What is a Fishbone Diagram?
The Fishbone Diagram (also called an Ishikawa or Cause-and-Effect Diagram) is a visual tool used in root cause analysis. It helps teams systematically explore and organize potential causes of a problem.
When to Use It
- When investigating the root cause of a quality issue
- During team brainstorming sessions
- When you need to move beyond symptoms to find true causes
- In Six Sigma Define and Analyze phases
Remember: Focus on causes, not symptoms. Ask "Why?" repeatedly to dig deeper.
How to Use This Tool
- Enter your problem or effect statement
- Review the default categories or customize them
- Select a category and brainstorm possible causes
- Add sub-causes to dig deeper
- Add evidence or notes to support your analysis
- Mark likely root causes with priority badges
- Export or print your completed diagram