OM Notes

Ishikawa Diagram
1. Ishikawa diagram helped the employees avoid solutions that merely address the symptoms of a much larger
problem.
2. Ishikawa Diagram is a technique for identifying all the possible causes (inputs) associated with a particular problem
/ effect (output) before narrowing down to the small number of main, root causes which need to be addressed.
3. Cause-and-Effect diagrams graphically display potential causes of a problem
4. The layout shows Cause-and-Effect relationships between the potential causes

Why use a Cause and Effect Diagram

1. Providing a structure to understand the relationships between many possible causes of a problem
2. Serving as a visual display of causes that have been studied
3. Giving people a framework for planning what data to collect in problem
4. Helping team members communicate within the team and with the rest of the organization

Identifying causes.
Determine large category of cause according to your working environment

1. MSHE group; Management, Soft (system, methodology), hard (machine, equipment) Environment
2. 4M group; Man, Machine, Material, Method

Example of grouping of causes

1. Human: knowledge, skills health conditions, physical conditions etc.
2. Soft: system, methodologies, mechanism etc.
3. Hard: material, equipment, furniture, tools etc.
4. Environment: facility environment (water supply, electricity, smell, humidity etc.), working environment (work
space, accessibility of materials, arrangement etc.)
How to do cause and effect analysis?
1. Identify the Problem/Issue
a. Select a particular problem, issue or effect.
b. Make sure the problem is specific, tightly defined and relatively small in scope.
c. Everyone participating the analysis must understands exactly what is being analysed.
2. Brainstorming for the possible causes
a. Conduct a Brainstorm of all the possible causes of the effect, i.e., problem.
b. Have a mixed team from different parts of the process (e.g., assemblers and testers).
c. Get a “fresh pair of eyes” - from someone who is not too close to the process.
d. Have a facilitator - an impartial referee.
e. Everyone is an equal contributor (“leave stripes at the
door”).
f. Fast and furious - go for quantity rather than quality (of ideas) at first.
3. Align Outputs with Cause Categories
a. Review your brainstorm outputs and align with the recommended major cause categories, e.g., the
People, Method, Machine, Material, Environment and Measurement System.
Note:
These may not fit every situation and different major categories might well be appropriate in some
instances, however, the total should not exceed six. Other categories may include Communications,
Policies, Customer/Supplier Issues etc.
4. Draw Cause and Effect Diagram