Ishikawa diagrams (also called
fishbone diagrams,
herringbone diagrams,
cause-and-effect diagrams, or
Fishikawa) are
causal diagrams created by
Kaoru Ishikawa (1968) that show the
causes of a specific . Common uses of the Ishikawa diagram are
product design and quality defect prevention to identify potential factors causing an overall effect. Each cause or reason for imperfection is a source of variation. Causes are usually grouped into major categories to identify these sources of variation. The categories typically include
- People: Anyone involved with the process
- Methods: How the process is performed and the specific requirements for doing it, such as policies, procedures, rules, regulations and laws
- Machines: Any equipment, computers, tools, etc. required to accomplish the job
- Materials: Raw materials, parts, pens, paper, etc. used to produce the final product
- Measurements: Data generated from the process that are used to evaluate its quality
- Environment: The conditions, such as location, time, temperature, and culture in which the process operates