The fishbone diagram is a tool used to identify and categorize factors that contribute to a problem, helping to find its root cause. It consists of a structured process that involves stating the problem, defining categories, brainstorming causes, and analyzing results, often using the 5 whys technique. While it is easy to understand and applicable across industries, it has drawbacks such as difficulty in prioritizing causes and potential unwieldiness in large brainstorming sessions.

1. FISHBONE

2. Fishbone Diagram Overview
• Sometimes things go wrong.
• When complex things go wrong, a fishbone diagram can help you think
about and categorize all of the different factors that led to the issue.
• By doing this you’re more likely:
To find the root cause of the problem.
To resolve the problem the first time.
• A fishbone diagram can help you find the root cause of a problem.

3. The Fishbone Diagram
 Takes it to name from the fact it resembles a fish
skeleton.
 The head represents the problem.
 Cause are grouped together into categories.
 Other names:
1. Cause and effect diagram
2. Ishikawa diagram
3. Herringbone diagram

4. Fishbone Diagram Example
 Suppose you run a business selling products online and your website
unexpectedly crashes.
 You decide to use a fishbone diagram to perform a deep analysis of what
caused the crash.
 There are four steps to using a fishbone diagram
State the problem
Define your categories
Brainstorm each category
Analyze your result

5. 01
State the Problem

6. 02
Define you Categories
Define your initial categories.
These are not set in stone
and you can create or
remove categories later as
brainstorming causes your
thinking to develop.

7. Brainstorm each Category
03 As you brainstorm ideas, it can be useful to use a
technique called the 5 whys to help ensure
you have uncovered the true root cause of
rather than a superficial cause.
Example:
 Initial Cause: The website crashed because it
ran out of memory.
 Why? Because it was incorrectly configured.
 Why? Because the site admin made a
mistake.
 Why? Because development hadn’t provided
adequate instructions.
 Why? Because they assumed it was before.

8. Advantages and Disadvantages
Advantages
 Easy to understand
 Helps find the most likely cause of the problem.
 Can be applied to a range of problems.
 The whole team gains a better understanding of the issues.
Disadvantages
 Doesn’t help you prioritize causes.
 The output from brainstorming is only as good as your brainstorming session.
 Can become unwieldy to use.
 You may waste time discussing causes that have very little impact on the
problem.

9. Summary
 The fishbone diagram was developed in the 1960s.
 Provides a way to find the causes of a problem.
 Can be used in any industry and for many purposes.
 It also helps create a shared understanding of problems amongst your team
members.