes that hold.
Read article → Comparison · 12 min readRCA Tools Compared: 5 Whys, Fishbone, FMEA, Pareto
A decision table showing which method fits which problem — and where each one stops being the right tool.
Read article →Workshop Kit · for facilitators
If you run the session, not just fill in the form: the Workshop Kit.
Field-tested agendas, a co-brandable deck, crisis cards for the moments that derail sessions, and the follow-up system that makes results stick. For people who facilitate root cause analysis.
See the Workshop Kit →Frequently asked questions
Which method should I use — 5 Whys, Fishbone, FMEA or 8D?
Single clear failure with a short chain: 5 Whys. Many candidate causes and a group in the room: Fishbone. Ranking what to fix first: Pareto. Risk before the failure happens: FMEA. Customer-facing corrective action with an audit trail: 8D. The method selector asks four questions and decides for you.
Is it really free, and what is the catch?
The tools, the 57 templates and all 68 guides are free with no account. There is one paid product — a workshop kit for consultants who run RCA sessions professionally. Nothing on the free side is degraded to sell it.
Do you store what I type into the tools?
No. The tools run entirely in your browser; the analysis is never sent to a server. That is also why they keep working offline once the page has loaded.
Can I use the templates at work, or with clients?
Yes — internal use and client work are both fine, including editing and re-branding the files. Reselling the templates as your own product is not.
Can I export the analysis into a report?
Each tool exports what fits it: PNG for diagrams, CSV for scored data, PDF for the 8D report. The exports are plain files, made to be pasted into your own report or QMS record.
Who writes this?
One practitioner with ten years in operations and quality across regulated manufacturing, healthcare operations and software reliability. Every worked example comes from real project work; AI helps with editing, not with the analysis.