The cause and effect diagram is looked upon as one of the seven classic quality tools. A finished Ishikawa diagram looks a bit like the bones of a fish. Fishes come in such an amazing variety of shapes and sizes that there is no 'typical' fish skeleton. Just like fish, an Ishikawa diagram can be big or small depending on the complexity of the issue being investigated.   When do we use it? We usually use a fishbone diagram when we are trying to get to the root cause of a problem, which has many possible causes. It can be a useful tool to use during a kaizen blitz event to help define quality problems in a format that is easily understood. What will it give us? Creating this diagram gives us a pictogram of a chosen issue and the potential root causes. It's a great way to document the 5 Why's which we've talked about before, in a previous issue of Instant Improvement. Is it easy to use and how do we create one? It's a very simple and flexible tool. It is best constructed with a group of up to 10 people. All you need is a pen, a ruler and a large surface to write on. The first thing we do is draw a horizontal line in the centre of the page and at the end of the line draw a box on the far right and in it write the effect or problem you want to investigate. We then draw a few angled lines either side of the main line, spaced out. We then brainstorm some main root causes and add them to the end of each angled line. It should start to look like a fishbone. We can then get the group to add sub causes to each of the main causes until the diagram is complete. Here is an example Creating your own template for your type of business Sometimes it can be useful to pre-determine the headings at the end of each branch. In a manufacturing situation you can use the 6m's as branch headings to get you started. Machines, Methods, Materials, Measurement, Man and Mother Nature (the environment) In an office environment you can use the 8P's. Price, Promotion, People, Processes, Place, Policies, Procedures, Product Or the 4S's Surroundings, Suppliers, Systems and Skills Of course you don't need to use any of these if you don't want to. You can mix and match as you see fit or make up your own. In conclusion The fishbone diagram is a quick and easy improvement tool that can help you identify root causes to sometimes quite difficult problems. It's a great way of collating group input in a pictorial form, that everyone can understand. Hope this helps Till next time. Happy fishing. Hope this helps. Best regards, Graham Ross Back to Lean Kaizen Welcome Page from Fishbone Diagram article Get Free Lean Kaizen Toolkit Back to Lean Kaizen Artcles