Ishikawa Fishbone Analysis

Jay Arthur
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KnowWare International, Inc.
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Ishikawa Fishbone Analysis

To analyze root causes using an Ishikawa fishbone diagram:

1. Put the problem statement in the head of the fish and the major causes at the end of the major bones. Major causes include:
   • Processes, machines, materials, measurement, people, environment
   • Steps of a process (step 1, step 2, etc.).
   • Whatever makes sense
2. Begin with the most likely main cause.
3. For each cause, ask "Why?" up to five times.
4. Circle one-to-five ROOT causes (end of "why" chain)
5. Verify the root causes with data (Pareto or Scatter Diagram)

Types of Ishikawa Diagrams

The Ishikawa fishbone diagram is just one of the tools included in the QI Macros for Excel SPC Software for Excel.

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It's easy to perform Ishikawa Fishbone Analysis with the QI Macros

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