5W+H

The method pins down the context around a situation. It helps establish what everyone agrees on, and it helps pass an idea on without leaving out the details.

It goes back to the ancient Greeks and Romans, and was adopted into the Toyota Production System for analysing problems.

When to use it

1. When you need to gather facts about a situation you do not yet know.
2. To establish the circumstances in which a problem arose.
3. To plan what to do.
4. To put together what you want to say to a particular group.

When not to use it

1. When the situation has already been described.
2. When you need the causes of a problem you already understand — see 5 Why and the Ishikawa diagram.