Here are some examples to get you into the right problem statement frame of mind. How did it impact your goals? We need to be clear how it affected our goals.Where did it happen? We want to be able to pinpoint exactly where the problem happened.When did it happen? We want to see if a certain time had an impact.What happened? We want to know quickly and concisely, the problem.Try to describe your problem in terms of: If your problem is too open ended, your fishbone analysis will not be as targeted. Write the problem statement in the Problem Statement box (the fish head).īe very specific here. On a whiteboard or Flipchart paper, now draw a Problem Statement Box. Many cause and effect chains must be seen to really overcome the problem.Īnd by using the Fishbone diagram, it’s easy to see them. There may be a number of factors that contribute to the effect (the problem). By continuously asking why, you can uncover deeper unseen causes By brainstorming them on one visual diagram, it provides an effective way of seeing why a problem happens and all the possible factors that may affect this. It’s these cause and effect relationships which create problems. The fishbone diagram is a simple and visual way to see cause and effect. The ‘bones’ running off each cause category represent possible deeper causes that are linked together.Running off the spines are the main cause categories.The head of the fishbone represents the problem.It’s history stems from a Japanese organisational theorist called Kaoru Ishikawa.Īnd it’s simply used to show a cause and effect relationship of a number of factors, relating to a specific problem.įishbone diagrams have the following characteristics: Don’t stop until you know the problem and the root causes.Ī measure of a quality focused business is their speed at identifying problems, conducting root cause analysis and implement RCA solutions, quickly.Ĭalled a Fishbone because of it’s appearance… And it all stems from what’s caused Root Cause Analysis (or RCA for short)…. These bullet points represent true problem solving. Check to ensure the problem has been eliminated.Put actions in place to eliminate these causes.Ascertain the root causes to the problem.Before you know it, there are many issues that are rearing their ugly heads, because none of them (or very little) have been completely resolved in the first place.īy completely resolved, I mean sufficient time spent to: Often, a short while later, the same problem returns, causing more mayhem. By doing this, they simply put band-aids over their problems to get the job or service completed. They encounter something and rally around to get over it. The problem with most businesses is that they never really fix problems. They first started off with drawing a Cause and Effect diagram.I’ve mentioned it a number of times on this blog and in discussions with teams. A core team was formed and they started to work on the problem. The Quality team was called and asked to solve the problem. The bank’s management wants to understand the reasons for the high queue and reduce the queue so that it can serve more number of customers and also reduce the waiting time of its customers. One of the branches located in the main part of the city has high a very high queue to manage during most of its operating time. Assume a famous bank, having branches in few parts of the city. Branch out for necessary sub causes under the main causes, if necessary.List down all the identified causes into any of the six categories.Brainstorm all the possible causes and sub causes that impact the problem.

Write the Six main categories on the board.Team up all the relevant members who are knowledgeable in the problem under study.

Identify the problem area and define the problem clearly.

User can branch out sub causes till the level he feels that is relevant to the problem. Al the potential causes that might impact the problem are listed under these main causes. It has six main branches: Men, Material, Method, Machine, Measurement, and Mother Nature. Fishbone diagram looks like the skeleton of a fish. It is also considered as one of the Seven Tools of Quality.

He first listed down all potential design features to be available in a product under different headers.

It is also called a “ Cause and Effect” diagram, because it lists down all the potential causes for a given effect.Īs the name indicates, this tool was developed by Prof. Other than that, Ishikawa diagram is also used in New Product Development for identifying all the potential features. Thus it is one of the important tools used for problem solving methods like DMAIC, PDCA, and many other projects. The purpose of this tool is to list down ALL the potential root causes leading to a problem. Ishikawa Diagram otherwise known as Fishbone diagram is one of the tools most commonly used by Quality Professionals.

Ishikawa diagram categories