In 1950, many significant events were happening around the world, such as the arrival of television in Brazil, the discovery of DNA, the space race to reach the moon, and it was also the time when the United States became a model of prosperity and confidence.
It is no coincidence that during this same period, 5W2H began to be used in Japan, following Taichi Ohno and Eiji Toyoda’s visit to the U.S. to learn about Fordism and its methodological applications in the automotive industry.
So far, nothing new, but do you know why the 5W2H methodology continues to be widely used by companies across all market segments?
Advantages of 5W2H
One of its main advantages is that it can be used in any way, in any area, whether for creating action plans or solving problems.
For projects and actions, for example, communication becomes much clearer, as everything will be outlined with all necessary questions answered, increasing process fluidity and enhancing productivity.
Another advantage is the ability to better understand what needs to be delivered and in what timeframe, allowing the team to assess whether the current delivery capacity is sufficient or needs to be optimized.
Decision-making can also be positively influenced by applying 5W2H, as the questions have already been posed; you simply need to decide based on the gathered information, which provides a 360º analysis of the situation.
And, although it is inherent, it’s worth noting that the methodology also contributes to continuous improvement, increased productivity, time management, and more.
Why Use the Methodology?
Simply because it is a straightforward methodology that, despite being in the market for so long, continues to work effectively and deliver positive results for everyone, whether in personal or professional settings.
Regardless of the size or industry of the company, it can be applied in various areas, such as project management, strategic planning, customer service, quality management, and more.
Additionally, 5W2H is a collaborative tool that allows the involvement of all participants in its development. This makes team alignment easier, directly impacting engagement and achieving objectives in less time.
Enhance Your Management
5W2H can enhance your company’s management, especially when combined with other tools and methodologies.
In Process Management, for instance, by integrating the PDCA Cycle, we combine the ability to detail what needs to be done at each stage of the processes with the structured approach to planning, executing, checking, and acting on these actions.
Similarly, the Ishikawa Diagram, a fundamental tool for identifying the root causes of problems, when used alongside 5W2H, ensures that identified causes are addressed.
SWOT Analysis, which gathers information to evaluate a company’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, can be translated into action plans with the help of 5W2H, which will focus on exploiting opportunities and neutralizing threats.
Technology as a Facilitator
Traditionally, the methodology was applied through an Excel spreadsheet. However, using its online version has made everything simpler, allowing access anytime from anywhere.
To make things even easier, Interact Solutions offers 5W2H on its free platform, Interact Flow.
On this platform, you will also find tools such as SIPOC and PDCA, an assessment of the Process Maturity Model, Process Modeling from scratch, ready-made models to start your modeling, translation into 7 languages, and Customer Journey Mapping based on Gart Capote’s CCBXD method.
All of this is available in both online and offline versions, which can be downloaded and installed on your desktop.
Visit our website to learn more about Interact Flow.
Author:
Bianca Wermann
Journalist, Communication and Marketing Analyst at Interact Solutions.
