< FISH BONE DIAGRAM>

A PROBLEM SOLVING APPROACH

A KEY TOOL FOR ROOT CAUSE ANALYSIS
SADIA HANIF

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LEARNING OUTCOME

Able to explore causes of a problem or an event,

without biasness

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WHAT IS FISHBONE DIAGRAM?

Also known as Ishikawa diagram, was invented by Kaoru

Ishikawa, in Japan in the 1960 s. The diagram is
considered one of the seven basic tools of quality control.
It is known as a Fishbone diagram because of its shape.

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WHERE IS FISHBONE DIAGRAM USED?

• Project presentations to showcase root cause analysis

• Brainstorming session for developing new product design
• Review sessions for Quality defect prevention etc.

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 WHY DO WE USE FISHBONE DIAGRAMS?
Provides Facilitate deeper thinking
structure about possible causation
Helps group possible
causes into Visualise possible causes
categories of a problem

Helps to work towards

To help determine why a addressing the problem
particular problem is
happening
Get a snapshot
of collective knowledge
Gain a shared insight into
the problem
Discover root causes before
you start to think of a solution
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 HOW TO CREATE A FISHBONE DIAGRAM?

• Involves right people, who might be affected by the problem

• Get equipped- Pens, Flipchart/Whiteboard, Post-it notes
• Brainstorming
Traditional ‘all call out’
• Everyone calls out their ideas
• Note keeper writes/types up ideas onto the fishbone diagram
Silent brainstorming
• Everyone has some post-its
• Individuals given time to think about the possible causes & to write these
down individually
• Ideas on the post-its are then added to the diagram one-by-one and
categorized 6
 STEPS TO CREATE THE FISHBONE
DIAGRAM:

Step 1: Draw the head of the fish

Step 2: Drawing the big bones

Step 3: Fleshing out the

bones

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CREATING THE FISHBONE DIAGRAM
Primary Primary Primary
cause 3 Cause 2 Causes 1
Sub-causes

Main
Problem

Primary
Cause 6 Primary Primary
Cause 5 cause 4
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THE FISHBONE DIAGRAM IS LOOK LIKE;

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 ACTIVITY
Create a Fishbone diagram for a problem, ‘Rote Learning’, in
Education system
Step 1: The chart with the structure of Fishbone diagram will be provided
and the problem will be written in the head section of Fishbone diagram.
Step 2: The primary problems will be filled by any six students (call out
randomly)
Step 3: The remaining students will fill the Fishbone diagram with
secondary and tertiary problems
Strategy: Silent brainstorming
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EXAMPLE IN INDUSTRY

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EXAMPLE IN MEDICAL

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EXAMPLE: FISHBONE DIAGRAM IDENTIFYING THE
POTENTIAL KEY VARIABLES OF A WHEAT AGROBACTERIUM
MEDIATED TRANSFORMATION PROCESS

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 •Problem tree analysis map out in
details the composition of cause and
effect around an issue to find its
solutions

•Problem tree is also called Situational

Analysis or simply Problem analysis

WHAT IS PROBLEM TREE?

 Secondary Secondary
effects effects

Primary Primary
effects effects
Effects
Core Problem

Primary Primary
causes causes Core Problem
Root causes
Root causes

Causes
PROBLEM TREE
 Deteriorated
Mother Low Income
Child Health

Infant Workers’ Low

Mortality Efficiency

High rate of diseases Effects

Lack of Clean Water

Fewer water Deteriorated

Water Delivery
connections System Core Problem

Corrupt Lack of Funds

Water Staff

Causes
EXAMPLE OF PROBLEM TREE
 Effect Goal

Problem Objective

Cause Outcome

Output

Activity

PROBLEM TREE OBJECTIVE TREE