Fishbone Diagram Template

This example was created on the base of the figure from the website of the Iowa State University Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching.
"Fishbone.
What: The fishbone technique uses a visual organizer to identify the possible causes of a problem.
Benefits: This technique discourages partial or premature solutions and demonstrates the relative importance of, and interactions between, different parts of a problem.
How: On a broad sheet of paper, draw a long arrow horizontally across the middle of the page pointing to the right. Label the arrowhead with the title of the issue to be explained. This is the "backbone" of the "fish." Draw "spurs" from this "backbone" at about 45 degrees, one for every likely cause of the problem that the group can think of; and label each. Sub-spurs can represent subsidiary causes. The group considers each spur/ sub-spur, taking the simplest first, partly for clarity but also because a simple explanation may make more complex ones unnecessary. Ideally, the fishbone is redrawn so that position along the backbone reflects the relative importance of the different parts of the problem, with the most important at the head." [celt.iastate.edu/ creativity/ techniques.html]
The fishbone diagram example "Inability to meet project deadlines" was created using the ConceptDraw PRO diagramming and vector drawing software extended with the Fishbone Diagrams solution from the Management area of ConceptDraw Solution Park.

"Cause-and-effect diagrams can reveal key relationships among various variables, and the possible causes provide additional insight into process behavior.
Causes can be derived from brainstorming sessions. These groups can then be labeled as categories of the fishbone. They will typically be one of the traditional categories mentioned above but may be something unique to the application in a specific case. Causes can be traced back to root causes with the 5 Whys technique." [Ishikawa diagram. Wikipedia]
"The 5 Whys is an iterative question-asking technique used to explore the cause-and-effect relationships underlying a particular problem. The primary goal of the technique is to determine the root cause of a defect or problem. (The "5" in the name derives from an empirical observation on the number of iterations typically required to resolve the problem.)" [5 Whys. Wikipedia]
This Ishikawa diagram (cause and effect diagram) template is included in the Fishbone Diagram solution from the Management area of ConceptDraw Solution Park.

The library of vector stencils "Fishbone diagrams" contains 13 symbols for drawing the Ishikawa diagrams using the ConceptDraw PRO diagramming and vector drawing software.
"Ishikawa diagrams were popularized by Kaoru Ishikawa in the 1960s, who pioneered quality management processes in the Kawasaki shipyards, and in the process became one of the founding fathers of modern management.
The basic concept was first used in the 1920s, and is considered one of the seven basic tools of quality control. It is known as a fishbone diagram because of its shape, similar to the side view of a fish skeleton." [Ishikawa diagram. Wikipedia]
"The Seven Basic Tools of Quality is a designation given to a fixed set of graphical techniques identified as being most helpful in troubleshooting issues related to quality. They are called basic because they are suitable for people with little formal training in statistics and because they can be used to solve the vast majority of quality-related issues.
The seven tools are:
(1) Cause-and-effect diagram (also known as the "fishbone" or Ishikawa diagram);
(2) Check sheet;
(3) Control chart;
(4) Histogram;
(5) Pareto chart;
(6) Scatter diagram;
(7) Stratification (alternately, flow chart or run chart)." [Seven Basic Tools of Quality. Wikipedia]
The example "Design elements - Fishbone diagram" is included in the Fishbone Diagrams solution from the Management area of ConceptDraw Solution Park.