Continuous improvement
5W2H action plan: questions and an example
Use the seven 5W2H questions to make an action specific. Follow an access-readiness example through the owner, timing, method and missing cost.
5W2H organises an action around who, what, when, where, why, how and how much. The fields help a team discover whether an agreed action has enough detail to carry out.
The five W words are different questions. They are not five repetitions of why, as in 5 Whys.
ASQ's problem-solving reference lists the seven fields. They can help define a problem or develop an action; the example below uses them after a project team has identified a specific lesson.
Make the access-readiness action explicit
The lessons-learned case concerns a fictional interface project. Testing is planned for day 10, access is requested on day 8 and usable access arrives on day 23.
The recorded practice change is to confirm the owner, preparation allowance and connection evidence before committing the test date.
| 5W2H field | Detail from the case |
|---|---|
| Who | Integration lead, working with IT operations |
| What | Update and apply the interface-readiness check |
| When | Before committing the integration-test start |
| Where | The readiness record for the inventory test environment |
| Why | The earlier schedule committed a date without allowing for access preparation |
| How | Confirm responsibility, current preparation time and evidence of a successful connection |
| How much | Effort and cost are not quantified in the source case; obtain them before committing resources |
The uncosted row needs follow-up. Confirm the required time and budget with the owners before treating the action as ready.
Use a completion condition someone can verify
The case also supplies a later project: access is requested on day 2, the connection works on day 17 and testing is planned for day 20. Those records demonstrate use of the readiness check in that fictional follow-up.
They do not establish avoided project cost. The earlier activity-start gap of 13 working days is not automatically the whole project's delay or a cash saving.
The RACI guide explains a separate question about responsibility and accountability. A 5W2H row can name an action owner, but it does not replace the wider decision rights.
Keep the record short and current
Use the seven fields where they expose missing delivery detail. Link to supporting schedules or procedures rather than copying them into every cell.
When a date, method or owner changes, update the action and tell the people affected. Close it with the agreed evidence of completion, such as the recorded connection test here, rather than a general statement that communication improved.