Save to My Latticework unsave

Fishbone / Ishikawa Diagram
Fishbone / Ishikawa Diagram
Fishbone / Ishikawa Diagram
save0 saved view16.1K views
Share this with your network
Share this with your network
Overview

Track the reasons behind challenges and problems in any domain using this hierarchy based tool — bonus, it looks like a fish, what’s no ...

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Non enim iam stirpis bonum quaeret, sed animalis. Quid enim est a Chrysippo praetermissum in Stoicis? Invidiosum nomen est, infame, suspectum. Quia dolori non voluptas contraria est, sed doloris privatio. Quod autem ratione actum est, id officium appellamus.

At iam decimum annum in spelunca iacet. Ita cum ea volunt retinere, quae superiori sententiae conveniunt, in Aristonem incidunt; Ita redarguitur ipse a sese, convincunturque scripta eius probitate ipsius ac moribus. Quamvis enim depravatae non sint, pravae tamen esse possunt. Eam si varietatem diceres, intellegerem, ut etiam non dicente te intellego; Quid ergo aliud intellegetur nisi uti ne quae pars naturae neglegatur? Satis est tibi in te, satis in legibus, satis in mediocribus amicitiis praesidii. Equidem etiam Epicurum, in physicis quidem, Democriteum puto. Esse enim quam vellet iniquus iustus poterat inpune.

An est aliquid per se ipsum flagitiosum, etiamsi nulla comitetur infamia? Praeclarae mortes sunt imperatoriae; Duo Reges: constructio interrete. Nam illud vehementer repugnat, eundem beatum esse et multis malis oppressum.

Share this model with your network to be smarter, faster, together!
Actionable Takeaways
  • Identify the problem, or effect. 

Define the problem or end effect that is being investigated and w ...

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Duo Reges: constructio interrete. Si enim ad populum me vocas, eum. Itaque ad tempus ad Pisonem omnes. Ergo, si semel tristior effectus est, hilara vita amissa est? At, illa, ut vobis placet, partem quandam tuetur, reliquam deserit. Eorum enim omnium multa praetermittentium, dum eligant aliquid, quod sequantur, quasi curta sententia; Cum autem in quo sapienter dicimus, id a primo rectissime dicitur. Atqui perspicuum est hominem e corpore animoque constare, cum primae sint animi partes, secundae corporis. Dulce amarum, leve asperum, prope longe, stare movere, quadratum rotundum. Atqui iste locus est, Piso, tibi etiam atque etiam confirmandus, inquam;

Progredientibus autem aetatibus sensim tardeve potius quasi nosmet ipsos cognoscimus. An vero displicuit ea, quae tributa est animi virtutibus tanta praestantia? Atque haec ita iustitiae propria sunt, ut sint virtutum reliquarum communia. Non enim quaero quid verum, sed quid cuique dicendum sit. Haec et tu ita posuisti, et verba vestra sunt. Quare ad ea primum, si videtur;

At quicum ioca seria, ut dicitur, quicum arcana, quicum occulta omnia? Deinceps videndum est, quoniam satis apertum est sibi quemque natura esse carum, quae sit hominis natura. Cum ageremus, inquit, vitae beatum et eundem supremum diem, scribebamus haec. Obsecro, inquit, Torquate, haec dicit Epicurus?

Explore More
Fishbone / Ishikawa Diagram is featured in these playbooks:
Limitations

The main issues with the diagram are the differentiation between causes and sub causes. For example, some causes might be complex, with many elements below them, becoming impractical to capture in the diagram. By breaking it up into separate categories, the diagram also does not lend itself to a more connected view of challenges. 

Finally, there is no clear prioritisation within the diagram — all causes seem equal, when in reality a sub cause, which is visually small, might be the key issue. Other causes and sub causes therefore might become a distraction.

In Practice

Internal damages at IKEA.

This paper from Ikea in Portugal describes a process improvement process to address the level of internal damages in Ikea stores. The diagram below was part of a broader analysis process.

Build your latticework
This model will help you to:

The fishbone or Ishikawa diagram, also known as the cause-and-effect diagram, is a core tool within quality management and is commonly used for improvements in products, manufacturing and other fields. 

Use the following examples of connected and complementary models to weave the fishbone diagram into your broader latticework of mental models. Alternatively, discover your own connections by exploring the category list above. 

Connected models: 

  • 5 Whys: in digging to root cause, use this as part of the fishbone process. 
  • Second order thinking: to go beyond the initial cause to sub causes. 
  • 4Ps of marketing: as possible categories. 

Complementary models: 

  • Risk matrix: to consider potential issues with consequences versus likelihood. 
  • Chain reaction/ domino effect: to consider the flow on effects of potential issues. 
  • First principle thinking: to identify and go below assumptions. 
  • Occam’s razor: to cut to the core of the issue. 
  • Divide and conquer: separating out and addressing potential causes.
Origins & Resources

The Fishbone Diagram was created by quality management pioneer Professor Kaoru Ishikawa in 1968. Ishikawa, an engineer, was a leader of quality management at Kawasaki at the time. In his 1986 book, Guide to Quality Control, Ishikawa argued that there were six other key quality tools in addition to what he called the ‘cause-and-effect diagram’, which were: control chart, histogram, flow chart, run chart, scatter diagram and Pareto chart. 

My Notes

    Nothing here yet. Join ModelThinkers and login to be the first to comment.
Already a ModelThinkers member? Please log in here.

Oops, That’s Members’ Only!

Fortunately, it only costs US$5/month to Join ModelThinkers and access everything so that you can rapidly discover, learn, and apply the world’s most powerful ideas.

ModelThinkers membership at a glance:

Small mark
UNLOCK EVERYTHING
Access all mental models and premium content.
Small mark
BUILD YOUR LATTICEWORK
Save models to your personal list.
Small mark
QUICKLY MEMORISE MODELS
Use our Learn function to embed models to memory
Small mark
PERSONALISE MODELS
Add your own notes and reminders.
Small mark
BUILD YOUR ‘EXTERNAL BRAIN’
Discover a new idea? Capture it by adding a new model.
Small mark
JOIN THE MT COMMUNITY
Rate models, comment and access exclusive events.

“Yeah, we hate pop ups too. But we wanted to let you know that, with ModelThinkers, we’re making it easier for you to adapt, innovate and create value. We hope you’ll join us and the growing community of ModelThinkers today.”

Arun Pradhan & Shai Desai
CoFounders, ModelThinkers.

You Might Also Like:

- Actionable summaries of the world's most powerful ideas.