The fishbone diagram was given its name due to its resemblance to a fish’s skeleton. When applied correctly, it ensures that you address the actual cause of the problem and don’t just implement a superficial solution.
The fishbone diagram helps one group these causes and provides a structure in which to display them. What is a fishbone diagram?Ī fishbone diagram, also known as the Ishikawa diagram or cause and effect diagram, is a tool used to visualize all the potential causes of a problem in order to discover the root causes. A fishbone diagram may also be referred to as a cause and effect diagram, an Ishikawa diagram, a Herringbone diagram or an Ishikawa diagram. The only way to ensure this is to make use of a structured approach - and that’s where the fishbone diagram comes in. It’s important that you are able to determine the cause of such problems in a timely manner. Problems can occur in any business and may take many different forms.