The fishbone diagram is a method that guides teams to find the root cause of the problem in order to manage a project most effectively. In this blog post, you will find answers to the questions of what is a fishbone and how to apply a fishbone diagram. What is the Use of a Fishbone Diagram? In the world of fishbone diagram, it is a visualization tool used to understand and solve the root causes of the problems encountered in the project. Also known as a business cause and effect diagram or lshikawa diagram. It takes its name from its fishbone-like structure. When creating a fishbone diagram, you create the bone part of the fish by writing the ’causes’ on the left under different cause categories. On the right side you place the effect or problem being investigated, the ‘fish’s head’. This visualization provides an effective way to quickly visualize the causes associated with the effect. How to Apply a Fishbone Diagram? There are some materials needed when applying the fishbone diagram. These materials are a blackboard and blackboard pencils. Once the necessary materials are provided, you can start creating the fishbone diagram. Define the Problem Identify an impact or problem in the project process and frame it as if you were drawing the head of a fish and draw an arrow to create the skeleton. Determine the Root Causes of the Issue At this stage, create main cause categories to connect the skeleton of the fishbone diagram to the spine. These categories should be written by dividing them into sub-branches around the main arrow, that is, the skeleton of the fish. You can brainstorm with your team to find the root causes of the problem. The root causes may vary depending on the industry and the problem. For example, let’s say the problem is wasted gasoline. The main reasons for this problem may be methods, people, materials and machines. Brainstorm You should organize brainstorming sessions with the teams to identify all the causes of the problem. In this session, “why did this situation arise?” and get everyone to share their ideas. As ideas begin to emerge, write each idea under its appropriate category. Identify Sub-Causes For each reason you identify, “why did this situation occur?” Ask again separately. These questions help you dig deeper into the problem. It also creates the branches or bone layers in the fishbone diagram. Decide on Root Causes The final step is to decide on the root causes of the problem. To decide this, you can look at the most common causes across multiple categories.
