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LEAN5 MIN READ

Run a five-whys chain

Use five whys to identify a process cause and countermeasure.

Payroll code error is explained as carelessness. Five Whys: symptom to condition to deeper enabling condition to countermeasure. Stopping at “the analyst made a mistake.” That names the event, not the system that permitted it. State problem 17 contractor payments used pay code REG instead of RGC on June payroll. Specific problem statements prevent vague cause hunting. Ask why 1-2 Why wrong code? Analyst selected REG. Why possible? REG and RGC appear adjacent with no descriptor. The second why moves from person action to interface condition. Ask why 3-4 Why no catch? Preview shows net pay but not tax category.…

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