What is a Fish Bone Diagram? business ideas |

Uses

1. The groups use this method of thinking both solve existing problems and prepare the causes of future problems. It may also help to stimulate new thinking when a group is caught in a cycle of unproductive thinking.

First Steps

2. The first step in creating a fishbone diagram is to decide what is the result of an investigation. Write the result on the extreme right of your paper and draw a line in the result to the extreme left of your paper.

Categories

3. The American Society for Quality suggests that teams attempting to come up with categories ask the question "Why does this (outcome) happen?" Categories should be broad areas of potential causes, such as "machinery" or "policies." Draw lines coming off the "spine" of the diagram and label them with categories.

Filling in Categories

4. Once you have categories of general causes, you can begin to fill it. Give ideas on lines branching from your classes, leaving the more specific causes for each branch.

Final product

5. The final product should look vaguely a fish skeleton. This similarity is the root of the common name of the diagram, fishbone diagram. "

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