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Kaoru Ishikawa, a Japanese quality control expert, invented the fishbone diagram, also known as an Ishikawa diagram, in 1945.
The diagram is named after its creator and resembles a fish skeleton, with the “ribs” representing the causes of an event and the final outcome appearing at the head of the skeleton.
The purpose of the fishbone diagram is to help management determine which issues have to be addressed in order to gain or avoid a particular event.
The diagram is typically worked right to left, with each large “bone” of the fish branching out to include smaller bones, each containing more detail.
A fishbone diagram, also known as an Ishikawa diagram, is a risk management tool used in the pharmaceutical industry to visualize cause and effect and analyze the root cause of a problem.
It helps identify many possible causes for a problem and can be used as an investigation tool.
The fishbone diagram is categorized into 6M, which stands for Man, Materials, Machine Method, Measurement, and Mother Nature.
The causes are categorized by the “5 M’s” in manufacturing: machine, method, material, man/mind power, and measurement/medium. Potential causes are written under each of these on the “ribs” of the fish.
Make sure that your team agree on the problem statement and include the people involved in the problem.
Include as much information as possible in the ‘what’, ‘where’, ‘when’ and ‘how much’ of the problem.
Use data to help you to understand the problem.
The steps to create a fishbone diagram
▪️Define the problem
▪️Label potential issues
▪️Brainstorm all possible causes
Add more detail to your fishbone analysis
▪️Review each cause and develop action items
