The 5W2H problem statement: a practitioner's guide (with template)
Most improvement projects fail because the problem statement was too vague. 'Scrap is too high' is not a problem statement. 5W2H — What, Why, When, Where, Who, How, How Much — is the most reliable way to turn a vague complaint into a project you can scope and defend.
The 7 questions, in order
Answer each one in one or two sentences. Specifics beat adjectives. Numbers beat words.
| Question | What it answers | Example |
|---|---|---|
| WHAT | What is happening? | Visual inspection is rejecting vials at 7% vs. 1.5% target. |
| WHY | Why does it matter? | $2.1M/yr scrap, delayed oncology shipments, growing CAPA backlog. |
| WHEN | When did it start? What pattern? | First observed 2026-03-12; recurs daily on B-shift 02:00–04:00. |
| WHERE | Which line/area/equipment? | Building 4, Line 2, visual inspection station post-capping. |
| WHO | Who detected it? Who's affected? | QC inspector M. Rodriguez; B-shift operators; commercial QA. |
| HOW | How was it detected? | Daily scrap report exceeded Tier 2 alarm for 10 consecutive shifts. |
| HOW MUCH | What's the magnitude? | 7% reject rate (n=14,200 vials, 10 weeks), ~1,000 rejects/day. |
The sharpener test
A strong 5W2H passes this test: a new sponsor who has never seen the problem can read the 7 answers and immediately know the scope, the stakes, and the evidence. If any of the 7 could apply to a different problem, it's too vague.
Common mistakes
- Writing WHY as a solution ('because we need to retrain') instead of an impact
- Making WHAT too broad ('quality is bad') — scope to one metric on one boundary
- Skipping HOW MUCH because the data isn't convenient — estimate, then refine
- Listing suspected causes in the problem statement — keep causes in Analyze
How to turn 5W2H into a charter
Once you have 7 clean answers, write a 3-4 sentence narrative that a sponsor can read in 30 seconds. Lead with WHAT + HOW MUCH + WHERE. Follow with WHY (impact). End with the primary metric you'll track.