Following procedure is often adopted when using the fishbone as a root cause analysis diagram:<\/p>\n

\n
1. The starting step is usually identifying the problem, the effect. Best practice is to be as specific and concise as possible for better and quick results. Avoid giving any indication of where the cause may be, even if a general idea is known. Example, consider the problem statement, \u201cYearly turnover report shows decline in the quality of product\u201d or \u201cYearly report indicates decline in product quality, R&D department can really boost our sales.\u201d On the outside, one may be tempted to pick the 2^{nd<\/sup> statement, however it really states the problem lie with the R&D department. A big NO in the problem statement!<\/li>\n}
2. Brainstorm and get to the major causes that resulted in the said problem. Was it poor research behind the decline in quality? Did our policy play a role in the decrease in sales? Is the equipment present good enough? These and many more questions surface major causes. The 6 M\u2019s namely Man (Personnel), Mother-nature (Climate, geography), Maintenance, Methods (Policies\/Procedures), Machine (Equipment) and Material (Raw material) offers general outline for causes. However, sometimes they are grouped as:<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
   \n
   • Environmental Factors<\/li>\n
   • Equipment & Supply Factors<\/li>\n
   • Rules\/Policies<\/li>\n
   • Personnel<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
     \n
     1. The 5 Why technique is the norm to be utilized in fishbone root cause analysis diagram where \u2018Why is this\u2019 carries the discussion. Each idea presented is met with the why question so that more and more in-depth searching can be done. With a well-focused team, brainstorming this way allows quick identification of the root cause in a not so challenging way.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        Construction of a Fishbone Diagram<\/h2>\n

        The problem statement(effect) is usually placed at the head\/mouth of the fish. The major cause categories are listed at the ends of bones. A good practice is to leave some space in between the bones to ensure the causes are highlighted and the root cause analysis process is visually appealing at the same time. Sticky notes can be passed to the team members who are encouraged to openly write down what is on their mind without judgement. The Fishbone diagram along with 5 why\u2019s analysis yields good quantifiable results once all members get exhausted of more ideas. Often, a voting pattern is adopted to ensure all team members give their opinion for the root cause and are on the same page so as to say.<\/p>\n

        Final Remarks<\/h2>\n

        Root cause analysis is an important management tool to ensuring any problem that surfaced gets corrected without much damage. It also highlights how effective current practice are. This way, any present or future problem that can occur is predicted and suitable controls can be implemented to avoid it from happening. Fishbone diagram is an efficient method of doing just that! It not only is rigorous in approach to get to the root cause of an issue, but at the same time is a fun activity that ensures a progressive working relation among the team and thus, the organization.<\/p>\n<\/div>

        <\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1412,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1411","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-quality-articles"],"yoast_head":"\n