Factory Improvement Programme, Module 2: Quality, Tool 7

FISHBONE DIAGRAM
The fishbone diagram, also known as the Ishikawa diagram after the Japanese quality
management innovator who created it, is a common tool used to help organizations solve
problems by conducting a cause and effect analysis of a situation in a diagram that looks
like a fishbone. The fishbone diagram helps you to identify the root cause of a problem. It
is also possible to identify solutions that may help solve more than one problem. While
carrying out this analysis, you may make further discoveries that will also help you
remove other blocks.

Basic steps:
1. Define the characteristics of the problem and make it the “backbone” of the fish.
2. Decide on the main causes of the problem. Many people suggest that you should
divide the causes into the categories of: Staff, Machine, Material, Method and
Environment (or Energy).
3. Assign one “large bone” -- coming off the backbone of the fish -- to each category.
4. For each main cause, think of an area that contributes to the problem e.g. lack of
training might be a main cause in the Staff category. Write these on the horizontal
lines -- the “middle bones” -- that run out from the large bones.
5. Analyse and define secondary causes and add them as “small bones”:

Staff

Large bone
Material

Middle

Small

Fine

Problem

Back bone

Method Machine

CAUSES EFFECT

For each cause, ask why does this happen? If there is another reason, include it on a
branch of the horizontal line for that cause: e.g. why is there lack of training? The answer
may be lack of funding. This should be added to the diagram.

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 Factory Improvement Programme, Module 2: Quality, Tool 7

Use the following example to explain the process.

Example 1: Cause and effect of poor productivity in fast parcel service.

Staff Working

New Staff Poor Too many stages

understanding
Idleness of customers’
No training in requirements
how to read
addresses
No ordered
Not enough storage
staff
Poor
delivery
service
Computers not
working properly
Not enough
Traffic jam transport facilities

New residential Lack of local

area area map

Facilities

These tools will help you see the larger problems more clearly and identify the smaller
problems that contribute to the larger ones.

When such a check has been carried out it is possible to look back with a sharper eye at
the whole factory process and observe how much extra work is required and how much
extra time is wasted when due to the cumulative effect of design faults, ineffective
production methods, poor management of the process and below standard work by the
worker.

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 Factory Improvement Programme, Module 2: Quality, Tool 7

Each large bone is itself a fish-bone on its own as the following examples show:

Example 2: Cause and Effect diagram of Poor Production

Poor material (1) Poor Machines(3) Poor method of

working (4)

Poor
productivity
in
Production

Poor Staff (2) Too much waste of energy

(5)

Example 3: Cause and Effect Diagram of Poor Materials.

(Materials here include raw materials, in-process material and final product).

Raw material
Lack of
Work-instruction

Poor QC
Un-stable source
No purchasing
Poor
policy
receiving
inspection
Bulk
purchasing Carelessness
Lack of means
for QC
Lack of means for QC Poor
Materials

Poor final
Poor QC No quality
inspection
checking on Non-conforming product
and testing
production from previous stage
Not enough line
inspectors

Poor production
planning Improper work instruction

In-process material
Final product

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 Factory Improvement Programme, Module 2: Quality, Tool 7

Example 4: Cause and Effect diagram for Poor Staff

Unstable labour

Extended
shift work
Accidents
Sickness

Poor Staff

Lack of skill
Idleness
training
No Lack of
teamwork technical
Carelessness training
Lack of
motivation
Poor Low
competence