How to Construct a Fishbone Diagram

What is Fishbone, Ishikawa or Cause and Effect Diagram

A Cause and Effect diagram or Fishbone diagram shows the key points of business issues. So, let’s find out more about a Cause and Effect diagram.

This diagram helps understand the reasons of completed or potential actions by structuring their causes in smaller categories. Also, one can use it to see how the contributing factors are related to each other.

In everyday company routine, a Cause and Effect diagram is helpful with a number of regular activities like brainstorming, project management, and problem solving. A Cause and Effect diagram is often called a Fishbone diagram or Ishikawa diagram. It is also included into the Seven Basic Tools of Quality.

They are called Fishbone Diagrams because the outline of the finished diagram resembles a fish’s skeleton – with the ‘fish’s head’ on the right and ‘the tail’ on the left. Most such diagrams include common potential causes for any issue in question.

How to Construct a Fishbone Diagram

How to Construct a Fishbone Diagram? Construction a Fishbone diagram in professional diagramming software ConceptDraw DIAGRAM v12 is more easy than you think. Just use the predesigned vector elements from the Fishbone Diagrams library for Fishbone Diagrams solution or one of plenty Fishbone templates and examples, and you will get a Cause and Effect diagram in minutes. Follow next steps for the constructing:

• Launch ConceptDraw DIAGRAM v12
• Set a page orientation: File – Page Setup – Horizontal Orientation – Ok.

  

• Open the Fishbone Diagrams library on the Libraries panel:

  

• Take an Effect (rectangle head) object from the library. Place it on the page.

  

• Take a Category object from the library. Connect it to one of the connection points.

  

• Repeat it as many times as necessary.

  

• Name the categories.

  

• Take a Cause object from the library. Connect it to the Category object.

  

• Holding down the Option key (ALT), copy the object. Place it on the diagram.

  

• Name the Causes.

  

• Take a Reason (secondary cause) object from the library. Connect it to the Cause object.

  

• Holding down the Option key (ALT), copy the object. Place it on the diagram.

  

• Select the Category objects. Holding down the Shift key, click successively on the needed objects.
• Open Color menu from the Toolbar – Shape Color – Change the color.

  

• Open the Text tab in Inspectors – Change text color.

  

• Select the diagram excluding the Effect object.
• Use Cmd+A – Holding down the Shift key, click the Effect object.
• Open the Line tab in Inspectors. Change the color.

  

• Select the arrow of the Effect object. Open the Line tab in Inspectors.
• Make the color same as of Category objects using the Eyedropper tool.

  

• Select the Cause text – Change Color.

  

• Set Alignment.

  

• Select the Reason objects. Holding down the Shift key, click successively on the needed objects.
• Open the Text tab in Inspectors. Set Color, Font, Size and Alignment.

  

• Take a Fish frame from the library. Place it on the page.

  

• Open the Line tab in Inspectors – Change Color and Width.

  

• Select the rectangle head of the Effect object – delete it.

  

• Use the Search option on the Library panel to find a needed object.

  

• Take a Coffee cup object. Place it on the diagram.

  

• Now your Drawing is ready.
• You may save it or export to different formats via the File menu.

The possibility of exporting to variety of popular graphical formats (PNG, JPEG, JPG, GIF, TIF, TIFF, BMP, DIB, EMF, SVG) and file formats, such as Microsoft PowerPoint (PPT), Adobe Acrobat (PDF), Microsoft Visio (VDX, VSDX), Adobe Flash (SWF), Encapsulated PostScript (EPS), HTML, opens wide opportunities for you.

The Fishbone Diagrams Solution for ConceptDraw DIAGRAM v12 Solution Park is available for all ConceptDraw DIAGRAM v12 or later users. Use it for easy and effective cause and effect analysis and problem solving.