5W2H is an action plan format that answers seven questions for each action: what, why, where, when, who, how and how much. In maintenance, it turns the causes found in a failure analysis into tasks with an owner, a deadline and a way of getting them done.
The strength of 5W2H is that it leaves no gaps. An action such as "improve lubrication" does not survive the seven questions: someone will ask who, where, by when and how. The result is a plan that can be tracked, scheduled and followed up, a basic piece of maintenance planning and control.
What is 5W2H
The name comes from the initials of the questions in English: five start with W and two with H. The tool grew out of Japanese quality programs and became especially popular in Brazil and Latin America for action plans in projects, audits and problem solving. In English-speaking plants, the same idea often appears as "5W1H" or simply as an action register.
5W2H does not investigate causes. It comes after the analysis, when the team already knows what needs to be done and has to organize the execution.
What each 5W2H question means in maintenance
| Question | What to answer in maintenance |
|---|---|
| What | The concrete action, with a verb and an object: "add an alignment check to the seal replacement task list" |
| Why | The cause the action addresses, with a reference to the analysis |
| Where | Equipment, functional location, area or document affected |
| When | Completion date, and start date when the action depends on a shutdown or a window |
| Who | One person accountable for delivery, even if several take part |
| How | The method: work order, procedure revision, purchase, training |
| How much | Estimated cost of labor, material and services, or crew hours |
5W2H action plan example for maintenance
An illustrative example with three actions after an analysis of recurring bearing failures on an exhaust fan:
| What | Why | Where | When | Who | How | How much |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revise regreasing amount and interval | Excess grease confirmed at inspection | Fan lubrication plan | Within 15 days | Lubrication planner | Check manufacturer data and revise the task list | 8 planning hours |
| Replace the bearing housing seal | Dust ingress confirmed | Drive-end bearing housing | At the next planned shutdown | Mechanical supervisor | Work order with reserved material | Material and 6 mechanic hours |
| Train lubrication technicians on all three shifts | Different criteria between shifts | Utilities area | Within 30 days | Maintenance coordinator | Hands-on training at the equipment | 4 hours per shift |
Every row can be checked: whether the plan was revised, whether the order was executed at the shutdown and whether all three shifts were trained. Checking effectiveness, whether the bearing stopped failing, belongs to the follow-up.
How to fill in a 5W2H that turns into execution
- One action per row. "Revise the plan and train the team" are two actions, with different owners and deadlines.
- A verb and a clear object. "Check", "replace", "add", "revise", always with what will be checked, replaced, added or revised.
- Why linked to a cause. If the action does not point to a confirmed cause, question whether it belongs in the plan.
- Who is a person. Write the name of whoever answers for delivery. A whole department, such as "maintenance" or "planning", dilutes accountability.
- When respects dependencies. An action that depends on a shutdown, a purchase or a release has a deadline tied to that event, and that needs to be written down.
- How much without guessing. If the cost is unknown, record estimated hours or "to be quoted", with an owner for the quote. An invented figure gets in the way of approval.
Common mistakes in a 5W2H action plan
- Vague actions: "raise awareness", "improve control", "monitor the equipment".
- Collective owner: nobody feels responsible for an action assigned to a department.
- Unrealistic deadlines: every action due on the same date, regardless of crew capacity and the schedule.
- Plan without follow-up: the spreadsheet is filled in at the meeting and only opened again at the audit.
- Action closed without evidence: marked as done without the executed order, the revised document or the training attendance list.
5W2H, 5W1H and 5W3H
5W1H is the version without "how much", used when cost is not relevant to the decision. 5W3H adds "how many", useful when the action involves quantities, such as the number of assets to inspect or parts to buy. In maintenance, 5W2H is the most common, because almost every action uses crew hours or material.
5W2H usually works alongside other tools. The Five Whys or the Ishikawa diagram identify the causes; the GUT matrix helps decide which actions come first; 5W2H organizes execution; and the PDCA cycle closes with verification.
From 5W2H to a maintenance work order in SAP PM and PM Run
Most actions in a maintenance 5W2H are field work. If that work stays only in the spreadsheet, it competes with the daily routine without appearing in the backlog, and it always loses. The safest path is to record each field action as a notification or maintenance work order in SAP PM and write its number in the "how" column. Documentation actions, such as revising a task list or a maintenance plan, can also have their own order to record hours.
With the action in an order, PM Run Planning puts the work in the schedule, considering priority, crew capacity and availability, and PM Run Mobility takes the order to the technician with the long-text checklist, photos and confirmation by operation. When someone asks whether the action was done, the answer is in the order confirmation, with a date and a record. Learn more about PM Run Planning.
Frequently asked questions about 5W2H
What does 5W2H stand for?
It stands for seven questions: what, why, where, when, who, how and how much.
What is 5W2H used for in maintenance?
To turn the conclusions of a failure analysis, audit or meeting into actions with an owner, deadline, method and cost that can be tracked until completion.
Does 5W2H find the root cause?
No. 5W2H organizes actions after the cause has been identified. To find the cause, use tools such as the Five Whys, the Ishikawa diagram or a full root cause analysis.
Does every 5W2H action need to become a work order?
Actions that require work on equipment do, so they enter the schedule and leave an execution record. Management actions, such as training and procedure revisions, can be tracked in the plan itself, with evidence of completion.