Problem Solving Technique - Fish Bone Diagram

There are many techniques of identifying problems. Fish Bone diagram is one of them. The fish bone digram is sometimes referred to as “The Ishikawa Diagram” developed by Professor Kaoru Ishikawa of the University of Tokyo. The main purpose of this technique is to identify and list all the possible causes of the problem at hand. This is basically a group technique, but can be applied individually also.

This process is called the Fishbone Diagram because of the unique way in which the information gathered is arranged visually. When the problem and its causes are recorded, they forms a figure resembling skeleton of a Fish. Mean one central line depicts it backbone and side line depicts fines. The problem is written down and enclosed in a circle on the right side of the sheet.  A straight line is drawn to the left and appears much line backbone of a fish. The next step is draw lines at 45 degree on the central line.

At the end of each of these stem lines listed all the causes of the problem that are brainstormed. These stem lines further may have more lines. Each line depicts a cause of the problem. The cause should be listed with the least complicated nearest the head of the fish and the most complicated.

The fishbone diagram can be brainstormed over more than one session. Ishikawa describes the process as one in which “you write your problem down on the head of the fish and then let it cook overnight.” When the technique is employed over two or more sessions, new ideas may arise from the three main effects:

(1)    There is time for the subconscious to work on the problem;

(2)    Participants are likely to be less inhibited as the authorship of particular contributions will be forgotten; and

(3)    People may become more immersed in the problem, if they think about it day and night.

When the diagram is completed, the individual or group begins to analyze. The stems and the branches to determine the real problem or problems that need to be solved. If simpler problems are examined first, they can be removed from consideration before more complicated problems are tackled. If the problem solver(s) decide that certain causes are more significant than others, these will be given more attention in the alternative generation stage of CPS.

Fishbone diagram of Problem – “Poor Sales of a New Product”

The fishbone diagram is an extremely useful technique for identifying problems for several reasons:

1. It encourages problem solvers to study all parts of a problem before making a decision.
2. It helps show the relationships between causes and the relative importance of those causes.
3. It helps start the creative process because it focuses the problem solver(s) on the problem.
4. It helps start a logical sequence for solving a problem.
5. It helps problem solvers see the total problem as opposed to focusing on a narrow part of it.
6. If offers a way to reduce the scope of the problem and solve less complex issues rather than more complex ones.
7. It helps keep people focused on the real problem rather than going off on tangents.

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