Free Template · from the makers of NominalQC, QC software for small manufacturers
Free 5-Why + fishbone template for Excel
Root-cause analysis that doesn’t stop at "operator error": a 5-Why with an evidence column so every answer is backed by a fact, the 3-legged version that asks why it happened AND why you didn’t catch it AND why the system allowed it, a structured 6M fishbone, and an action log that makes every root cause end in an action.
This log, without the spreadsheet
In NominalQC, the 5-Why and fishbone live inside the CAPA record itself — the conclusion promotes into the official root cause in one click.
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Free template — no email, no signup.
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What’s in the download
- Classic 5-Why chain with an evidence column — every "because" needs a fact behind it, plus the read-it-backwards sanity check
- 3-legged 5-Why: occurrence (why it happened), detection (why it escaped), systemic (why the system allowed it) — three root causes, three actions
- Structured 6M fishbone worksheet (Man, Machine, Method, Material, Measurement, Environment) with a rated cause shortlist (Likely / Possible / Unlikely / Ruled out)
- Action log tying every analysis to owners, due dates, and OVERDUE flags
- A complete worked example (cracked-weld investigation) across all four sheets
- Print-ready layouts for team meetings
- 100% macro-free — works in Excel 2010+ on Windows and Mac, no security prompts
The zip contains the workbook (.xlsx) and a README quick-start. Copy a sheet per new analysis (right-click the tab → Create a copy).
Where this spreadsheet breaks
A worksheet structures the thinking. What it can’t do is connect the thinking to the record:
1.The analysis lives apart from the CAPA
The 5-Why is in one file, the CAPA log in another, the NCR in a third. When an auditor asks "show me the analysis behind this corrective action," the answer is a scavenger hunt.
In NominalQC the 5-Why, fishbone, and 8D worksheets live inside the CAPA record itself — the analysis and the action share one audit trail.
2."Operator error" still wins
Nothing in a blank worksheet stops the chain from ending at blame. The discipline of digging one level deeper depends entirely on who’s filling it in.
NominalQC’s guided worksheets walk the chain and promote the conclusion into the CAPA’s official root cause — a shallow answer stands out because the method is on record next to it.
3.Actions evaporate after the meeting
The root cause is found, everyone nods, and the action item lives in someone’s notebook. Three months later nothing changed.
In NominalQC every corrective action carries an owner and the CAPA can’t close until actions are recorded and their effectiveness verified — the loop closes or the record stays open.
Who built this
I spent 16 years in manufacturing quality — machining, fabrication, assembly — and in every shop I ended up building the same Excel tools with macros because the software budget went elsewhere. These workbooks are the ones I kept rebuilding. Eventually I stopped rebuilding spreadsheets and built NominalQC instead — but the spreadsheet is still the right starting point for a lot of shops, so here they are, cleaned up and free.
Questions
Is it really free?
Yes. You get the full workbook and the setup guide in exchange for an email address. Two short follow-up emails about running the process, then silence — unsubscribe anytime.
Does it work on Mac or older Excel?
Yes — this workbook is 100% macro-free, so there’s no "Enable Content" prompt and it works in Excel 2010 or later on Windows and Mac.
When do I use a fishbone vs a 5-Why?
Fishbone first when you genuinely don’t know where the cause lives — it opens up the possibilities across all six Ms so nothing gets skipped. 5-Why when you have a likely cause and need to drill to the system-level root. They chain naturally: fishbone to shortlist causes, rate them, then 5-Why the likely ones — which is exactly how this workbook is laid out.
Can I change the lists and dropdowns?
Yes — every dropdown pulls from the CONFIG sheet (your people, work centers, categories), and it’s all editable with no code involved. That’s the point: it should match your process, not ours.
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