Ishikawa diagram

This is a preview of the tool. Fill it in to see how it works — nothing is saved and nobody else can see it.

Checklist

Tick each item off, step by step, to get where the tool is meant to take you.

As much information about the problem as possible has been gathered, for instance with 5W+H.

The problem is clearly written down under Effect (page 1/2).

The whole team understands the problem (paraphrasing it is worth the minute).

The cause categories fit this particular problem (page 1/2).

Specific causes have been written under every category (page 1/2).

The 2-4 most important causes are marked (page 1/2).

Those causes have been copied into the titles on page 2/2.

The ways of removing them are written down (page 2/2).

Ground rules

These should be KNOWN TO THE WHOLE TEAM before you start, and kept in mind by everyone while you work.

What you are looking for is a SYSTEMIC fix — one that stops the problem happening again.

For every cause, ask: why was this cause able to happen at all?

1/2

People

Machines

Materials

Methods/processes

Management

Surroundings/environment

Effect

2/2

The most important cause

The second most important cause

The third most important cause

The fourth most important cause