By default, the 5W2H method is used to describe problems. However, it can be further developed by incorporating the Is / Is Not method.
This approach provides a broader perspective on the problem and facilitates a risk analysis of potentially non-compliant parts at the customer’s site.
When to Use the 5W2H Extension?
The 5W2H extension is most often used to structure team discussions when defining a problem for analysis. It is particularly valuable when there is a suspicion that the knowledge of the situation is incomplete.
Importantly, you don’t need to strictly adhere to the questions on the form. If necessary, questions can be rephrased to better suit the specific situation.
Is / Is Not in Problem Description Structure
The structure of the document is highly transparent. It simply involves adding an extra column to the 5W2H tool. The following questions should be addressed:
- Who:
- Who is affected by the problem? (Is)
- Who is not affected but could be? (Is Not)
- What:
- What is the problem? (Is)
- What could be the problem but isn’t? (Is Not)
- Where:
- Where does the problem occur? (Is)
- Where could the problem occur but doesn’t? (Is Not)
- When:
- When was the problem first observed? (Is)
- When could the problem have been observed but wasn’t? (Is Not)
- How Many:
- How many parts are affected by the problem? (Is)
- How many parts are unaffected? (Is Not)
- How Often:
- What is the trend or cycle for this problem? (Is)
- What could the trend be but isn’t? (Is Not)
Figure 1: Sample problem description structure incorporating Is / Is Not and 5W2H.
What Can We Gain by Applying the Is / Is Not Method?
The Is / Is Not method is an excellent extension of the 5W2H approach in problem analysis. It enables us to determine whether the problem affects only one production line or requires analysis of multiple production lines (e.g., plastics processing, welding, thermoforming, etc.).
Additionally, this method allows for a transparent assessment of whether the issue pertains to a single customer or spans multiple customer facilities.
Free Resources
You can download an automatic, editable Excel form for free on Free Quality Tools.
Document name: Is / Is Not method – Excel form
Author: Dariusz Kowalczyk
