DATUMKEEP
5-Why AnalysisGuided tool

A 5-Why that never starts blank.

Each “why” carries an evidence link to the prior incident or document behind it — so the chain reaches a systemic cause instead of stalling on the second step.

DatumKeep · 5-Why · INC-FB-0788FILL-01QA hold
Line
FILL-01 · 250 ml PET
Product
Citrus Still · batch FB-2291
Symptom
Net-content under-fill
247.3ml
MEAN vs 250 TARGET (−1.1%)
1 in 9
BELOW 245 ML LEGAL MIN · 18 PALLETS HELD
Each step is seeded from resolved cases — never a blank box. Evidence links cite the prior incident or document behind every answer.
Why chain · W1 → W5
W1
Why is fill weight low?
Filler valve #7 closing early.
INC-FB-0461 · valve timing
W2
Why is valve #7 closing early?
Flow-meter calibration drifted +2.1%.
Cal-log FM-07 · 2024-09-12
W3
Why did calibration drift uncaught?
PM verification skipped on short-staffed shifts.
CMMS WO-3318 · deferred
W4
Why was PM deferred without flag?
No interlock between PM-overdue and run authorization.
SOP-FILL-04 · gap
W5
Root cause
Line-clearance checklist doesn’t gate on overdue calibration — a process gap, not operator error.
Systemic cause · no personal blame
Guided 5-Why · incident INC-FB-0788 · food & beverage filling line · illustrative data
The simplest method, made rigorous

Every step earns its evidence.

The same institutional memory that powers full Root Cause Analysis, focused into the method your teams reach for first.

Seeded, never blank

Relevant prior reasoning is suggested at each step, so the chain keeps moving toward the real cause.

Evidence on every why

Each answer cites the incident, cal-log, or SOP behind it — the chain is defensible, not anecdotal.

A path to action

The systemic root cause flows straight into a tracked CAPA — sequenced and verified, not left on a whiteboard.

Make the next failure the last one.

Turn the knowledge your organization already generates into a compounding asset — starting with your first analysis.