MSG Team's other articles

9513 Handing off the Project to the Process Owner

After the control charts have been created and deployed, the control phase of the DMAIC methodology comes to a close as far as the project is concerned. The solution that the team had set out to reach has now been reached. It is therefore time to transition the process from being a project to being […]

11162 Role of a Project Coach in a Six Sigma Project

The Project Coach is the person concerned who is responsible to make sure that the team understand Six Sigma tools and methodologies. Six Sigma is a complex methodology encompassing multiple stages. There will be different people who will be working at different stages of the Six Sigma project. All of them do not need to […]

11537 The Gender Pay Gap Debate

April 10th is considered to be “Equal Pay” day all over the world. This day has been commemorated since the year 1996 to remind the world that women are allegedly being paid less than men to do the same amount of work. As per the data from Facebook COO’s non-profit organization, women only receive 80% […]

12033 Why We Should Not Let the Present Global Crisis Go Waste and Make Positive Changes

Never Let a Serious Crisis Go Waste The Chinese term for crisis is a combination of danger and opportunity, which means that a crisis is a good time for opportunity as well. In other words, whenever we are confronted by a crisis whether it is personal or collective, we have the chance to make serious […]

9115 Emerging Trends in Information Technology

Introduction 21st century has been defined by application of and advancement in information technology. Information technology has become an integral part of our daily life. According to Information Technology Association of America, information technology is defined as “the study, design, development, application, implementation, support or management of computer-based information systems.” Information technology has served as […]

Search with tags

  • No tags available.

The fishbone diagram, which also goes by a couple of other names like the Cause and effect diagram and the Ishikawa diagram is one of the seven basic tools of quality management. It has wide ranging applications in almost all six sigma projects. The Fishbone diagram is a simple but highly effective tool in problem solving.

How We Usually Solve Problems: The management in every organization is in charge of solving everyone’s problems. But as we know they are not very efficient at it. This is because of their lack of knowledge that a problem does exist. Also once they realise the problem, they may not have sufficient insight to solve the problem. It is for this reason Fishbone diagrams suggest that cross functional teams be used. Cross functional teams include workers, technical staff, management, support functions staff etc. Only the use of cross functional teams can make brainstorming a success with or without a fishbone diagram.

To be Used in Teams at Brainstorming Sessions: Once a cross functional team has been selected to solve the problem a brainstorming session is called. However instead of the usual brainstorming a Fishbone diagram is used. This helps get structured inputs from various members of the organization.

What Exactly Does a Fishbone Diagram Do ?

The fishbone diagram is called a fishbone diagram because it does look like a fishbone. So how exactly does it help in brainstorming? Here is how. An issue is listed at the far right hand corner of the diagram. A central line is drawn from the left pointing towards the issue. This line then branches out into several lines, each of which represents a category of problems.

Firstly by categorizing problems, we understand the fact that they might have similar root causes. Hence we can solve the issues more effectively and by utilising minimal resources.

Categories Give Structure to Thinking: Now, Brainstorming can be done in several ways, there is no need of a Fishbone diagram to do so. However, Fishbone diagrams help in giving structure to the thoughts. This is because Fishbone diagrams have pre-defined categories. Therefore when a participant is trying to brainstorm they have a more specific way to look at the problem. For instance, in a brainstorming session people may be asked their views on how materials mismanagement is leading to delayed deliveries.

Only One Issue per Diagram: The flipside of a Fish-bone diagram is the fact that there can only be one issue per diagram. However, in quality management it is a known fact that cause and effect are seldom present in one layer. Hence the use of fishbone diagram may become problematic in certain cases. This is when one issue leads to another and another. Instead of one fishbone diagram, several others may be required and the whole process of problem solving may become exceedingly complex.

Article Written by

MSG Team

An insightful writer passionate about sharing expertise, trends, and tips, dedicated to inspiring and informing readers through engaging and thoughtful content.

Leave a reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Articles

Creating a SIPOC Chart

MSG Team

Check Sheet – A Basic Six Sigma Tool

MSG Team

Challenges Faced in Conducting Voice of Customer Exercise

MSG Team