What is 5W2H?
5W2H is a management tool that works as a checklist of the activities of the company , essential for the clarity of the action plan. It is a spreadsheet composed of everything that must be executed, mapping it so that no function is discovered or without the knowledge of the administrator.
The table must be completed according to the 5W and 2H that give the tool its name:
- What: What will be done and what are the steps in the process?
- Why: ¿ for what is going to develop this activity?
- Where: Where should this action be done?
- When: When will it be executed and the deadlines?
- Who: Who is responsible?
- How: how will it be done?
- How much: How much will it cost?
It is important to outline an action plan, giving the dimension of the entire process and tasks and helping to resolve doubts throughout the process. The methodology was created as a quality management system, but it can be used in all areas and in companies of any size. Whether for specific corporate projects (reducing infrastructure expenses, creating a social media promotion plan, launching a new product), as well as personal problems (planning vacations, buying a new car, renovating the house) .
5W2H example
The spreadsheet can be made only for a specific project or for more activities of the company. The difference is in the filling. In the case of the isolated project, the questions 5W2H are in the lines, and the answers in the next column. To map all the activities, divide the seven questions into columns, and the lines are operations.
Here is an example of a 5W2H table to promote a fictitious product in the digital environment. As part of the action plan, it can be suggested by the marketing team:
