A fishbone diagram is based on opinion rather than evidence.Effort can be wasted on identifying causes that have little effect on the problem.A fishbone diagram does not single out the root of the problem because all causes look equally important.It prioritizes further analysis and helps you take corrective action.It involves an in-depth discussion of the problem, which informs the team.It helps you locate bottlenecks in the process.It helps you identify the root cause of the problem.If any bone is bulky, try to split it into two or three branches.Think of all possible causes for each factor and add them to the fishbone.The discussion should be under the project manager.Team members should be experienced and involved with the problem.You should have a clear understanding of the problem.Important Points While Developing a Fishbone Diagram Now, you can further investigate with your team to find the root cause and the solution. When your fishbone diagram is complete, you can see all the possible causes of the problem. This technique resembles the “5-Why” approach, which says that you can find the root cause by answering “Why?” five times. The collection of causes should be comprehensive. This is an important step you should spend a considerable amount of time here. You can continue adding sub-branches until you’re satisfied. You can add these causes horizontally to the fishbone (factors) and label them. When the main problem is not straightforward, a short brainstorming session is often helpful. You can categorize these factors by the 5 Ss:įirst, write down the problem. You can categorize these factors by the 7 Ps: Toyota populated the first six, and later on, two more were added to the list. You can categorize the factors (causes) by the 8 Ms: You need to customize the category to your requirements.Ī few generic categorizations for popular industries are given below. It also groups cause to identify the source of the variation.Ĭategorization of Causes in a Fishbone DiagramĮvery industry uses fishbone diagrams however, they may have a different categorization of causes. The fishbone diagram considers all possible causes of a problem instead of focusing on the obvious. This diagram allows you to think thoroughly about the root cause, which leads to a healthy and long-lasting resolution. Sometimes, the most apparent factor turns out to be minor, and the one that was thought to be minor is causing the issue. The fishbone diagram uses a brainstorming technique to collect causes and show them graphically. This tool provides you with a better understanding and makes sure you don’t just partially solve a problem. If you have a problem with your process or product, you should know the cause before thinking about a solution.Ī fishbone diagram gives you a comprehensive list of causes to find the root of the problem. This diagram looks like a fish skeleton the head is the problem, and the spines are the causes many experts call it a fishbone, herringbone diagram, or Fishikawa.
Ishikawa was a famous expert in quality management. This diagram got the name Ishikawa because Professor Kaoru Ishikawa developed it in 1960. In Six Sigma, you use it in the “Analyze” phase of DMAIC ( define, measure, analyze, improve, and control). The fishbone diagram has many names: the Ishikawa diagram, Fishikawa diagram, Herringbone diagram, and the cause-and-effect diagram. Project managers use this diagram during quality management. Though all these tools have their importance, the fishbone diagram is distinct. The fishbone diagram is one of the seven basic quality control tools.