Fishbone Diagram: Identify Root Causes Visually

The Fishbone Diagram, which is also known as the Ishikawa Diagram or the Cause and Effect Diagram, is the most powerful tool among all problem-solving techniques for root cause analysis. By using the diagram, teams can investigate all factors including the less visible ones that are contributing to the problem rather than restricting their analysis to the apparent symptoms only.

In case you are dealing with the continuous quality issue, customer complaints, or operational delays, the visual method can facilitate your team in a better understanding of the problem and thus be able to take data-driven corrective actions together with the team.

The Fishbone Diagram Template is at your disposal for immediate usage, or you may make one of your own with the help of the Workflow & Process Diagram Maker.

What is a Fishbone Diagram?

A Fishbone Diagram organizes potential causes of a problem into categories that “branch” from the main issue, forming a structure that resembles a fish skeleton. The “head” represents the problem statement, while each “bone” corresponds to a cause category such as People, Methods, or Equipment.
This method encourages teams to dig deeper into all contributing factors — helping ensure that the true cause is uncovered before implementing a fix. It’s a cornerstone technique for Lean, Six Sigma, and Total Quality Management (TQM) practices.

Why Use a Fishbone Diagram

Fishbone diagrams do not only bring order but also enhance the quality of brainstorming sessions and are therefore considered a must-have tool for quality and performance improving teams. They change unstructured conversations into a defined and illustrated scrutiny that includes all the factors affecting the issue.

• Extensive analysis: Promotes thorough probing into every possible impact on people, processes, and tools.
• Departmental cooperation: Merges views from various departments for a complete understanding of the problems that keep recurring
• Finding root causes: Allows teams to go beyond conjecture and recognize the factors that actually lie behind the performance gaps.
• Improvement of the process: Forms a pictorial reference that not only directs but also unifies the preventive actions and solution finding.

The 6M Framework (Typical Cause Categories)

The 6M framework is the most common one for the construction of Fishbone Diagrams, which was initially intended for the manufacturing sector but later on, it found application in numerous industries.

1. Manpower (People): Training deficiencies, workload distribution being uneven, lack of responsibility, or human mistake.
2. Machines: Failures occurred in the equipment, lack of maintenance, or old technology causing delays.
3. Methods: Workflows that are not effective, lack of clarity in the procedures, or process documentation that is not consistent.
4. Materials: Supply shortages, poor-quality inputs, or inaccurate specifications.
5. Measurement: Data inaccuracies, poor calibration, or missing performance indicators.
6. Mother Nature (Environment): External conditions like temperature, noise, or workspace layout that impact results.

You may utilize the Fishbone Diagram Template to customize or enlarge these categories according to your industry — for instance, using “Software,” “Policy,” or “Customer Factors” in the IT or service sectors.

How to Create a Fishbone Diagram

Building a Fishbone Diagram is a structured process that combines data collection, brainstorming, and analysis. Each step helps uncover hidden relationships between causes and effects.

1. Define the problem: Start by clearly stating the issue in measurable terms at the “head” of the fish. Example: “Customer complaints about delayed deliveries.”
2. Identify major categories: Select 4–6 primary cause groups based on the 6M model or your team’s context.
3. List contributing factors: Brainstorm all possible sub-causes within each category and attach them to the corresponding “bones.”
4. Investigate relationships: Discuss how each sub-cause might contribute to the main problem and gather supporting data.
5. Highlight the root cause: Review frequency, impact, and data to identify the most likely sources of the issue for resolution.

Try the Workflow & Process Diagram Maker to generate professional, editable Fishbone Diagrams effortlessly.

Example Use Cases

Fishbone Diagrams are applied across industries wherever structured problem-solving and continuous improvement are priorities.

• Manufacturing: Trace recurring production defects to issues in materials, methods, or machinery performance.
• Customer experience: Identify causes behind negative feedback, response delays, or service inconsistencies.
• Software engineering: Analyze recurring bugs, deployment errors, or integration failures during sprints.
• Healthcare and education: Improve operational reliability, safety procedures, and service quality through structured analysis.

Conclusion

The Fishbone Diagram stays to be one of the most productive and teamwork-oriented methods to reveal root causes in any work. It provides a clear structure, and visibility, and co-participation in the solution to the problem, thus, advancing the organizations from the defeat of recurring problems to the establishment of the new improvements.

You can begin graphically exploring your processes with the Fishbone Diagram Template and create high-quality root cause diagrams in less than 10 minutes with the help of the Workflow & Process Diagram Maker. For further insight, please refer to the Workflow & Process Diagrams Guide blog.