FAH 0033

APPROACHES TO PROBLEM-
SOLVING TECHNIQUES:
FISHBONE ANALYSIS
 Fishbone Diagram –
Problem Analysis Tool
What is a Fishbone diagram?
 Dr. Kaoru Ishikawa, a Japanese quality control
statistician, invented the fishbone diagram.
Therefore, it may be referred to as the Ishikawa
diagram.
 The fishbone diagram is an analysis tool that
provides a systematic way of looking at effects
and the causes that create or contribute to those
effects.
 Fishbone Diagram –
Problem Analysis Tool
 Because of the function of the fishbone diagram,
it may be referred to as a cause-and-effect
diagram. The design of the diagram looks much
like the skeleton of a fish. Therefore, it is often
referred to as the fishbone diagram.
 Fishbone Diagram –
Problem Analysis Tool
 The value of the fishbone diagram is to assist
teams in categorizing the many potential causes
of problems or issues in an orderly way and in
identifying root causes.
 Usefulness of Fishbone
Analysis
 it can be used when the team...
- needs to study a problem/issue to determine the root
cause
- wants to study all the possible reasons why a process is
beginning to have difficulties, problems, or breakdowns
- needs to identify areas for data collection
- wants to study why a process is not performing properly
or producing the desired results
 Tools on Fishbone diagrams
 The 4 W's of the Fishbone diagram should be
considered. The 4 W's are:
1. What - refers to questions concerning objects such as
machines and materials,
2. Why - which is concerned with questions on the
conditions such as motivation,
3. When - refers to problems concerning the time
sequence in the process such as the time of day or
sequence in production,
4. Where - is concerned with the effects associated with
place, such as a production line, branch office, or
loading dock.
 Tools on Fishbone diagrams
 For manufacturing problems, the 5 M's are a
useful tool in finding possible causes to a
problem.
 The 5 M's are characterized as
- manpower,
- materials,
- methods,
- machines, and
- measurements.
 Tools on Fishbone diagrams
 For problems that are being examined in the
service industry, the 5 P's can be used to develop
the Cause Effect (CE)/Fishbone diagram:
- People (employees)
- Provisions (supplies)
- Procedures (processes)
- Place (environment)
- Patrons (customers)
 How does it look like? An
example…
 Situation: The goal of not meeting a
deadline is influenced by a number of
factors.
 The diagram (that follows) depicts 4
broad categories under which are
grouped causes that we have identified
as driving forces or obstacles.
 Rules/Techniques of
Fishbone Analysis
 Basic Steps:
1. Draw the fishbone diagram....
2. List the problem/issue/goal to be studied in the
"head of the fish". (1st level – main line)
3. Label each "bone" of the "fish". (2nd level). List
each 2nd level cause to the 1st level.
4. The major categories for the 2nd level are typically
utilized as:
 An example of a fishbone
diagram
 An example: Problem - Not meeting deadline
 Fishbone diagram in
Manufacturing environments
FISHBONE DIAGRAM
Broad category

Measurement Materials Methods

Goal

Environment People Machines

 Rules/Techniques of
Fishbone Analysis
5. Use an idea-generating technique (e.g.,
brainstorming) to identify the factors within
each category that may be affecting the
problem/issue and/or effect being
studied.This is known as the 3rd level. The
team should ask... "What are the machine
issues affecting/causing..."
 Rules/Techniques of
Fishbone Analysis
6. Repeat this procedure with each factor
under the category to produce sub-factors.
Continue asking, "Why is this happening?“
(4th level) and put additional segments in
each factor and subsequently under each
sub-factor.
7. Continue until you no longer get useful
information as you ask, "Why is that
happening?"
 Rules/Techniques of
Fishbone Analysis
8. Analyze the results of the fishbone after
team members agree that an adequate
amount of detail has been provided under
each major category. Do this by looking for
those items that appear in more than one
category. These become the 'most likely
causes".
 Rules/Techniques of
Fishbone Analysis
9. For those items identified as the "most likely
causes", the team should reach consensus on
listing those items in priority order with the first
item being the most “probable” cause.
 Two examples of fish diagrams follow which
includes an analysis of a company’s
performance.
 Figure 1 - Strategic Fishbone
(Bold Type indicates significance)

Increase Net Revenue

Increase Gross Revenue

Increase Existing Increase Margin
Introduce Franchising Product Volume Increase Price
New Product Joint Acquisition
Venture Increase Add Value Decrease cost
Merge Acquire Increase Demand
New Market
Industry Current Share Eliminate Sales Government
Industry Reduce Competition Financing
New Supply Compliance
Compliment Compliment Segment Info
Product Differentiate Increase Market Product Overhead
Substitute Territory Decision
Substitute New Product Need Management Lines
Product
Geographic Support
Decrease Communications
Increase Demographic Invent
Price Present Use Invent New Uses Distribution
Impair Perceived New Uses Channel
Competition Price Promotion Storage Length
Increased Increase Product Scheduling
Potential Feature/Function Perceived Purchasing
Existing entry/exit Product Need Increase Power
Scale
barriers Price Companion Cost Increase Human Economics
Buyout Products Use Engineering Productivity
Competition Pre-emptive Perceived Real Improve
Market Strike Feature/Function Feature/Function Process Reduce
Distribution Increase
Power Style Waste
Speed
Channels Increase
Supplier Brand Packaging Product Reduce Increase Quality
Power
Sizes Locations Waste Speed
Vertical Scale Promotion Warranties Increase
Buyer Economics Inventory
Horizontal Quality Options Transport Quality Adapted from Nolan,
Power Volumes Learning Features Norton & Company
Curves
FISHBONE ANALYSIS
1. Identifying the Problem
EFFECT
CAUSE
Reports not
printed within
timeframe

PROBLEM
2. Determine the Main Causes
Materials Manpower

Reports not
printed within
timeframe

Machinery Methodology
3. Determine the Minor Causes

Materials Manpower

Insufficient Manpower shortage

supplies No training
Not Poor proof-reading
enough
Reports
funds Bad attitude not
printed
within
Power supply time-
interruptions Report received late
frame
Insufficient
Late proof-reading/setting
machines
Frequent breakdowns Changes during processing

Machinery Methodology
4. Determine the Actual Causes

Materials Manpower

Insufficient Manpower shortage

supplies No training
NOT POOR PROOF-
ENOUGH READING
Reports
FUNDS Bad attitude not
printed
within
Power supply time-
interruptions Report received late
frame
Insufficient
machines LATE PROOF-READING/SETTING
FREQUENT
Changes during processing
BREAKDOWNS
Machinery Methodology
5. Arrange Causes According to Priority

Materials Manpower

Not Poor
enough proof-
funds reading Reports
not
printed
within
time-
Late proof-
frame
Frequent
reading/
break-
setting
downs

Machinery Methodology