I may be biased, but you would be hard-pressed to find a bigger fan and believer in TapRoot®. I love TapRoot®, but I reserve it for significant incidents.
5-Why’s is an excellent tool for less mature safety management systems (SMS). As I like to say, don’t blame the tool – look to the user for failures in applying/utilizing the tool. Rarely do I stop at 5-Whys when I am using the tool. But I have found that WHEN the incident is so complex that more WHYs are needed to be asked, we are venturing into territory that TapRoot® was built for. However, for more straightforward/less complex incidents, a good 5-Why facilitated by a TRAINED Root Cause facilitator is an excellent tool for workplaces with an immature SMS.
As the SMS and culture mature and LEARNING from incidents becomes an intense desire within the organization, we can shift the ratio to more TapRoot® analyses and fewer 5-Whys. But in the early days, when the SMS is immature, even a 5-Why exercise can be viewed as too “taxing resources.”
This video/podcast by Benna Hughes and Mark Paradies (Creator and Founder of TapRoot®) is well worth your time. Just realize that their viewpoints are biased towards their own product, which is far superior to 5-Whys. It just may be a bit much for newcomers to absorb.
