fishbonediagrammen

Fishbone diagrams, also known as Ishikawa diagrams or cause-and-effect diagrams, are visual tools used to identify and analyze the possible causes of a problem. They were developed by Kaoru Ishikawa in the 1960s and are widely used in quality management, manufacturing, and service industries to determine root causes.

The diagram resembles a fishbone: a central spine with diagonal ribs representing major categories of causes. Common category groups include methods, people, materials, machines, measurements, and environment (often summarized as the 6 Ms). In healthcare or software, the categories may be adapted to fit the domain.

Use and process: define the problem statement clearly, assemble a cross-functional team, brainstorm potential causes, and place them on the diagram under relevant categories. The tool helps organize thinking, reveal gaps, and guide data collection. It is often used in combination with the 5 Whys technique to drill down to root causes and to facilitate collaborative analysis.

Benefits and limitations: the diagram offers a simple, visual, and collaborative way to brainstorm causes and structure analysis. It is particularly helpful for cross-disciplinary teams. However, it is qualitative and does not prove causation or prioritize issues by itself. It can become cluttered if too many causes are listed and usually requires skilled facilitation as part of a broader root cause analysis process.

Variations and usage: fishbone diagrams are applied across industries for product design, process improvement, safety analysis, and service delivery. The term fishbone diagram is common in English; in Dutch contexts the tool is sometimes called visgraatdiagram.