Customizing the Fishbone Diagram

How to Fine Tune Your QI Macros Fishbone

fishbone diagram excel

Since we couldn't anticipate every fishbone you might create (imagine every tree in your neighborhood), you may want to customize various aspects of the fishbone diagram:

  • Size and depth of text boxes (just click on the box and resize it)
  • Shape of the arrows (just click on the arrow and stretch or resize it)
  • Positioning of the arrows or text boxes (just click on the box or arrow and then drag it to the new position)

How to Customize QI Macros Automated Fishbone DiagramĀ 

  1. Put desired text into the unused "Whys" on the Outline sheet:
  2. unused whys image

  3. Refresh the Fishbone Diagram using the "Create Fishbone Button":
  4. create fishbone

  5. Move the new arrows and text to the desired location:
  6. Click and Drag Fishbones and Text

  7. Result:
  8. Customized Fishbone Diagram

How to Customize QI Macros Manual Fishbone DiagramĀ 

  1. Use Select Objects to select the bones you want to copy:
  2. Select objects in Excel Select bones on Fishbone diagram - QI Macros

  3. Copy the bones:
  4. Copy bones on QI Macros Fishbone Diagram

  5. Paste the bones and drag them to where you want to use them:
  6. Paste bones onto a QI Macros Fishbone Diagram

  7. Modify the text in the bones.

You can also do this for the automated fishbones, but text boxes must be modified manually. If you end up with too many bones, you may be doing a "Whalebone" diagram which means that the problem wasn't stratified enough using Pareto charts. You may need to back up and narrow your focus.


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