A cause and effect diagram, also called a fishbone diagram or an Ishikawa diagram, is a tool used to find and analyse the root reasons of a problem or issue. It is a picture of the different things that add to a certain result or effect.
The image is called a “fishbone” because it looks like a fish’s skeleton. The problem or result is shown at the head of the fish, and the possible reasons are shown by the fish’s bones or branches.
When making a cause and effect picture, the most important steps are:
Find the issue or affect you want to look at and write it at the top of the picture.
Find the main groups or factors that could be causing the problem or affect and draw them as branches off the main line.
For each group or factor, list the specific reasons or sub-factors that could contribute to the problem and draw them as extra branches.
Continue to find and add reasons or sub-factors until you have a full list of things that might be causing the problem.
Look at the picture to figure out what the most likely causes of the problem are and how to fix them.
Cause and effect maps are helpful for problem-solving and ongoing improvement because they help find the root reasons of a problem instead of just addressing the symptoms. They can be used in many different fields, such as business, healthcare, and the service industry.
