Fishbone Diagram

A fish bone diagram is also referred to as the Ishikawa diagram or the cause and effect diagram. It is a tool for categorizing the potential causes of a problem with the intention of identifying the root causes. It helps individuals to address the root cause of a problem rather than addressing the symptoms (Wu & Shi, 2010).

How to create a fishbone diagram

First identify the head. The head is the problem or issue of concern. Draw a box and write the problem inside the box. This will serve as the head of the fishbone. Second, develop a backbone for the fish. This is simply a line that runs from the head to the tail (Moresteam.com, 2014). Third, identify a minimum of four possible causes of the problem. Link these four causes using arrows to the spine. Fourth, brainstorm on the causes identified to help identify the cause of the problem. Finally, continue analyzing each cause until you have identified the root causes of the problem.

Benefits of a fishbone diagram

The fishbone diagram has many advantages compared:

• They allow for a seasoned analysis of a problem hence avoiding overlooking the main cause of the problem
• The technique is easy to execute and develops an easily understandable visual representation of the causes, groups of causes and the problem
• Using fishbone enables the focus to be put on the big picture regarding the chief causes of the problem
• Even after a solution has been reached, the fishbone diagram exposes weaknesses that need to be addressed before more damage is done (Berman & Berman, 2008).

The fishbone diagram is most effective when resolving a problem in a group setting. It enables for all perspectives of a problem to be identified while at the same time putting the real focus on the root cause.