Cause-and-effect diagrams. Cause-and-effect diagrams are also known as Fish-bone diagrams, why-why diagrams, or Ishikawa diagrams. These types of diagrams are used to identify the root causes of problems and come up with a solution for each issue.
How to Create a Cause and Effect Diagram
A cause and effect diagram can be created in six steps:
- Draw Problem Statement : Start by identifying the issue you want to solve.
- Draw Major Cause Categories : Create an arrow extending from the problem for Major causes
- Brainstorm Causes : Brainstorm other minor causes for each major cause.
- Categorize Causes : Categories each cause into the main Bone.
- Determine Deeper Causes : Determine the ribs for each Main cause.
- Identify Root Causes : Identify the root cause of the issue.
An Example for how fish bone diagrams helped me During my recent studies in college in order to solve issues with my assignments by identifying all the places i was lacking in and losing marks and by discussing with my professor. After laying it out on a sheet and going through each issue i was able to improve my process of preparing the assignment documents in a more professional manner. You can learn more about them in the below video.
References:
https://wpflemingcollege.com/simtiaza/2024/02/11/fishbone-diagrams-for-project-mastery/
https://www.project-management-skills.com/fishbone-diagram.html
Project Management Institute. (2017). “A guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK guide) (6th ed.).” Project Management Institute.
Image Source: http://wiki.doing-projects.org/index.php/Fishbone_Diagram
Great breakdown on fishbone diagrams! Really appreciated the clear explanation on how they uncover root causes. Looking forward to more insights from you!
Thank You Sufiyan for your valuable feedback. 🙂
Good job Newton!!!!… Excellent work… Keep going…
Thank You so much Lakshmi!! Your feedback is what Keeps me going. 🙂